telescopecomparison · 2-way
Vaonis Vespera vs William Optics MiniCat 51 WIFD
William Optics
MiniCat 51 WIFD
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Key differences
+12% focal length
Slower by 0.5 f-stops
Specifications
| Specification | Vaonis Vespera | William Optics MiniCat 51 WIFD |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | smart-telescope | refractor |
| Optical design | Apo quadruplet all-in-one | Petzval (6-element) |
| Aperture | 50mm | 51mm |
| Focal length | 200mm | 178mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/4.0 | f/3.5 |
| Image circle | — | 43mm |
| Full-frame support | No | Yes |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 5.0kg | 1.7kg |
Advantages of Vaonis Vespera
- Tighter framing — 200mm vs 178mm focal length
Advantages of William Optics MiniCat 51 WIFD
- Wider field — 178mm vs 200mm focal length
- Faster optics at f/3.5 vs f/4
- Larger image circle (43.2mm) — supports bigger sensors
- Lighter (1.67kg vs 5kg) — easier to travel with
Best for — Vaonis Vespera
- Wide-field nebulae and Milky Way regions
- Fast imaging — short exposures per sub
Best for — William Optics MiniCat 51 WIFD
- Wide-field nebulae and Milky Way regions
- Fast imaging — short exposures per sub
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
Vaonis Vespera — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 10.31° × 6.88°Scale: 3.88"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 6.73° × 4.50°Scale: 3.88"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 3.24° × 3.24°Scale: 3.88"/px
William Optics MiniCat 51 WIFD — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 11.59° × 7.73°Scale: 4.36"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 7.56° × 5.05°Scale: 4.36"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 3.64° × 3.64°Scale: 4.36"/px
Vaonis Vespera — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
William Optics MiniCat 51 WIFD — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
