telescopecomparison · 2-way
William Optics RedCat 61 WIFD vs William Optics Pleiades 68
William Optics
RedCat 61 WIFD
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
William Optics
Pleiades 68
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Key differences
+15% focal length
-10% aperture
Slower by 1.1 f-stops
Specifications
| Specification | William Optics RedCat 61 WIFD | William Optics Pleiades 68 |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | Refractor | astrograph |
| Optical design | Petzval APO | Astrograph (7-element) |
| Aperture | 61mm | 68mm |
| Focal length | 300mm | 260mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/4.9 | f/3.8 |
| Image circle | 45mm | 48mm |
| Full-frame support | Yes | Yes |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 2.0kg | 3.0kg |
Advantages of William Optics RedCat 61 WIFD
- Tighter framing — 300mm vs 260mm focal length
- Lighter (2kg vs 2.98kg) — easier to travel with
Advantages of William Optics Pleiades 68
- Wider field — 260mm vs 300mm focal length
- 11% more light-gathering aperture
- Faster optics at f/3.8 vs f/4.9
Best for — William Optics RedCat 61 WIFD
- Wide-field nebulae and Milky Way regions
- Fast imaging — short exposures per sub
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
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
William Optics RedCat 61 WIFD — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 6.88° × 4.58°Scale: 2.59"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 4.49° × 3.00°Scale: 2.59"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.16° × 2.16°Scale: 2.59"/px
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 RedCat 61 WIFD — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
William Optics Pleiades 68 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
