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Prism vs Mirror Diagonals

Started by dbrokof, 04/13/2003 06:38PM
Posted 04/13/2003 06:38PM Opening Post
Hi all,

Just wondering which of these are the best as far as seeing quality goes. I've had a lot of good luck with the prism diagonals and the mirrors that I have looked through weren't the best of quality. I was just wondering if there are any hard facts as to which is better or if it's simply a matter of opinion?

Thanks

D. Brokofsky
Lincoln, NE

120mm Synta Refractor "Bluey"
115mm Jason Newtonian "Junior"
12x50 Orion Worldview Binos
10x50 Jason Binos

Comets - [COLOR="Blue"]Forum Moderator[/COLOR]
Posted 04/13/2003 08:04PM #1
Well, even if they are perfectly made, prisms add chromatic and spherical aberration. The faster the scope, the more aberration added. Few recommend 1.25" prism diagonals on anything faster than about f/6 and most would probably draw the line more conservatively at about f/8 or even slower. In any case, it's essential to get a high quality diagonal whatever its design.

FYI, nobody seems to recommend 2" prism diagonals under virtually any circumstances.
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Mike