RedCat51 Review - Why I think this is a great telescope

[@OlliesSpace]

Nice overview of the scope Mark. Looks like you've got a nice looking overall setup there with all the extras. Great scope to start with.

[@astrojourneyuk]

It’s definitely a great scope, I wish I’d got it at the start but in Covid lockdown things were hard to come by.

[@andrewpowell904]

A great review and the best I have seen ! well done !

[@aw7425]

Super video. I need to attach my guide scope to my RC51 now that I’ve seen your setup, clear skies, I did add the ZWO EAF with the kit that gives my more mount choices too.

[@astrojourneyuk]

I have just received another EAF and I'm trying to decide whether to design and print my own 3d printed mount for it or to just install it on my 200P which has a terrible focuser. The RedCat manual focus isn't really that much of a challenge TBH.

[@twobrotherskayaking4736]

Just ordered the Redcat 51 along with asiair +, efw, eaf, eaf blackcat mount, asi662mc, asi294mm p, asi2600mc p, asi6200mm p, and Celestron - Advanced VX Computerized GoTo EQ Mount. Should be here by Dec 7. Will be ordering some filters tonight or tomorrow, probably Antlia or Chroma. 3nm SHO and a decent LRGB set. Already have a CGX-L Edge 1100HD with all the gear. Had to replace the OTA as the one I got had a blemish/bubble or?? on the corrector. Replacement due here on Dec 5 so will get setting up then. Have an OAG and asi174 mini for that so will use the guide scope that comes with Edge and the 622 for the 'cat'. Just hoping for some better weather. Upstate NY is not so great this time of year. Thanks for the video. Really looking forward to my 'cat'!

[@astrojourneyuk]

Wow. That’s some shopping list there! What are your first planned targets?

[@twobrotherskayaking4736]

​@@astrojourneyuk just be glad to get both units up and running. PA, focusing and tracking are new to me. But I have an extensive background in production automation and robotics and I have written code in 8 or 9 different computer languages so I probably can keep up with it. Did a test set up (w/o the ota) and eaf, efw, and cgx-l all seem to be talking to the asiair plus. A step in the right direction. Probably will start close, moon and planetary at first. want to be sure tracking and overall automation is working and accurate. See how it goes after that. what would you recommend?

[@astrojourneyuk]

If you’re new to things I’d suggest starting wider until you home PA etc. I don’t have any planetary experience as my scopes don’t have enough reach sadly. Good luck though, it’s going to be a good ride.

[@twobrotherskayaking4736]

@@astrojourneyuk Yes, last night, finally, for the first time in almost 2 months we had a few hours of clear skies. Set up the Redcat 51 and WO32mm guide scope on my AVX w/ asiair+ and 294mm. Got to see Jupiter and two large moons for my first time. Also, Uranus, Mars, Reigl, and Betelgeuse. Absolutely amazing. Now the next day and cloudy again but can't stop thinking about last evening. All of this expensive equipment actually worked, and PA was a breeze. So physicked that I could select an object and the asiair app would slew to it, plate solve, and lock on, and from my living room PC (desktop). Really looking forward to more clear skies!

[@astrojourneyuk]

That’s fantastic news. All of those first time experiences are great and never leave you. Shame about the cloud though. :(

[@Rfhuir343]

Great video, all that is missing on your setup is a ZWO EAF with a DeepSkyDad attachment - you won’t regret it :). Another option for your ASIAir Pro is to put it where the guide scope is and then attach the guide scope to the ASIAir Pro - you can get a ZWO attachment for that purpose.

[@astrojourneyuk]

I’m going to be designing and printing my own EAF mount for the scope. As I have a 3D printer it would be rude not to.

[@robertgrenader858]

The fit and finish of Williams Optics telescopes is just so nice. I love the way the dew shield and end cap are so beautifully macihned. OBTW,, I mount my ASI AIR underneath the Vixen rail which gets it out of the way.

[@astrojourneyuk]

The build quality definitely is good on this scope and you can tell it has a well thought out design. I’m assuming you have a long Vixen rail to get it underneath?

[@robertgrenader858]

@@astrojourneyuk I am using the WO rail and with the ASI Air underneath, my EQ6-Pro balances without issue.

[@astrojourneyuk]

Nice one. Thanks for the tip.

[@legacysearches4481]

I have nearly an identical set up. Redcat 51, 183mc pro and asi air pro... same filters and all. I have 294mc & mm pro cameras but I found that the 183 is better for this scope. I think everything stated here is 100% correct! Awesome scope.

[@astrojourneyuk]

The one thing I don’t like about the setup is the 183MC Pro and it’s amp glow. It mostly calibrates out but not fully. :(

[@legacysearches4481]

Mine calibrate out just fine. I get the same amp glow on my 294mm & my pro cameras. It’s not a big deal to me. Great vid!

[@Matt_10203]

@@astrojourneyuk have a look at the ASI533MC pro, apparently has no amp glow at all.

[@astrojourneyuk]

I have the 533 but might sell it. The issue with the 533 is with sampling due to the pixel size. :(

[@sen10el2007]

Really useful video, I'm totally sold. nice setup, and a great intro in to kit for astrophotography. Can i ask how much in total for your entire setup? also what mount do you use? Would love to see you imaging in a video and talking through the steps. Thank you 😃

[@astrojourneyuk]

I’ve recently upgrade the mount. I used to use the EQ5 Pro mount but I now use the ZWO AM5 which is the best part of £2500 but you don’t need that level of mount for this scope as it’s super light. The EQ5 was more than capable. For the scope, main camera, saddle, guide scope and camera it was another £1700! Wow nothings cheap in this hobby!

[@dakzer55]

Great breakdown of features in the review. Can I ask, is it possible to attach a standard mirrorless fujifilm x camera body using a T2 adapter like an SRB Photography Adapter?

[@woody5109]

Just can’t get this unit in Canada so I ended up with the zenith star 61, a comparable competitor that lives up to the hype. Looks like a great rig, I hear the auto focuser is a challenge as well but I think we’re all gadget guys at heart and love these little challenges. Great video.

[@astrojourneyuk]

I keep meaning to design and build an enclosure for the EAF on this scope, but haven't had the time yet. :(

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

Great review. I bought a white cat 51 (same scope, different colour) from RVO 4 years ago and used with an EOS600D DSLR all mounted on a star adventurer, The images were ok but I found I could improve them considerably by adding Ha data taken with my Altair Astro 183 cooled mono camera. I have just upgraded to fully automated system based around a PLL Eagle controller and SW EQ6 R mount and am very happy with the performance. I will say Last winter, I was getting some good results with my Samyang 135 f2 lens as well. I would recommend either of these two to anyone considering begining wide field astro photography.

[@astrojourneyuk]

Thanks Kevin for sharing your experiences. Do you drizzle your image data from your DSLR and WhiteCat? You might benefit from doing that. I'd love to try the Samyang 135, I've seen some great images with it.

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

@@astrojourneyuk I have just begun to use dithering during capture and drizzle when stacking and it has definitely improved my images. I would definitely seriously consider the Samyang for wide field photography I found it really good on targets such as the Cygnus loo

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

@@astrojourneyuk I have just started to incorporate dithering and drizzle in my imaging runs and wish I had done this a long time ago, it really has solved a lot of the noise issues I was experiencing I'm no expert at astro photography and have only experience of the scopes and lenses I currently own (White CAT51, William Optics GT81 and the Samyang 135). I really enjoy using all three but my favourite at the moment is the CAT, it's just so versatile and easy to set up and use.

[@astrojourneyuk]

There are some things that maybe feel advanced sometimes but do just need to be there by default like dithering. I guess we all learn these things eventually. I think I could have saved buying a new camera if I really knew about drizzling.

[@leoncorns1450]

Love it. Very colour co-ordinated. With that focal length you can capture the best targets.

[@Kevin-kb9dp]

Nice review, thanks!

[@astrojourneyuk]

No problem. I’m glad you found it helpful.

[@RussellsAstrophotography]

Nice overview mate, I know this scope is so popular…maybe I’ll keep an eye out for one

[@astrojourneyuk]

Thanks Russell. I definitely love this scope. Perfect focal length for me too. :)

[@AZ4RunnersRealm]

Great review. Agree with everything you said. The saddle should be included. Gotta love the RedCat! clear skies

[@astrojourneyuk]

Yeah, no idea other than to get it to a particular price that they wouldn’t include it. I can’t see people using this as a wildlife lens which might be why they don’t include it as standard.

[@richparsons7320]

Great video! I have been pricing up a redcat setup.. Not sure if I would suffer under/over sampling with my 2600mc camera though? 🤔

[@astrojourneyuk]

Take a look at this site which has a tool for checking under/over sampling.

[@ShakeelNaim]

Hey great review. I recently got into astronomy and have a Skywatcher 10” dobsonian which I’m really enjoying for visual astronomy. However I’m now getting excited about the next steps and considering a setup similar to yours, basically the Redcat 51 scope and ZWO camera, guidescope and ASiAir etc Can you please tell me what the setup in this video weighs approximately? I’m considering the Star Adventurer GTi mount but not sure if it could handle this setup. I think the weight limit is about 5kg. Thanks

[@astrojourneyuk]

It is 3.3Kg. That includes scope, guidescope, cameras, ASIAIR pro, dew heaters,and cables.

[@ShakeelNaim]

@@astrojourneyuk that’s great, thanks. I think will be ideal for me then as a starter setup. I will however would like to add a filter wheel and 7x2” filters so I’ll get specs for those and workout if overall weight is still less than 5kg. Hopefully it will be. Cheers

[@astrojourneyuk]

@@ShakeelNaim even with that you’ll still be well under 5Kg. Probably a little shy of 4Kg.

[@astrojourneyuk]

A filter wheel is a good long term investment although if you are going colour first then probably go for an l pro or l extreme filter with a single filter drawer.

[@benedekvarga5778]

Hi Mark! I am considering to buy a REDCAT 51 and I found your review really helpful and you've convinced me this will be the right pick. However, I would like to ask you a few questions about cameras compatible with this telescope. I am using Canon 5D (DSLR) full frame and Canon R (MILC) full frame cameras and I'd like to know if either of them would work with this scope or do I have to buy a camera specifically made for astrophotography. Thank you very much for you answer and you time in advance. Have a nice day! :)

[@astrojourneyuk]

A good number use DSLRs with this scope. There is an issue with under sampling (see my video on this) which can be overcome when pre processing the image data. With such a large sensor you will end up with a wide field of view. A lot of people also pair this up with the Sony 183 sensor cameras like the ASI183MC pro which is sampled correctly.

[@benedekvarga5778]

@@astrojourneyuk Thank you very much for the quick answer! So if I understood you correctly then the scope should work with the camera? I looked up the ZWO ASI183MC Pro but unfortunately it's too pricey for me that's why I was looking for alternate solutions. Also if you could link your video on the under sampling issue I would be really grateful. Thank you for your time and answer in advance. 🙂

[@astrojourneyuk]

Here’s the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6LKgmljeqiXi9E

[@astrojourneyuk]

Don’t worry too much about sampling but I wanted to make you aware. You likely won’t notice the issues unless you zoom into the image and it can be resolved using Drizzling in pre processing.

[@benedekvarga5778]

@@astrojourneyuk Thank you very much for all the help and answers! Have a nice day! 🙂

[@m.sabir21]

Excellent video, can you share some of the pictures you took with redcat telescope. Does this is suitable for deep sky observations?

[@astrojourneyuk]

My Heart Nebula community post on my channel today was with the RedCat, the 4 panel mosaic image was with the RedCat and my most recent Andromeda. Take a look at AstroJourneyUK on Instagram or my website to see more images. It's great for astrophotography, but probably not for visual astronomy.

[@ScandalBeats]

Hi! I bought the redcat 51 v1.5 and a m48 t ring for canon EOS dslr. After taking the m48 t ring out the dust cap doesn’t fit the redcat 51 anymore… anyone know what in the world is happening?!?!

[@johnmheaton]

Good review thank you. Could you provide a link to the usb power cable splitter please. Cheers!

[@astrojourneyuk]

Thank you. Here’s the link. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09D7FSHBH/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_M39XQ8NRA1X3SZ3N9WD8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[@tomreid7]

I enjoyed your review and the images at the end. I'm curious about the camera selection for the focal length, could you comment more about that, did you have issues with the FL on a dslr?, I havent noticed anything on my Redcat, but I also have not used a ZWO camera with it yet either.

[@astrojourneyuk]

I should have linked to this www.bintel.com.au/tools/astronomy-calculator/ basically it’s to do with under and over sampling. It is linked to focal length and pixel size of the sensor. Quite a few people to be honest use cameras that don’t match and maybe get away with it. A lot of people use DSLRs with it too.

[@tomreid7]

@@astrojourneyuk I'm going to need to do a lot more research on this, it has never occurred to me before now, thanks.

[@astrojourneyuk]

Happy to help although now I wish I was on commission. 😂 I might do a video for comparison of under and over sampling just for my own curiosity.

[@tomreid7]

@@astrojourneyuk do it, please!

[@astrojourneyuk]

All I need is a clear sky. 😂

[@mark-h911]

That’s odd; I bought a Red Cat 51 from RVO in September 2020 and I’m pretty sure it came with the Cat Handle Bar included. Must be a recent WO money making scheme. It should definitely come with it for the reasons you said in the video. That said, it’s a good little scope. Great review video too 👍

[@astrojourneyuk]

Maybe I should have got it then instead of my 80ED Pro. :)

[@noddyonice]

Got my Spacecat back in 2019 and it didn’t have a handle. I believe this has always been the case. It was something I never really thought about at first as I wasn’t guiding, so I didn’t mind not having it as an extra as some folks might never use it and therefore it would be a bit of a waste. I paid £39 for mine. Probably would be a little less as a ‘package’, but I like to purchase only what I need. I really enjoy owning my ‘cat’, it’s a great scope. 👍🏻 Noddy

[@astrojourneyuk]

That’s also a fair point.

[@robertgrenader858]

No, I had to purchase the handle separately.

[@Matt_10203]

Must’ve got lucky as afaik they didn’t ever come with the bar.

[@usmanmughal327]

Im starting out. Im addicted as ive seen the milkyway and captured with my camera. I want a portable easy telescope for travel…what would you reccomend?

[@astrojourneyuk]

What is it that you want to photograph? Nightscapes or deep sky objects?

[@usmanmughal327]

The milkywya and i want to capture with a single shot of the dso

[@astrojourneyuk]

For the Milky Way a nice wide angle camera lens will be best. Samyang or Rokinon 14mm f2.8 is a good lens for the price. For DSO something around the 200-250mm mark will work quite well with a DSLR or Astro camera. This is why I love the RedCat 51 as it’s a good focal length for a lot of DSO nebula and M31.

[@astrojourneyuk]

There are tools online where you can put the focal length and camera in and see what it will capture in terms of frame filling etc.

[@usmanmughal327]

@@astrojourneyuk yeah ive been looking at the redcat 51. Just confused as im nee to telescopes i want a mini telescope for travel. So redcat looks good and fits in…but i want one not to photograph but to visually see the dso and milkyway… do you think getting the redcat with the 90degree would be a good choice and if so what eye pieces should i get? And for photographing ive used my nikon d3500 and also rx100 iii which is amazing

[@Oath_Keeper1979]

Hi I’m new to astrophotography. What’s that 360 degree ring measurement for?

[@astrojourneyuk]

It allows you to go back to a particular rotation of the camera. Say you framed Andromeda up in one shot and then a nebula in another but needed to rotate the camera. You can note the value and return andromeda to the correct orientation.

[@tompage8674]

Would you consider this as suitable for an AP newbie? I have an EQ5 Goto and can't decide whether to go for refractor or reflector.

[@astrojourneyuk]

Without a doubt I would recommend this. It’s very well designed, very capable and super easy to use. You can use it to capture quite a lot of targets. Do some research on under and over sampling first to check your camera is suitable for this focal length. I got caught out with that. There are Astro sampling calculators on the internet.

[@tompage8674]

@@astrojourneyuk Thank you for the very quick response - I don't have a camera yet (moving from visual to AP) so I'll do a bit of research in this area and hopefully pick one that is compatible!

[@astrojourneyuk]

The one thing I’d change about this rig if I could find a good match and that would be the ZWO ASI 183MC Pro because the amp glow from the sensor is so bad. 😢

[@jonathanr2830]

Very nice rig that can undoubtedly help you get some awesome astro photos! My homework is leading me in the very same direction. Great minds think alike. : )

[@astrojourneyuk]

Have you bought anything yet? Let me know how you get on!

[@jonathanr2830]

@@astrojourneyuk Thanks for asking. Unfortunately, not. For the time being, as a retiree on a conservative budget, I am in a holding pattern here in the U.S., until inflation settles down sufficiently. Of course, the delay presents so many opportunities for me to do extensive homework and deep research like reviewing your good work here, and that tends to give me confidence that my money will be very well spent and without buyer's remorse when I do pull the trigger. I thank you for your meaningful help in that regard. Merry Christmas and all the best in the coming New Year!

[@astrojourneyuk]

I’m glad to hear that my purchasing errors will save you money. :) The US has inflation issues too? :(

[@jonathanr2830]

@@astrojourneyuk Indeed, I do owe you a debt of gratitude! May 2023 be a fantastic and prosperous year for all of us! I will certainly raise my first New Year's toast to you personally and to the UK, which I hold in very high regard. Part of my family's roots hail from County of Kent over 150 years ago, and my 100-year-old uncle served as a tailgunner in a US Navy group based in England that successfully hunted marauding U-Boats with modified B-24 Liberators during WWII. All the best from "across the pond!"

[@astrojourneyuk]

Wow! What a history! Happy new year to you too Jonathan.

[@tempusfugit6820]

How well does it keep its focus through the night?

[@astrojourneyuk]

If the temperature doesn’t change too much and I don’t change filters it’s fine. When using a OSC I can image all night without needing to refocus. 😀

[@dineshnaik8494]

Do you offer paid tutorial. I have an exact set-up (telescope, camera, and guide scope/camera). I could use some expert help. Thank you.

[@astrojourneyuk]

Head over to my website and you can email me and we can chat. It's unlikely I'll charge. :)

[@muskanraj4600]

👏👏👏