SVBONY SV503 102ED - This one really did surprise me !

[@mrbsbees912]

Thanks, this helped me a ton in me buying my first real telescope, I have a couple of lower grade cheap scopes but wanted one I could start using with a camera. I purchased the 503 102ed during the Black Friday sale. I still have a lot to learn and want to learn more. Thank you for being so informative on the items that work with this scope. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@OlliesSpace]

Hey there, thanks for the feedback. It's always nice to hear this information helps people. You've got a good little scope and with the reducer great for Astrophotography. It makes a good all-rounder for visual or photography. Enjoy. 👍

[@jml7916]

I've been using one of these as my main imaging scope for a year now and it is very impressive for the price. I have it paired with a 294m and simple ZWO filters and it excels at NB imaging. With LRGB imaging you will see some blue halos but an Astronik L3 filter cuts them by half. I bought mine for less than $1000Cdn and it is worth every penny. For me it was a choice of this and a small SCT for galaxy hunting or a triplet. I haven't regreted my choice yet, having more flexibilty and the right tool has opened up more options than a single scope solution.

[@OlliesSpace]

Makes a lot of sense being able to have the two focal length options like this. Thanks for the tip of the L3 filter, I may look into changing my existing luminance filter with this. 👍

[@nickreecy4229]

I've been using this scope for almost 2 years. Primarily DSO astrophotography with some visual use. I have zero complaints.

[@OlliesSpace]

Agreed very good piece of gear

[@Tony-Elliott]

Great review Ollie it's always good to hear how people have got on with new equipment after a few months use not straight out the box would be interesting to see how it performs on the planet's and moon with sharpcap live stacking

[@OlliesSpace]

Hey Tony thanks pal. Ye will be good to give both these a blast with SharpCap like you say on the planets and Moon.

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

Interesting video. Svbony sells the 102 ED for 500 to 600 USD, all other companies sell this version for 750-850 $. It weighs just 4.0 kg and it is not a simple achromat, it's actually a semi-APO having FPL51 and Lanthanum glass. I own the Svbony 102/714 mm for 6 months now, previosely I had a Bresser 102/1000 mm F10 achromat and the Svbony 102 ED has a much better optical quality and performance. Also the 2 speed focuser is infinitely better than the ones used on simple achromats.

[@OlliesSpace]

Thanks for the info, I've certainly been very pleased with it so far, the corrector performed much better than I thought it would.

[@peterlaubscher3989]

Those comments make a lot of sense - had not thought of this previously. Food for thought.

[@OlliesSpace]

Cheers for watching Peter

[@BadYossa]

I've been umming and aahing over this scope for a while. I can get the 102 ED for about £460, with the flattener/reducer, which is insanely cheap. For £100 more, you can get dew heater, carry handle, dovetail, bahtinov mask and guide scope, which is mad. I've watched a large number of vids about it and will probably bite the bullet and buy it in a month or two. Cheers for the review Ollie!

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

The same identical version 102/714 mm FPL51 is sold by other companies (TS Optics, Artesky, Tecnosky, Explore Scientific, etc) for 750-850 $.

[@BadYossa]

@@3dfxvoodoocards6 Yeah, I looked at the TS Optics and it's about 20% more expensive for me - I'm UK. Still bloody good value for the money!

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

@@BadYossaI purchased it in December directly from Svbony from China for 540 $. In March 2024 they sold it for just 460$ because it was Svbony’s 7th anniversary. Now they sell it with 600$ but it still is a lot cheaper than the ones sold by other companies.

[@OlliesSpace]

Ye it seems such a good deal mate I never really intended doing DSO with this. I think you'll like it pal.

[@lciummo1]

Svbony now has a non-ED 102mm scope for $299 - SV48.

[@BurningFlame1999]

A side by side image comparison on the planets or DSO with the Svbony 102 ED vs the Skymax 127mm would be very interesting :)

[@alcosound]

Quite different animals, comparing a Maksutov with a an ED refractor is like comparing apples and oranges (I own both)

[@BurningFlame1999]

@@alcosound yes but it would be very interesting :)

[@OlliesSpace]

Ye not really interested in doing this like you say too different animals

[@BurningFlame1999]

@@OlliesSpace no problem :)

[@lciummo1]

Watch Marco's comparison video for a good compare with a similar apo (Askar)

[@lukesastro2380]

Great review Ollie!. Clear Skies!!

[@OlliesSpace]

Cheers Luke

[@LogansAstro]

Looks like a great scope for the price and it produced some nice images Ollie. Especially looks good for solar imaging as those solar images you showed had very nice detail.

[@OlliesSpace]

Hey Logan - turned out better than I expected for the money. I think Solar with a bit of Narrowband here and there if we ever get some clear skies again.

[@Юрий-е2н2е]

Просто класный рефрактор! Наилучшее соотношение цены и качества!

[@AZ4Runner]

Time for me to dust off the Orion 120mm F5 Doublet. I have it in the corner of my room. Can't remember why I put it away.. time to get it mounted. Great video Ollie!

[@OlliesSpace]

Hey Jason - Indeed mate, mono Narrowband these things are pretty deadly. Get the Orion out mate !!!

[@nikaxstrophotography]

Hey mate an ED scope isn't really an Achromat not quite an APO but not quite an Achromat. Achro->ED->APO in terms of Quality

[@Matt-li5is]

Maybe it's semi-apo?

[@OlliesSpace]

Hey Cheers Nik ye I guess this is kinda in-between but since they have it described as a Achromatic doublet feels safer.

[@Mk-ph4dp]

I have a 20-inch Dobsonian. Can I use 102ed for portable planet observation?

[@OlliesSpace]

I'd say a bit too small for planets really

[@alcosound]

Thanks for the verification of the theory that a good ED doublet is "good enough" for working with a monochrome camera and filters. I own this 102ED myself, and I am planning to add a mono camera and filters *ouch* instead of getting a triplet/APO

[@OlliesSpace]

Ye sounds like a good move, no doubt you can get some good images.

[@JeffFishman]

Hi, great video. I am looking into a 122mm svbony and i have 2 color ZWO cameras. And 122mm would sit on AM5 or AM3. Do you think the scope is good value? Sure seems so.

[@OlliesSpace]

I think the scope is good value. Probably the AM3 would take it with the counter weight but I'd go the AM5.

[@BigBadLoneWolf]

Payload wise, I use my HEQ5 and askar 120 apo, and guiding is 0.6 arc sec, although I did have to buy an extension fo0r the counter weight shaft

[@OlliesSpace]

That's certainly good guiding, do you find your subs consistently good?

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

Nice review mate the scope you have is almost identical to the Altair astro 102 EDR I own only difference is mine has the FPL 53 glass, I think TS optics photoline is pretty much the same to so probable all made within the same supplier I'm guessing. I use the SVbony reducer with mine as it were far cheaper that the TS optics one & it works a treat.

[@OlliesSpace]

Hey Tich! I must admit I really didn't expect that much out of the reducer but it performs really well stars look good across. You're 102 sounds nice ...wanna swap 🤣

[@supermario8416]

TS Optics sells an identical refractor with FPL51 and also one with FPL53.

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

Maybe I should do a review of that sometime although it is rather old now hence why I bought it cheap, the new version is the starwave 102 ED-R which looks pretty much the same.

[@petelopez5826]

How is this telescope for visual? I’m interested in buying this or an mak telescope

[@OlliesSpace]

Ye very good, really something like this and a Mak compliment each other really well. I'd probably start with a refractor then add a Mak later.

[@frackcenturion]

just a question about the doublet, when putting the flattener reducer on it does that now make it a triplet 🤔

[@OlliesSpace]

...and there's two elements in that so maybe a quad !!!

[@TheAnhydrite]

I see the tilter between the quark and the camera, what don't you like about that one and what would you use instead?

[@OlliesSpace]

I need to do a final test and max out the tilt but so far it's not worked. I've been considering the Daystar version if it doesn't work.

[@BurningFlame1999]

Chromatic aberrations, 4 inch refracfors: No CA - 100 F9 FPL53 doublet - 0.981 F9 FPL51 doublet - 0.957 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! F10 achromat - 0.785 F6 achromat - 0.650 FPL51 glass performs very similar to APO classified FPL53 and much better than simple achromats. With FPL51 it is a semi-APO or ED but in reality it is very very close to APO FPL53 glass. Nice review anyway :)

[@OlliesSpace]

Thanks pal yes lots of good points with all the glass types. I think I heard that FCD100 is basically equivalent to the FPL 53 so I guess same CA figures would apply.

[@M0unta1n777]

Did you happen to buy it off gumtree and how much did you get it for? I saw it listed a few months ago for 800 aussie with a metal case and field flattener 😂 I ended up buying directly from Svbony and it is my first proper scope for astrophotography. Pairing it with an unmodded Canon 6D II unfiltered does result in some purple fringing and I'm curious to see how it'll perform in mono LRGB. In theory the R and G channels should be tack sharp but stars might be bloated in L and B. A long pass filter (fringe killer/ Astronomic L-3?) should fix the L channel and I wonder how well the scope is going to perform in the B channel when it's focused separately. Most B filters have cutoffs at ~400nm so they might still result in bloated stars. The only B filter that I know of with a cutoff above 400nm comes from Chroma (425nm) but they're really expensive. According to work from other users on Astrobin CLS/ UHC filters seem to fix the problem entirely as they block wavelengths

[@OlliesSpace]

Hey Pal, I got this one from the Iceinspace forum I think around $600 at the time. Ye in fairness I haven't done much with the LRGB filters yet but it certainly does well with the SHO ones. I think the Narrowband setup for this scope would be a good way to go. Also the dedicated camera will be a big step up from the Canon, although I love the 6D also. Cheers for watching good luck with the upgrade whichever one you pick 😉

[@scotiaastro]

Never EVER apologise for getting a new scope mate! 🤣 Awesome review and an achro works just great for Solar! I grabbed a 127mm Bresser for under 300 quid and it’s brilliant on the Sun…have fun Ollie! 🔭📸

[@OlliesSpace]

Thanks mate now I just need some clear or Sun (I'll take anything), we've gone all cloudy again.

[@marbasfpv4639]

I have my ASI533 camera in it's level orientation so that the top of the image framing is pointing straight up. That results in my EFW to be pointing out to the side. For balancing purposes I would prefer the EFW to be pointing up like in this video. But that would change the rotation of my camera to an arbitrary orientation. Question is: Does camera orientation matter for PA and/or GOTO functionality?

[@OlliesSpace]

Gday no the orientation of the camera doesn't make any difference with your plate solving, it will be fine . 👍

[@marbasfpv4639]

@@OlliesSpace Gmorning and thanks for the reply :) My OCD wants the camera level and my mount wants it balanced. Hard choices😅

[@jonrobinson1026]

After watching yours and other reviews of this scope. I've placed an order incorrectly. I've ordered 503 102 bundle and don't think it includes the scope. I'm reaching out to reviewers as svbony aren't responding to my messages. Thanks if you can help with any means of contacting them.

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

What happened ? Did you order this scope or something else ?

[@jonrobinson1026]

@@3dfxvoodoocards6 . Svbony were on holiday for a week beginning the day I ordered it. Resolved now but no reply from them for a week. 12 -18 business days for delivery but it hasn't left Hong Kong yet. Thanks for your reply.

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

@@jonrobinson1026 I also have the Svbony 102ED, which I ordered from Svbony, China. It was delivered in around 20 days in perfect condition. It has an excellent price performance ratio and has a much better image quality that the Bresser 102 / 1000 mm F10 achromat I had before. I am very pleased with it.

[@OlliesSpace]

Sounds like you got it sorted with them on holiday. Shame you didn't get a reply for a week though.

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

@@OlliesSpace when I bought it from them, they replyed through email in a few hours or a day. I once tried to call them on the phone and I was able to reach them only after 7-8 tries. But what matters is that they delivered the scope relatively fast in a little over 2 weeks from China to my country Romania, in perfect condition.

[@supermario8416]

Nice review, like

[@OlliesSpace]

Thanks muchly !

[@PATTACAT72]

Got one from Temu for $270 Canadian

[@OlliesSpace]

😲nice

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

I don’t think they sell the Sv102 ED with 270 $ canadian. Maybe the Sv48 achromats, but not the semi-APO Sv102 ED.

[@mykveron2934]

I've watched few hours of reviews about Svbony 503 , not a single video about what it's capable (video comparison) a lot of stories and empty chat.