Key Takeaways:
- The Vixen VSD100F3.8 astrograph, a 4-inch telescope, was first showcased at the 2013 Advanced Imaging Conference.
- A notable feature of the telescope is its large, non-rotating helical focuser designed for substantial weight capacity.
- The telescope's design is intended for astrophotography, specifically targeting the image area comparable to a medium-format camera (6 x 4.5 cm).
- A production model of the Vixen VSD100F3.8 astrograph was slated for release in early 2014.
Vixen created its 4-inch VSD100F3.8 astrograph with imagers in mind.
Vixen Optics
My first contact with the Vixen VSD100F3.8 astrograph was at the 2013 Advanced Imaging Conference. It wasn’t like any other telescope I had seen. The focuser alone was an eye-catcher: a huge, nonrotating helical focuser as wide as the telescope itself. It was built like this to hold massive amounts of weight.
The president of the U.S. distributor for Vixen products, Brian Deis, asked if I’d be interested in trying out a production model the company scheduled for release in early 2014. I immediately pictured this 4-inch telescope, designed to cover the area of an old medium-format camera (6 by 4.5 centimeters), attached to my CCD camera. What would the results be like?
