Is the Askar 103APO worth £999?

Yes. M 81 and M 82, the Pinwheel Galaxy and the Leo Triplet on this page took an hour each through it, and it is the cheapest telescope of Askar's triplet range.

Should I buy the 0.6x reducer for the Askar 103?

No. At f/4.08 it is really fast, but the stars in my frames through it picked up magenta rings, so I keep the 103 at its native 700 mm. Askar rates it at 420.24 mm and f/4.08. My plate solve of a stack taken through it reads 408 mm.

What is the focal length of the Askar 103APO?

Askar states 700.4 mm at f/6.8. The optional 0.8x reducer gives 560.32 mm at f/5.44 and the 0.6x reducer 420.24 mm at f/4.08; the 1x flattener keeps 700.4 mm.

Does the Askar 103APO need a field flattener?

Askar gives no image circle or back focus for the bare tube. Its 1x full-frame flattener keeps f/6.8, covers a 44 mm circle, needs 55 mm of back focus from the M48 thread and weighs 0.58 kg.

What mount does the Askar 103APO need?

Askar gives 4.75 kg for the tube and 5.5 kg with the rings and the 290 mm Vixen dovetail. That leaves room for a camera, a guide scope and accessories on a strain-wave mount such as the JUWEI-17, rated at 13 kg without a counterweight.

Can you observe visually with the Askar 103APO?

Yes. It comes with 2 inch and 1.25 inch visual adapters, so an eyepiece goes straight in.

Is the Askar 140 or 185 better than the Askar 103?

Yes, bigger is always going to be better, but in terms of user experience and pound-for-pound value, no. The Askar 140 is my favourite of the three, with 1.85 times the light gathering of the 103. The Askar 185 is five times the cost of the 103 for 3.23 times the light gathering.

Which camera did you use with the Askar 103APO?

A ZWO ASI2600MC colour camera: an APS-C sensor of 6248 x 4176 pixels at 3.76 microns, cooled to -10 C. At 700.4 mm it frames 1.92 x 1.28 degrees.

What have I not tested on the 103APO?

I did not test the 0.8x reducer, the 1x flattener or a full-frame camera on the Askar 103, and I did not measure its star shapes or colour correction.

Askar 103APO review: a £999 triplet, but skip the 0.6x reducer

Where does it rank on our leaderboard

Nine of the 42 telescopes on my board, against price
Rank	Telescope	Stars for Your Buck	Recorded UK price
1	Askar 50P	95 out of 100	£299
2	ToupTek Hope D60	93 out of 100	£749
9	SVBONY SV545	85 out of 100	£459
13	Askar 103APO	81 out of 100	£999
19	Sky-Watcher Heliostar 76Ha	74 out of 100	£2,399
22	ZWO FF110	73 out of 100	£1,499
36	Nakoh 60GT	52 out of 100	£899
41	Celestron 114 LCM	42 out of 100	£361
42	Celestron AstroMaster LT 76	13 out of 100	£200

Contents

01 Where does it rank on our leaderboard
02 Specifications and features
03 In the hand
04 How good is it? Here's what I captured
05 The rig on the mount
06 What is it for
07 Watch the review
08 Should you buy it?
09 Questions and more about this review

In 30 seconds

Stars for Your Buck 81/100

Reviewed 24 Jul 2025 Updated 23 Sep 2026

Rank: #13 of 42 telescopes
Verdict: Damon recommends

Written by Damon Scotting 5 min read

Buy it if

You want a 4 inch air-spaced triplet for deep-sky imaging for about £1,000
You image galaxies and clusters at a native 700 mm on an APS-C camera
You want a telescope that is enjoyable to look through as well as to image with

Skip it if

You want a fast f/4 setup: through the 0.6x reducer the stars pick up magenta rings
You need a flat full-frame field out of the box: the flattener is an extra
Your mount carries 11 kg and your budget stretches to about £2,100: the Askar 140 is my favourite of Askar's three triplets

“The Askar 103 is an absolute steal at £999: a 4 inch triplet refractor telescope at this price feels like a no-brainer.”

Specifications and features

Against the telescopes I have reviewed

Compare with

Askar 103APO reviewed #13 of 42	Askar 91F #6 of 42	ZWO FF110 #22 of 42	Starfield Optics 115 Triplet #37 of 42
Recorded UK price	£999	£995	£1,499	£1,899
Stars for Your Buck	81/100	89/100	73/100	52/100
Aperture	103 mm	91 mm	110 mm	115 mm
Focal length	700.4 mm	609 mm	766 mm	805 mm
Focal ratio	f/6.8	f/6.7	f/7	f/7
Optical design	Air-spaced triplet APO, one ED element	Air-spaced quadruplet APO, one ED element, self-flattening	Air-spaced four-element APO, one ED element, flat field	Air-spaced triplet APO, FPL53 ED glass
Image circle	44 mm with the optional flattener	44 mm	44 mm	Up to 42 mm corrected and illuminated sensor diameter with optional large 0.8x adjustable reducer
Back focus	55 mm with the optional flattener	45 to 75 mm from the M48 thread	42 to 73 mm from the M54 to M48 shoulder	With optional large 0.8x adjustable reducer: 67.6 mm total target; a 55 mm camera train requires the reducer set to 12.6 mm
Focuser	3.3 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, 1:10, 360 degree rotator	3 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, 1:10, 30 mm travel	3 inch rack and pinion, 1:10 dual speed	2.5 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, 1:10, 360 degree rotation
Weight, tube	4.75 kg tube; 5.5 kg with rings and plate	3.92 kg tube; 4.52 kg with rings and plate	5.74 kg tube; 6.76 kg full package	6.8 kg with rings and dovetail
Length, tube	600 mm dew shield in; 711 mm out	513 mm dew shield in; 599 mm out	664 mm shortest; 815 mm fully extended	711 mm dew shield in; 889 mm out
Dew shield	Retractable	Retractable	Retractable	Retractable
In the box	Tube, tube rings, handle, 290 mm Vixen dovetail, cloth case, manual	Tube, tube rings, handle, 230 mm Vixen dovetail, photographic adapters	Photo extension tube, M48 and M54 adapters, quick-release rings, handle and dovetail, inspection report	Tube rings, Vixen-type dovetail, carry handle, soft case, test report, 2 inch to 1.25 inch adapter

In the hand

Six frames from my review video

103 APO

On the ZWO AM5

How good is it? Here's what I captured

Four targets, one hour each

M 81 and M 82, Bode's Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy, ASI2600MC

Integration: 1 h (12 x 300 s)
Field: 1.52 x 1.01 deg
Telescope: Askar 103APO
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC
Mount: EM31 Pro
Target: M 81 and M 82, Bode's Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy
Type: Galaxies
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

M 101 Pinwheel Galaxy, ASI2600MC

Integration: 1 h (12 x 300 s)
Field: 1.62 x 1.07 deg
Telescope: Askar 103APO
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC
Mount: EM31 Pro
Target: M 101 Pinwheel Galaxy
Type: Galaxy
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

The Leo Triplet: M 65, M 66 and NGC 3628, ASI2600MC

Integration: 1 h (60 x 60 s)
Field: 1.26 x 1.00 deg
Telescope: Askar 103APO
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC
Mount: EM31 Pro
Target: The Leo Triplet: M 65, M 66 and NGC 3628
Type: Galaxy group
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

M 13 Hercules Globular Cluster, ASI2600MC

Integration: 1 h (12 x 300 s)
Field: 1.77 x 1.07 deg
Telescope: Askar 103APO with the 0.6x reducer
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC
Mount: EM31 Pro
Target: M 13 Hercules Globular Cluster
Type: Globular cluster
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

The rig on the mount

On the JUWEI-17, then on six other mounts

What is it for

Three things it is for

The cheapest of the range

The Askar 103 is the cheapest telescope of the range. Much like all of the other telescopes in the range, you can buy a 0.8x reducer and/or a 1x flattener to complement it.

Native 700 mm

It turns out without the 0.6x reducer, the telescope is extremely capable and produces especially nice images considering its price tag.

The 0.6x reducer

You can also purchase a 0.6x reducer that gives this scope a focal length of 420 mm and an f-ratio of 4.0, which is really fast. Unfortunately the quality of the images suffers thanks to the 0.6x reduction: lots of the images start to feature stars with magenta rings.

Watch the review

Is BIGGER always BETTER? (Askar 103 v 140 v 185 Telescope) · published 24 July 2025 · 10:21 · Watch on YouTube · 55,018 views, 1,493 likes on 2 Oct 2026

Jump to

0:42 The Askar 103, the cheapest of the range
0:56 The 0.6x reducer: 420 mm at f/4
1:13 Why the 0.6x reducer is not worth it
1:38 Without the reducer: extremely capable
1:53 The Askar 140 on a full-frame sensor
3:19 The Askar 185 on a 20 kg mount
5:44 My verdict on the Askar 103
8:17 Price against light gathering

Transcript of the review video 1,865 words · 12 chapters · searchable

Press a time stamp to play from there.

0:00 Is bigger always better? Three Askar triplets

0:00 Is bigger really better? 0:00 In today's video I'm going to be comparing a 4-inch, a 6-inch and an 8-inch telescope to see what deep sky wonders each of them are capable of capturing. 0:05 Over the last seven months I've been testing each of them out whilst also utilising some of their unique accessories such as the Askar 103's 0.6 times reducer which makes it a very fast telescope. 0:20 And never before have I owned a refractor telescope as stupendously large as the Askar 185. 0:25 Costing over 5,000 british pounds and weighing almost 20 kilograms I'd expect that this scope will let me see the aliens on the moon Europa. 0:31 So let's see what they can capture. 0:36 I'm Damon Scotting and this is Astronomical.

0:42 The Askar 103, the cheapest of the range

0:42 To start off with I'm going to be reviewing the cheapest telescope of the range the Askar 103. 0:46 Much like all of the other telescopes in this range you can buy a 0.8 times reducer and or a 1x flattener to complement it. 0:51 But here's the really unique aspect when it comes to the Askar 103.

0:56 The 0.6x reducer: 420 mm at f/4

0:56 You can also purchase a 0.6x reducer that gives this scope a focal length of 420mm and an F ratio of 4.0, which is really fast. 1:02 It's worth pointing out at this point that although this telescope is just under £1000, this particular reducer will set you back another £300.

1:13 Why the 0.6x reducer is not worth it

1:13 And to be completely honest with you, it's not worth it, particularly when it comes to astrophotography. 1:18 Unfortunately the quality of the images suffer thanks to the 0.6x reduction. 1:23 Lots of the images start to feature stars with magenta rings. 1:23 Visually observing with the scope is fine, it's an enjoyable experience but since I started imaging with the Askar 103 telescope first and the 0.6x reducer already attached I immediately had the fear of are these telescopes rubbish?

1:38 Without the reducer: extremely capable

1:38 But it turns out without the 0.6x reducer the telescope is extremely capable and produces especially nice images considering its price tag. 1:48 So the Askar 103 gets a tick in my book but I wouldn't invest in a 0.6x reducer but that's just my opinion.

1:53 The Askar 140 on a full-frame sensor

1:53 Moving on to its slightly bigger brother, the Askar 140, I decided to also use the 1x flattener to accompany it in my explorations. 1:58 Especially since I was going to be testing this telescope out with this ginormous full frame sensor in the ASI6200MC. 2:08 Yeah. 2:08 With a sensor this big there is no place to hide any dodgy stars. 2:08 It's time to find out if there's a reason these telescopes are so cheap. 2:15 The company that makes these telescopes, Askar, does say that the telescope is suitable for full frame sensors but let's see how true that statement is. 2:24 I must admit I'm surprised by the quality especially on the edges of the images. 2:29 These are the raw stack shots and as you can see from its corners the stars look a very healthy shape. 2:33 Overall it is a really nice telescope, I'm very happy with the Askar 140 and out of the three telescopes this is the one I've spent the most time with and based on these images you can see why. 2:43 So I think given the price tag, size and image quality produced on the Askar 140 I may have found a sweet spot for us amateur astrophotographers who have a more than modest budget and are looking for a large and capable refractor telescope. 2:56 With a refractor this size it's even viable to take images and videos of the planets, videos that are in fact of a very high quality such as these. 3:07 But I didn't stop there, I was obsessed with this range of Askar telescopes and decided to do something I'd never done before and tried an absolutely gargantuan monster of a telescope.

3:19 The Askar 185 on a 20 kg mount

3:20 Right so we've had big, we've had bigger and yet surprisingly somehow this isn't the biggest. 3:26 Yeah, as of the time of releasing this video, there is actually a model that's even bigger than this called the Askar 203. 3:31 Now, I won't be reviewing that for multiple reasons, the main one being due to the expense of the telescope. 3:36 But the secondary reason, which is more than adequate, is because of the colossal weight of the telescope. 3:39 I mean, look at this one here. 3:44 It is absolutely huge. 3:44 It is pretty much the length of my entire wingspan, especially once we get a camera attached to this. 3:49 In terms of weight, I mean at 18 kilograms it really is pushing the limit of most traditional mounts. 3:58 Certainly pushing the limits of a strain wave mount like the EM31 Pro here which can handle payloads of up to 20 kilograms. 4:02 So because of this telescope we are very much putting this to a stress test. 4:05 But I am quite confident that it's gonna be more than capable of doing so. 4:09 In fact I'm so confident that as you can see I've attached a bunch of different accessories. 4:14 Just at the very back here I have an Optolong L-Ultimate filter where using this filter is supposedly going to cut through a large chunk of it and allow me to image the night sky and that is doubly important tonight because tonight is a full moon which as far as deep sky imaging goes is pretty much the worst time ever to image the night sky yeah i'm not going to say it's pointless but compared to the images that you achieve under moonless skies they just look rubbish the goal that i'm hoping to achieve tonight is i want to image the same objects with the filter attached so without a further ado, we've seen the Askar 103, we've seen the Askar 140, now let's see what the Askar 185 can really do.

4:55 Askar 185 results: Veil, Elephant's Trunk, North America, Albireo

5:18 Right, so there we go, these are the results achieved after several months of using this range of Askar telescopes and here are my final thoughts and ratings.

5:44 My verdict on the Askar 103

5:45 The Askar 103 is an absolute steal at 999 British Pounds, a 4 inch triplet refractor telescope at this price feels like a no brainer. 5:53 Like I said earlier, I was very worried when the images I first captured with the telescope were filled with magenta ring stars, so steering clear of the unique 0.6 times reducer would be my best bet. 6:03 Most experienced astrophotographers will tell you that telescopes like this aren't designed to have their focal ratio be this low. 6:09 It does all sorts of weird things to the image, but normally as just a 999 pound scope that it is, it takes some pretty special images, so factoring in the price it gets a 7.8 rating from me.

6:20 The Askar 140, the Goldilocks scope

6:20 Next was actually my favourite scope of the three, I think I'll start referring to the Askar 140 as the Goldilocks scope, simply because it's not too big, it's not too small, it's just right. 6:30 Its huge aperture means that it makes light work of imaging the most popular deep sky objects, but it can also handle imaging the planets, which makes this scope a very good comparison for the Celestron 8 inch EdgeHD for £1,899. 6:38 I did have the two of these telescopes imaging the same planet at the same time side by side. 6:48 Now presented with these planetary imaging comparisons I think I'd still say that the C8 EdgeHD is the favourite, but for that telescope planetary imaging is its main purpose. 6:56 I personally still prefer the Askar 140 over it when it comes to imaging the entirety of our night sky. 7:01 So yeah, it's definitely my favourite. 7:01 It sits right there in a sweet spot and that's why I'm giving it a 9.1 rating out of 10. 7:05 Which then leaves us with only the biggest telescope left to discuss. 7:10 Now given that the question at the start of this episode was is bigger always better and the Askar 103 and Askar 140 have had increasingly higher ratings, what can we expect from the Askar 185?

7:10 The Askar 185 verdict

7:22 Well the bottom line in terms of my user experience, this telescope is just about too big for its own good. 7:26 What I mean by that is that with the accessories and the guide scope attached this telescope it is knocking right on the door of the AM5N or the EM31 Pro mount's payload capabilities, which are both stated to be 20kg. 7:43 Perhaps this wouldn't be as noticeable or as concerning if the sheer size of this telescope wasn't so enormous. 7:48 It's a true spectacle that without a doubt captures the best quality images of the entire line-up. 7:53 It's simple physics, the larger aperture of the same designed telescope means it has increased light gathering capabilities and therefore can capture more detailed images of the night sky. 8:02 So here's the thing, even though the Askar 185 is the most powerful of the three telescopes, I wouldn't actually say that the improvement in image quality is significant enough for me to choose it over the Askar 140 or the Askar 103. 8:10 Therefore, I think a 7.6 rating is well deserved.

8:17 Price against light gathering

8:17 And I mean look, if we go through a comparison of the relative light gathering capabilities of each of the scopes, then we're looking at five times the cost of the Askar 103 for the 185, with just 3.23 times multiplier in terms of light gathering capabilities. 8:26 As for the Askar 140, it's about a 75% increase in light gathering for two and a half times the cost. 8:36 So this is the viewpoint I'm taking for this video, yes bigger is always going to be better but in terms of user experience and pound for pound value, no. 8:45 If we add the top of the line Askar 203 to the mix then this becomes even more apparent. 8:50 This enormous scope has only just been released and it truly is the monster of this family. 8:54 Priced at just under 8,000 British pounds it's almost twice the aperture size of our beginner telescope, the Askar 103. 9:01 So the Askar 203 is eight times the cost of the Askar 103 with four times the light gathering capabilities. 9:06 Meanwhile the Askar 140 is four times cheaper than the Askar 203 with just less than half the light gathering capabilities. 9:12 So these two metrics don't exactly increase in line with each other but that's because of different variables that have to be accounted for such as manufacturing costs. 9:20 Yeah you'll be able to decide for yourself what the max payload of a telescope is that you'll be willing to handle but at 23.5 kilograms the Askar 203 is the last thing I'd be looking to try and place on my mounts on a dark cold night in the middle of winter. 9:34 Whereas even a little baby mount like the JUWEI-14 can handle the payload of the Askar 140 provided you use a counterweight. 9:39 In conclusion a very good line of budget friendly triplet telescopes released from Askar. 9:44 If you're interested in checking out any of them for yourself then be sure to click one of the links listed in the description below and make sure you're subscribed for more videos like this. 9:55 Thanks for watching, I'm Damon Scotting and this was Astronomical.

Check out more videos on the Askar 103APO

EM31 Pro Mount review - Better than the AM5N/Juwei?

10 Jul 2025

Should you buy it?

81/100 Stars for Your Buck

Pros

“Normally, as just a £999 scope, it takes some pretty special images.”
A true air-spaced triplet with an ED element, 103 mm at f/6.8, for a fifth of the price of the Askar 185 of the same design.
“Visually observing with it is fine: it's an enjoyable experience.”
Much like the rest of the range, Askar sells a 0.8x reducer and a 1x flattener for it, both covering a 44 mm full-frame circle.
Tube rings, a carry handle, a 290 mm Vixen dovetail and a cloth case come in the box, and the 3.3 inch dual-speed focuser sits on a 360 degree rotator.
At 5.5 kg with its rings and plate it rides on a strain-wave mount like the ZWO AM5 with no counterweight.

Cons

“The 0.6x reducer is another £300 on top and, to be completely honest, not worth it for astrophotography.”
No flattener in the box, and Askar gives no image circle or back focus for the bare tube: the 1x flattener (44 mm circle, 55 mm back focus) is an extra.
The tube alone weighs 4.75 kg, more than the 3.92 kg Askar 91F at about the same price.
At f/6.8 it gathers light more slowly than Askar's f/4.8 Petzvals such as the SQA85 and SQA106.

The Askar 103 gets a tick in my book, but I wouldn't invest in a 0.6x reducer.

Who the 103APO is for

Newcomer to deep-sky imaging with a tracking mount

Buy

It is the cheapest telescope of Askar's triplet range, and one hour per target gave me the galaxies and the cluster on this page.

Owner of a small strain-wave mount

Buy

At 5.5 kg with its rings and plate the Askar 103 rides without a counterweight on mounts like the JUWEI-17; the Askar 140 is 10.9 kg before a camera.

Observer who also wants to image

Buy

One tube for both jobs: 2 inch and 1.25 inch visual adapters come with it, and the same tube images galaxies at 700 mm.

Imager chasing speed at f/4

Skip

My recommendation is a dedicated fast astrograph such as the Askar SQA106 at f/4.8, built for speed from the start.

Imager with a heavier mount and a bigger budget

Skip

My recommendation is the Askar 140: my favourite of the three triplets, with 1.85 times the light gathering of the 103.

Askar 103 owner eyeing the 0.6x reducer

Skip

Keep the £300: the 103 does its best work at its native 700 mm.

Three alternatives I have reviewed

Questions and more about this review

Reviewed by

Damon Scotting

The Telescope Man Verified

BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology, Loughborough University PGCE / QTS, University of Nottingham

About Damon About Damon Damon Scotting is The Telescope Man. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology from Loughborough University and a PGCE with QTS from the University of Nottingham, and taught physics in secondary schools before becoming an astronomy creator. He is a contributing writer for BBC Sky at Night Magazine and the author of 42 Wonders of Our Night Sky, and his photograph of the galaxy M100 with the dwarf planet Ceres was Highly Commended in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 competition run by Royal Observatory Greenwich. He has appeared on the BBC's Blue Peter. More than 750,000 people follow his astronomy channels on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and he has reviewed more than 140 telescopes, mounts, cameras, filters and accessories hands-on for this site. More about Damon · How I test · Damon's book

I review all kinds of gear: most of it I buy, some is gifted and some is loaned, and all of it is reviewed the same way. How this site is funded

Nine questions, answered

Questions about the Askar 103APO

Reviewed 24 July 2025 ·Updated 23 September 2026

I review all kinds of gear. Most of it I buy, some is gifted and some is loaned, and all of it is reviewed the same way: no company sees or approves a review before it is published. Shop links marked Ad are affiliate links: I earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. How this site is funded

Is the Askar 103APO worth £999? Yes. M 81 and M 82, the Pinwheel Galaxy and the Leo Triplet on this page took an hour each through it, and it is the cheapest telescope of Askar's triplet range. What I captured ↓
Should I buy the 0.6x reducer for the Askar 103? No. At f/4.08 it is really fast, but the stars in my frames through it picked up magenta rings, so I keep the 103 at its native 700 mm. Askar rates it at 420.24 mm and f/4.08. My plate solve of a stack taken through it reads 408 mm. What is it for ↓
What is the focal length of the Askar 103APO? Askar states 700.4 mm at f/6.8. The optional 0.8x reducer gives 560.32 mm at f/5.44 and the 0.6x reducer 420.24 mm at f/4.08; the 1x flattener keeps 700.4 mm. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
Does the Askar 103APO need a field flattener? Askar gives no image circle or back focus for the bare tube. Its 1x full-frame flattener keeps f/6.8, covers a 44 mm circle, needs 55 mm of back focus from the M48 thread and weighs 0.58 kg. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
What mount does the Askar 103APO need? Askar gives 4.75 kg for the tube and 5.5 kg with the rings and the 290 mm Vixen dovetail. That leaves room for a camera, a guide scope and accessories on a strain-wave mount such as the JUWEI-17, rated at 13 kg without a counterweight. The rig on the mount ↓
Can you observe visually with the Askar 103APO? Yes. It comes with 2 inch and 1.25 inch visual adapters, so an eyepiece goes straight in. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
Is the Askar 140 or 185 better than the Askar 103? Yes, bigger is always going to be better, but in terms of user experience and pound-for-pound value, no. The Askar 140 is my favourite of the three, with 1.85 times the light gathering of the 103. The Askar 185 is five times the cost of the 103 for 3.23 times the light gathering. From my video review
Which camera did you use with the Askar 103APO? A ZWO ASI2600MC colour camera: an APS-C sensor of 6248 x 4176 pixels at 3.76 microns, cooled to -10 C. At 700.4 mm it frames 1.92 x 1.28 degrees. What I captured ↓
What have I not tested on the 103APO? I did not test the 0.8x reducer, the 1x flattener or a full-frame camera on the Askar 103, and I did not measure its star shapes or colour correction.