ISTAR'S NEW 140MM F/6.5 FLUORIDE APOCHROMATIC TRIPLET

[Ales - iStar Optical]

Hello everyone,

I'm excited to share the latest news from iStar Optical. We have JUST finalized the latest updates in the design and production of our brand new 140mm F/6.5 APO Triplet and the results are simply phenomenal! In one of the two tested triplets were able to achieve PV/10 (min. target surface accuracy is set at PV/5) and Strehl of quite impressive 0.995. The other lens tested showed a bit worse values but still VERY good.
These triplets were designed and produced with both visual and, advanced photography applications in mind. We will be testing these triplets under the stars coupled with Starizona's APEX 0.65 reducer-flattener to achieve perfect virtually color-free image quality at super-fast no-center-obstruction F/4 optical system!
First units are now in stock and more is being produced.

ISTAR 204 F/7 fluoride APO triplets are now in production and we are taking preorders.

We will share test images right here on iStar Scope Club and on Cloudy Nights.

Clear skies to everyone!

Ales

[GrahamP]

Hi Ales, Fantastic news! Sounds positively mind-blowing. So glad that you have designed with both visual and photographic applications in mind. I have always lent toward visual use as my own first priority.

This new APO Triplet is of great interest.

Well done, regards.... Graham.P

[Ales - iStar Optical]

Graham, yes, this is very exciting personally for me. Ever since I was 10 years old I dreamed of designing and manufacturing a high quality refractors. I built my first scope at that age. Out of glasses and loupes. Now, some 49 years later, Ive achieved the pinnacle of my lifelong dream. Im looking forward to testing both of these newly designed APO triplets and if all goes well, Im also going to get a major personal imaging system upgrade!... (with my wife's pre-approval, of course).
Im also happy for all of those imaging and visual astronomy fans out there who will now be able to afford a true high-quality APO at a price that might seem "too good to be true". So yes, this is a dream come true for me, AND for many of you out there.
From now on, I will let the test results and images do the talking. The test result in this post was provided by a third-party lab (to remain impartial and to avoid any appearance of impropriety.
We will start doing some deep space imaging with the 140 F/6.5 APO triplet and Starizona's Apex 0.65x, 4-element reducer-field flattener.
These are really, really exciting times!