telescopecomparison · 2-way
William Optics Pleiades 181 vs Sky-Watcher Esprit 150ED
William Optics
Pleiades 181
Best suited for intermediate imagers building a versatile kit running a permanent observatory setup.
Sky-Watcher
Esprit 150ED
Best suited for intermediate imagers building a versatile kit running a permanent observatory setup.
Key differences
+21% aperture
Faster by 1.5 f-stops
Specifications
| Specification | William Optics Pleiades 181 | Sky-Watcher Esprit 150ED |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | astrograph | Refractor |
| Optical design | Astrograph (7-element) | Triplet APO |
| Aperture | 181mm | 150mm |
| Focal length | 998mm | 1050mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/5.5 | f/7.0 |
| Image circle | 55mm | 44mm |
| Full-frame support | Yes | Yes |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 15.0kg | 17.0kg |
Advantages of William Optics Pleiades 181
- 21% more light-gathering aperture
- Faster optics at f/5.5 vs f/7
- Larger image circle (55mm) — supports bigger sensors
Advantages of Sky-Watcher Esprit 150ED
Closely matched on the compared specs.
Best for — William Optics Pleiades 181
- Medium-sized galaxies and planetary nebulae
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
Best for — Sky-Watcher Esprit 150ED
- Medium-sized galaxies and planetary nebulae
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
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
Sky-Watcher Esprit 150ED — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.96° × 1.31°Scale: 0.74"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.28° × 0.86°Scale: 0.74"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 0.62° × 0.62°Scale: 0.74"/px
William Optics Pleiades 181 — recommended user
Best suited for intermediate imagers building a versatile kit running a permanent observatory setup.
Sky-Watcher Esprit 150ED — recommended user
Best suited for intermediate imagers building a versatile kit running a permanent observatory setup.
