Post by Ales - iStar Optical on Apr 22, 2012 3:49:30 GMT -5
After reading some of the recent ads posted by the world's leading manufaturer of telescopes, I really could not just smile and forget about it... below text is what is publicaly written about new 'Fluorite' APOs made by this company. I will leave name of the product and name of the company out, it is actually not important. what is important (at least to me) are a totally misleading facts used to manipulate with buyers' mind. To call a fluorite enriched glass a Fluoro-APO is on edge.. but still acceptable (with grinding teeth). But to call this glass a pure Fluorite CaF2 is beyond any bounderies of a fair business strategy. I am not saying that this company is telling flat out lies about this product and material used. Im not saying that they are making thousands to believe that they are buying a true CaF2 Fluorite APO triplet.. and instead getting a Fluorite enriched glass FPL51 or FPL53, which is 7x less expensive compared to a pure CaF2 Fluorite material. Im not saying that going on and on about CaF2 Fluorite element and than at the end of the story just mention FPL type of glass is a deliberate manipulation with customers mind. Im just saying that this is not right and such company does not need to lower their standards to such level of misperception. Hey, if they put a true CaF2 in their APO and advertize it as pure Fluorite.. fine with me.. more power to them. But to call the scope a CaF2 Fluorite APO.. and actually sell fluorite glass triplet is below all reasonable standards, in my own eyes.. and I simply had to share this here.. with you guys. Read below and see for your self how easy is to play with someone's (customer's) mind.........believe me, Im not taking any pleasure in writing this. It may bacfire badly, may hurt our own business.. but Im not type of person who would simply stand by and do nothing... sentenses in parenthesis (..) were added by me.
The XYZ-Comany ED APO optical design assures virtual elimination of secondary, residual “false color" normally present in 2-element achromatic lens designs using Crown and Flint glass. XYZ-Comany APO refractors utilize a second lens element made from the mineral fluorite instead of Flint glass. Fluorite, CaF2, is a halide with unique properties and a hardness of only four (this is a true fact indeed, this is why we make our Phantom line fo scopes). It is an exotic and difficult material to fabricate into a lens (also a very true statement as Istar has plenty of experience by now, producing a true CaF2 Fluorite lenses). Hence the cost of manufacturing a fluorite lens is quite high compared to a Flint lens element, for instance (absolutely a true fact.. I wish we could produce them for less but it is simply not possible, .. and one kilo of this material cost nearly 2000 dollars and you end up trashing many CaF2 lenses during the prodcution process...).
Why fluorite? Fluorite’s molecular properties have several distinct advantages. First, it has superior dispersion characteristics compared to pure silica-based glass. (again.. absolutely true IF we are taling about CaF2 material) It functions as a high-index lens with very low dispersion. We use the term ED to signify “Extra-low Dispersion". Fluorite also corrects well for spherical aberration (again, absolutely true facts about CaF2 pure Fluorite material grown in the lab, costing arm and leg and very difficult to fabricate).
(and now you are for a BIG surprize....) XYZ-Comany utilizes only the very finest available fluorite lens, FPL-53. (Those of you who do not know what FPL-53 is... this is a fluorite enriched GLASS... very FAR from a pure CaF2 Fluorite which is used in our Phantom, selected Takahashi scopes, selected TEC scopes and a very FEW others).
I dont think I have to ad anything else to this story. But you should really read carefuly and think twice before you jump into your next purchase of so called Fluorite APO... only selected few produce them as stated and Im proud to say that Istar is one of them...
respectfully,
Ales
The XYZ-Comany ED APO optical design assures virtual elimination of secondary, residual “false color" normally present in 2-element achromatic lens designs using Crown and Flint glass. XYZ-Comany APO refractors utilize a second lens element made from the mineral fluorite instead of Flint glass. Fluorite, CaF2, is a halide with unique properties and a hardness of only four (this is a true fact indeed, this is why we make our Phantom line fo scopes). It is an exotic and difficult material to fabricate into a lens (also a very true statement as Istar has plenty of experience by now, producing a true CaF2 Fluorite lenses). Hence the cost of manufacturing a fluorite lens is quite high compared to a Flint lens element, for instance (absolutely a true fact.. I wish we could produce them for less but it is simply not possible, .. and one kilo of this material cost nearly 2000 dollars and you end up trashing many CaF2 lenses during the prodcution process...).
Why fluorite? Fluorite’s molecular properties have several distinct advantages. First, it has superior dispersion characteristics compared to pure silica-based glass. (again.. absolutely true IF we are taling about CaF2 material) It functions as a high-index lens with very low dispersion. We use the term ED to signify “Extra-low Dispersion". Fluorite also corrects well for spherical aberration (again, absolutely true facts about CaF2 pure Fluorite material grown in the lab, costing arm and leg and very difficult to fabricate).
(and now you are for a BIG surprize....) XYZ-Comany utilizes only the very finest available fluorite lens, FPL-53. (Those of you who do not know what FPL-53 is... this is a fluorite enriched GLASS... very FAR from a pure CaF2 Fluorite which is used in our Phantom, selected Takahashi scopes, selected TEC scopes and a very FEW others).
I dont think I have to ad anything else to this story. But you should really read carefuly and think twice before you jump into your next purchase of so called Fluorite APO... only selected few produce them as stated and Im proud to say that Istar is one of them...
respectfully,
Ales