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Orion ED80T Carbon Fiber Apochromatic Refractor


Orion is proud to announce an exciting addition to our already prestigious line of ED refractors, the 80mm apochromatic triplet Orion ED80T CF. With a triplet objective featuring FPL-53 extra-low dispersion glass, views come through true to color and exhibit tack-sharp resolution.


Item #ProductStock StatusPriceShipping
09534Orion ED80T CF Apochromatic Refractor
Normally Ships in 7-10 Days
$899.95
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Orion ED80T CF Apochromatic Refractor

Orion ED80T CF Apochromatic Refractor

  • Fabulous triplet apo refractor performance - we feel this is as false-color-free as a refractor can be!
  • 80mm, f/6.0 design - great for wide-field visual or imaging use
  • Carbon-fiber construction - strong, light, thermally stable and darn good looking!
  • Robust dual-speed focuser - once you use this focuser you'll never want to use a single-speed again!
  • finderscope bracket, dual dovetail/photo tripod adapter mounting block - for guided imaging or wide-field altazimuth star hopping
  • A perfect grab-n-go visual instrument AND an exceptional wide field astrograph

Apochromatic refractor telescopes have a devoted following amongst amateur astronomers, and for good reason. The crisp view offered by a high-quality apo refractor is truly a wonder to behold and share. Apochromatic refractors significantly reduce chromatic aberration, or false color, compared to standard achromatic refractor telescopes due to the use of "ED" (Extra-low Dispersion) optical glass and use of three optical elements. The visual and imaging benefits of apo refractors have helped to make them instruments of choice by many real-time observers and imaging experts alike.

The ED80T CF is a versatile power performer telescope well-suited for multiple applications. With a focal length of 480mm (f/6.0), its fast unobstructed optics yield detail-rich visual views of solar system and wide-field deep-sky objects alike. The triplet objective and ED optics virtually eliminate chromatic aberrations making the ED80T CF an excellent candidate for astrophotography use when used with an imaging-capable EQ mount and CCD or DSLR camera. The relatively small size and light weight of the telescope makes it perfectly portable for escapades to dark-sky locations for either visual or photographic expeditions. The retractable dew shield makes the ED80T CF even more compact for storage and transport, with a length of 14.3-inches with the dew shield fully retracted. The telescope measures 18.25-inches when the dew shield is fully extended to minimize peripheral glare and dew accumulation.

The striking carbon-fiber tube is nifty to look at, and makes the ED80T CF a lightweight luxury to transport and mount. Weighing in at a mere 6.0 lbs. including the diagonal, this is one telescope you won't have to break your back (or bank account) when considering mounting options. The integrated dovetail mounting base attaches directly to any Orion EQ mount equipped with a narrow, or "Vixen-style," dovetail saddle without the need for additional mounting accessories. While a stable motorized equatorial (EQ) mount is recommended for astrophotographic pursuits, the ED80T CF can be adequately mounted on a wide variety of lightweight sturdy field and photo tripods by virtue of the same integrated dovetail mounting base which features a threaded 1/4"-20 acceptor. Adding an optional correct-image 45-degree diagonal would provide you with a daytime telescope worthy of virtually any landscape or wildlife viewing exploit.

In keeping with Orion's established tradition of offering quality products at affordable prices, the ED80T CF is offered to you at an amazing value. What's more, we've included top-notch features and accessories which are sure to please even the most discerning apo aficionado. The precision machined Crayford-style focuser provides dual-speed focus adjustment perfect for dialing in delicate details of celestial and terrestrial subjects. The smaller fine focus knob adjusts focus at a rate of 11:1 compared to the coarse focus knob, giving you the ability to hone-in on just the right focal point. A 2-inch mirror diagonal with dielectric coatings provides a comfortable nighttime view orientation and optimizes reflectivity, ensuring as many of those lovely photons as possible reach the focal plane. The included 2-inch-to-1.25-inch eyepiece adapter allows trouble-free use of higher magnification 1.25-inch eyepieces or 1.25-inch accessories. For storage and safe transport, everything fits nicely in the included hard case with custom die-cut foam interior.

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Optical Specifications: Orion ED80T CF Apochromatic Refractor
Type Apochromatic Refractor
Aperture (mm) 80 mm
Aperture (in.) 3.1 inches
Focal Length 480 mm
Focal Ratio f/6
Limiting Visual Stellar Magnitude <p><b>Limiting Stellar Magnitude</b><br /> This is a measure of the faintest star that can be seen with a telescope under ideal conditions. We include this figure for the purpose of comparing two telescopes of different apertures using a consistent scale. Many manufactures publish this specification. Unfortunately manufactures use different methods to calculate this figure, rendering the numbers useless for direct head to head comparison of different brands of telescopes. </p> <p>Limiting stellar magnitude is the sum of the naked eye limiting magnitude and the telescopic gain. The naked eye limiting magnitude varies by location due to local light pollution; therefore, it is an assumption. This figure could be 6.5 or higher at some of the darkest locations, but less than 2 in the middle of a large city. Our calculations assume a figure of 5, which one might typically find 30-40 miles from a major urban area. </p> <p>Telescopic gain is a direct function of aperture. No attempt has been made to compensate for the affects of central obstructions or different types of optical coatings.</p> 12.1 Magnitude
Accessories and Features
Included Eyepiece(s) None
Finder None
Focuser Two-inch dual-speed Crayford with 1.25-inch adapter
Star Diagonal None
Accepts 2" Eyepieces <p><b>Telescope Eyepiece Formats</b><br /> Virtually all telescope eyepieces available today conform to one of two barrel diameter standards: 1.25 or 2 inches. Most amateur astronomers will be perfectly content with 1.25" eyepieces. Two-inch eyepieces have only one inherent advantage. That advantage is a potentially larger field of view, but not every telescope can take advantage of that potential. </p> <p>A Telescope and eyepiece work together to collect parallel light rays over a large area, compress those light rays down into a smaller area, and the re-orient them so that they are nearly parallel once again. Essentially light arriving at a telescope with any given aperture is compressed into a smaller aperture or exit pupil. The ratio of the telescope aperture to eyepiece exit pupil determines the magnification.</p> <p>There are cases at very low magnifications where the eyepiece barrel diameter becomes the constraint on maximum field of view. The eyepiece barrel itself actually blocks some of the available light that the telescope is collecting, thus limiting the field of view. Two-inch eyepieces overcome this constrain by allowing a larger light cone to enter the eyepiece. We must conclude this discussion by restating that 2" eyepieces have no inherent advantage over 1.25" eyepieces other than the potential for a larger field of view when used with a telescope capable of benefiting from that advantage. </p> Yes
Physical Parameters
Telescope Weight 6 Pounds
Optical Tube Length 14.3 Inches
Eyepiece Calculator
Enter your eyepiece's specifications:
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Exit Pupil: <p>Exit pupil represents the diameter of the column of light exiting the eyepiece. Magnification is simply the ratio of telescope aperture to exit pupil. Fox example, using a telescope with 100mm aperture and an exit pupil of 2mm yields a magnification of 50X.</p> <p>There are both upper and lower limits to the useful range of exit pupils. The typical human eye pupil dilates to a maximum of 7mm when fully dark adapted. This figure decreases with age. Using an exit pupil that is larger than this upper limit simply spills the light onto an area of the eye not capable of receiving data. At the opposite end of the range, a smaller exit pupil means less area on the eye is collecting data. Images brightness decreases with decreasing exit pupil. Deep space objects grow dimmer rapidly as the exit pupil falls below 1 mm. The planets also start to become noticeably dimmer when the exit pupil falls much below 0.5 mm.</p> <p>Our eyepiece calculator provides warnings and error messages based upon the value of the exit pupil. These are intended to be guidelines as opposed to hard rules. There is no harm in violating these gidelines, but your enjoyment of the telescope may be diminished if you do. </p>