Barlows

I'm looking for opinions on what are the best color corrected barlows currently on the market. I'm currently doing some planetary imaging of Saturn and I'm using a Meade 5X TeleExtender. What I'm finding is a subtle spectral gradient across the Saturn image. The gradient is yellowish on one side and blue on the opposite side, most noticable at the edges. I'm wondering is this just an unavoidable artifact of increased magnification or are there barlows that are better color corrected than others.

I would be interested in hearing from Televue Powermate users and Astro-Physics barlow users.

Also, what are the advantages of the Paracorr if applicable?

Will an APO barlow make a difference or is this just a marketing ploy?

My primary instrument for planetary imaging is a Takahashi TOA 130 and a ToUcam Pro II (840k)

Thanks for your commnets.

Louis Scott Busby said:

I'm looking for opinions on what are the best color corrected barlows currently on the market. I'm currently doing some planetary imaging of Saturn and I'm using a Meade 5X TeleExtender. What I'm finding is a subtle spectral gradient across the Saturn image. The gradient is yellowish on one side and blue on the opposite side, most noticable at the edges. I'm wondering is this just an unavoidable artifact of increased magnification or are there barlows that are better color corrected than others.

Does the direction of gradient rotate if you rotate
the barlow?

Could also be atmosphere if target is not overhead.

If you have a refractor telescope, it could also be
something in the objective lens, or some collimation issue.
The test here is to rotate the telescope OTA, but nothing
else.

I would be interested in hearing from Televue Powermate users and Astro-Physics barlow users.

The Powermate and AP Barlows are among the best I have seen.
But I have also seen clearly defective units of both.
I would give a preference to these and do some testing
after you get it.

Also, what are the advantages of the Paracorr if applicable?

Paracor will not help planet imaging.

Will an APO barlow make a difference or is this just a marketing ploy?

Purely marketing. The one or two Barlows with APO in the
name that I have tried are rather poor.