Sky-Watcher Esprit 80EDX Apochromatic Telescope

The Sky-Watcher Esprit 80EDX is a compact apochromatic refractor built primarily for astrophotography, while remaining a capable telescope for visual observation. Its three-element objective incorporates one premium Ohara FPL-53 ED glass element, while Sky-Watcher’s MHTC multi-coatings are applied to the optical surfaces. This combination provides strong colour correction, high light transmission and sharp, high-contrast images.

With an 80mm aperture, 400mm focal length and fast f/5 focal ratio, the Esprit 80EDX is particularly well suited to wide-field astrophotography. The short focal length allows large deep-sky subjects to fit comfortably within the frame, making it particularly useful for emission nebulae, open clusters and large areas of the Milky Way. It can also be used visually for the Moon, planets, double stars and deep-sky objects when fitted with suitable accessories.

The telescope uses a CNC-machined 2.8-inch dual-speed hybrid rack-and-pinion focuser with 11:1 fine focusing. OVL specifies high accessory load capacity and zero image shift. The focuser itself can be rotated, while a separate rotatable adaptor on the drawtube provides additional control over camera orientation and image framing.

For astrophotography, an optically matched field flattener is available separately. With the optional field flattener, OVL specifies a 32mm image height. The flattener is designed to correct field curvature rather than reduce the telescope’s focal length, so the telescope remains a 400mm f/5 system when used with this accessory.

The Esprit 80EDX has a non-retractable dew shield. Its aluminium optical tube incorporates internal baffling, and the telescope is supplied with a CNC-machined aluminium tube ring with carrying handle, a 45mm Vixen-style dovetail mounting bar and an aluminium carrying case. The rear adaptor accepts a 2-inch star diagonal. No eyepiece, star diagonal or finderscope is included.