telescopecomparison · 2-way
TEC APO180FL f/7 vs William Optics Pleiades 181
TEC
APO180FL f/7
Best suited for intermediate imagers building a versatile kit running a backyard imaging setup.
William Optics
Pleiades 181
Best suited for intermediate imagers building a versatile kit running a permanent observatory setup.
Key differences
+26% focal length
Slower by 1.5 f-stops
Specifications
| Specification | TEC APO180FL f/7 | William Optics Pleiades 181 |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | refractor | astrograph |
| Optical design | Apo triplet fluorite | Astrograph (7-element) |
| Aperture | 180mm | 181mm |
| Focal length | 1260mm | 998mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/7.0 | f/5.5 |
| Image circle | — | 55mm |
| Full-frame support | No | Yes |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | — | 15.0kg |
Advantages of TEC APO180FL f/7
- Tighter framing — 1260mm vs 998mm focal length
Advantages of William Optics Pleiades 181
- Wider field — 998mm vs 1260mm focal length
- Faster optics at f/5.5 vs f/7
- Larger image circle (55mm) — supports bigger sensors
Best for — TEC APO180FL f/7
- Small galaxies, planetary nebulae, lunar & planetary detail
Best for — William Optics Pleiades 181
- Medium-sized galaxies and planetary nebulae
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
TEC APO180FL f/7 — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.64° × 1.09°Scale: 0.62"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.07° × 0.71°Scale: 0.62"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 0.51° × 0.51°Scale: 0.62"/px
William Optics Pleiades 181 — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.07° × 1.38°Scale: 0.78"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.35° × 0.90°Scale: 0.78"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 0.65° × 0.65°Scale: 0.78"/px
TEC APO180FL f/7 — recommended user
Best suited for intermediate imagers building a versatile kit running a backyard imaging setup.
William Optics Pleiades 181 — recommended user
Best suited for intermediate imagers building a versatile kit running a permanent observatory setup.
