Takahashi APO Refractors: The GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY!!! Are they good telescopes??? 

Taks are flat out amazing scopes. I’ve owned 5 of them( refractors, 2 FS78’s, an FS 102, a TSA 102 and a TOA 130). My FS 102 is my favorite. I notice a tiny bit of color on the brightest of objects but it’s very subtle and in no way obtrusive and is pretty much non existent with higher end eyepieces. Great video and think you are correct about the focuser & paint….but I’m a Tak addict and that’s all I’ll ever own now😀

That's helpful information to know. I've got an FC100DZ coming that's being shipped this week. While I may eventually upgrade it with a Feathertouch focuser, nothing compares to the awfulness of the rack and pinion focuser I got with a Synta/Celestron 6" refractor.

I'm a big fan of them. Your analysis matches my experiences. The focusers are not terrible, but agree not premium. I'm going to do the retrofit Feathertouch also. I want to keep the look of the sandcasting. My paint is fine so far, but I have Vixen scopes with similar paint and I know what you mean. But that scope has seen heavy use. While the accessories are expensive, I do like the quality of them. But for sure mostly over priced.

Enjoyed this video. The second scope I owned, back in the late 90s was a Tak FS -102. Back when FC Meichsner telescopes in Boston was still around. This was what really got me hooked in the hobby of visual astronomy.

One of the expensive Takahashi accessories sold is takahashi brand touch up paint.

I remember seeing these scopes in astronomy magazine in the 90s. Those prices, yikes! It was like looking at the Ferrari of telescopes. They were like 2.5x of Astro-Physics refractors. Every time I hear or see the brand Takahashi, I think of absolute quality.

I don't have a Takahashi, but it seems to be a perfect match with a Tak and a Moonlite Nightrcrawler focuser/field rotator. I do have the Nightcrawler and it is as good as it gets - IMO.

I wonder, what do you think of the FC-76DCU ? I didn't see through it but I saw an image of the FOA60 and for a 60mm it's clearly incredible.

Hi Vlad, thanks for the vid and good info. I've been suffering from chronic Tak-fever. The doctor ended up prescribing me a FC-100D exclusively for visual (DSO's, planets, white-light solar). I have a question for thee; what's the best kind of 2 inch diagonal for such a OTA, Amici prism or dielectric mirror? In your opinion what are the pros and cons and are there any makes that you recommend? Cheers and clear skies. M

I had considered a Tak 150. But not only is the scope expensive, so are the additional components. For example, the mounting rings cost $850. Yikes!

THANK YOU VLAD! Now I feel like I need a Tak, there go my tax returns :/

Helpful, concise video, thanks.

Awesome video very informative, that’s an amazing collection bro. What do you think of William Optics apo refractors?

Nice, this is pretty fair video, I own a TSA-120 and an FSQ-106 EDX-IV, and after a couple of years of frustrations... neither of them have their original focusers. I put a 3" Feathertouch on the TSA-120, and since the FSQ is a pure imaging scope I put a NiteCrawler. I also agree about the accessories... Tak makes some of the most expensive adapters and reducers on the market... and many of them are not very sharp. And oh man I totally agree about the paint! Its awful! MY TSA-120 is literally peeling at the threaded end where the Feathertouch is attached. However, the experience of using these scopes has really made it worth owning and I will never sell either of my Taks! My TSA-120 especially is the sharpest scope I have ever used, and blows away every TEC and AP scope I have ever looked though.

Hi Vlad, you made me now worried about the lens alignment issue!

Nice video! I see you have my beloved TSA-102 sitting front and centre, I wouldn't give it up for much less than a house lol.

great content

I have a TSA-120 and agree the focuser is indeed the weakest part of the setup.

Vlad, you hit the nail on the head. While I also agree Takahashi optics are superior, their focusers are not very good. And the accessories are way over-priced. Thanks for another interesting video.

Is stellarvue in the same league as takahashi?

Is it true the Japanese prefer to view with out a diagonal, claiming you get the cleanest view that way?...it seems all their adds display them with only an eyepiece. What do you think about view with out a diagonal? Thanks

Hi Vlad, I notice you appear to have a Baader click lock diagonal on the middle talk, and maybe a televue everbright diagonal at the back? I wanted the white Baader diagonal as it’s a little cheaper, but it’s on a long delivery out to August, so I paid the higher amount for the 2” televue everbright diagonal. Have i made a mistake, or will it be worth the extra cost?

Good: I owned a 7" Starfire Astro physics refractor, and it was garbage! I have an acquaintance who sells telescopes, and he's enamored with Takahashi scopes-but I'm sure that from time to time, TAK also produces garbage scopes. I guess that, on occasion, an OTA slips through quality control. In any case, thanks for this review.

When I was younger, I dreamed of an Astrophysics telescope, but their lottery system rubbed me the wrong way so much that I will never purchase one, on principle, not even used. Takahashi FTW.

For both visual/Astrophotography and for rest of life ,What you recommend of them? Thanks in advance

Hey Vlad, I just put a down payment on a Stellarvue SVX 130T. I should receive the scope this spring/summer. The guys at Stellarvue recomended the feathertouch focuser option, which I am sure you would agree is a good choice. I have not confirmed if they do indeed powder coat their white OTA's (as I did not opt for the carbon) but I would expect so for the price of admission. What would you say, if you can comment form your experience, is the better instrument when optics from both Tak & Stellarvue are compared visually, or are they equal? I have not looked through either but I went with Stellarvue due to their attention to detail; which is unmatched IMO.

Hey Vlad, what is your thoughts on the Celestron 120mm aperture, 1,000mm focal length achromatic refractor?

Would an FC100 be overkill as a first refractor? I'm thinking about that or a Vixen SD81.

Vlad, im looking into getting my lifetime scope for both imaging and visual, something in the 120-130mm range. Im considering a TSA 120 how do you think other brands like stellarvue, SW esprit scopes like that compare? Like if you were looking to get a lifetime scope, spending around 5-6k, what would you go for?

Are the Takahashi scope bodies made of steel or aluminum? One is fine with powder coat, but aluminum not so much.

Try imaging with a Tak FSQ85, with a camera with small pixels, and you may change your mind about those Taks, even with the new corrector they produced to combat the issue, still poor stars in the outer 25% of the image….not good at all for a premium scope with supposedly the best optics…..☹

Respectfully disagree with the the accessories being expensive. They are only expensive outside Japan as the local distributors mark the crap out of them being greedy. Go buy them in Japan, not even considering the favourable currency exchange, and see how well priced they are.

I once owned a FS-102, wish I had never sold it.

tak make amazing stuff, no doubt; but they stubbornly insist on a high margin pricing model which have allowed the likes of synta to establish dominance in the market. tak are great, but they need to change their thinking to survive!

Agree with the the focus issue. However, Tak offers Feather Touch upgrades on most of their high performance scopes. The cost is stiff but everything Starlight Instruments makes is premium quality and extra elevated prices. That is Astronomy today so just get used to it. It is an expensive hobby. Period.

I’ll have to stop watching your channel Vlad. I just can’t cope with this constant flow of Astro pornography. Another great video 👍

Faktycznie optyka wygląda dobrze 😄👌🙂👍🏻.

I'd carbon fiber wrap the scope to protect it.

It's 'Apo' - *Not* 'A.P.O.' Apo doesn't stand for anything. It's just short for apochromatic.

Or just get a Sky-Watcher F/9 100ED and be done with it. Mine does 800X plus. Accessories are reasonably cheap and the focuser is better. Or waste your money on a Tak.

FSQ 106 has an almost 2 yr wait…..

Premium telescopes are definitely not my area of expertise, but I was wondering how you can chip the paint on one. Did you drop it? Is it a case of being sufficiently wealthy not to have to worry about accidental damage? When you see guys carelessly kerbing the wheels of their £2,500,000 hypercars or smashing a £7,000 carbon-fibre air-splitter on a speed bump, you know it's a deliberate 'status statement' to ordinary peeps that they're rich enough to laugh off the eye-watering repair bills. They've got plenty more cars in the garage to choose from. Whatever. Part of being wealthy enough to afford nice things seems to be the desire to show the world that you're not cowed by the fear of trashing them. Only poor people need to take care of their stuff. But... Chipping the paint on an expensive telescope? Nooooo! It's like dropping a newborn baby on its head. Over the years I've handled microscopes, telescopes, all kinds of cameras and lenses, binoculars, priceless 13th century porcelain figurines, rare violins, solid gold flutes, micrometers, laser theodolites, and I used to grind, polish and figure optics (Newtonian mirrors up to 18" and once a set of 6" objectives). Because I've never had much cash of my own, I handled everything with reverence and extreme care. Never dropped, scratched, chipped, or broke anything. I freely admit - I was too SCARED to. The idea of damaging the paint on a precision instrument makes me go all weak at the knees. Memo to self: remember not to use a £20,000 telescope like a cricket bat to hit rocks... 🤭

Why do you call them ay-pee-ohs? You say achro so why not just say apo? Are you not referring to “apochromat”?

They cost too much.