telescopecomparison · 2-way
William Optics Pleiades 68 vs William Optics Ultra-Cat 56
William Optics
Pleiades 68
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
William Optics
Ultra-Cat 56
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Key differences
+21% aperture
Faster by 1.0 f-stops
Specifications
| Specification | William Optics Pleiades 68 | William Optics Ultra-Cat 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | astrograph | refractor |
| Optical design | Astrograph (7-element) | Petzval (5-element advanced) |
| Aperture | 68mm | 56mm |
| Focal length | 260mm | 269mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/3.8 | f/4.8 |
| Image circle | 48mm | 50mm |
| Full-frame support | Yes | Yes |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 3.0kg | 2.6kg |
Advantages of William Optics Pleiades 68
- 21% more light-gathering aperture
- Faster optics at f/3.8 vs f/4.8
Advantages of William Optics Ultra-Cat 56
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 — William Optics Ultra-Cat 56
- Wide-field nebulae and Milky Way regions
- Fast imaging — short exposures per sub
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
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
William Optics Ultra-Cat 56 — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 7.67° × 5.11°Scale: 2.88"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 5.01° × 3.34°Scale: 2.88"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.41° × 2.41°Scale: 2.88"/px
William Optics Pleiades 68 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
William Optics Ultra-Cat 56 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
