telescopecomparison · 2-way
William Optics Pleiades 68 vs Radian Raptor 61
William Optics
Pleiades 68
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Key differences
-5% focal length
+11% aperture
Faster by 0.7 f-stops
Specifications
| Specification | William Optics Pleiades 68 | Radian Raptor 61 |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | astrograph | refractor |
| Optical design | Astrograph (7-element) | Petzval quadruplet |
| Aperture | 68mm | 61mm |
| Focal length | 260mm | 275mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/3.8 | f/4.5 |
| Image circle | 48mm | 44mm |
| Full-frame support | Yes | No |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 3.0kg | 2.6kg |
Advantages of William Optics Pleiades 68
- 11% more light-gathering aperture
- Faster optics at f/3.8 vs f/4.5
Advantages of Radian Raptor 61
Closely matched on the compared specs.
Best for — William Optics Pleiades 68
- Wide-field nebulae and Milky Way regions
- Fast imaging — short exposures per sub
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
Best for — Radian Raptor 61
- Wide-field nebulae and Milky Way regions
- Fast imaging — short exposures per sub
William Optics Pleiades 68 — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 7.93° × 5.29°Scale: 2.98"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 5.18° × 3.46°Scale: 2.98"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.49° × 2.49°Scale: 2.98"/px
Radian Raptor 61 — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 7.50° × 5.00°Scale: 2.82"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 4.90° × 3.27°Scale: 2.82"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.35° × 2.35°Scale: 2.82"/px
William Optics Pleiades 68 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Radian Raptor 61 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
