Does the Askar 80ED need a field flattener?

It is a doublet with nothing built in to flatten the field. Askar sell a 1.0x flattener and 0.85x and 0.7x reducers for it, each quoted for APS-C at 55 mm of back focus.

What is the real focal length of the Askar 80ED?

Askar state 560 mm at f/7. Plate solves of six of my stacks put it at 561 mm, 1.38 arcseconds per pixel on the ZWO ASI533MM Pro.

What field of view does the Askar 80ED give?

1.16 x 1.16 degrees on the 11.3 mm square ASI533MM Pro: enough for the Crescent Nebula, the Helix Nebula or the core of Andromeda with both companions.

How heavy is the Askar 80ED?

Askar's figures are 1.7 kg for the tube and 2 kg with the tube ring and dovetail plate, and it is 404 mm long with the dew shield retracted.

Which mount suits the Askar 80ED?

It suits small harmonic and budget equatorial mounts. The rig on the mount adds the camera, guide scope and accessories and shows the load on each mount.

Askar 80ED or Askar 71F?

The 71F is a self-flattening quadruplet with a 44 mm image circle at f/6.9. The 80ED has more aperture, weighs 0.8 kg less and costs less, but needs the optional flattener to cover APS-C.

Is the Askar 80ED good for beginners?

Yes, as a first imaging refractor: it is light, it costs less than most ED refractors I have reviewed and it rides on a small mount. Budget for the flattener if your camera is APS-C.

How much does the Askar 80ED cost and where can I buy it?

The prices I recorded: £379 at First Light Optics (UK), in stock; $399 at Agena Astro (US), in stock; $383 at AliExpress (The Plough Telescope Store), Global, listed.

What have I not tested on the 80ED?

I have not used the 80ED visually, shot it on an APS-C or full-frame sensor, or measured its star shapes across the field.

Askar 80ED review: the light, affordable 80 mm ED doublet

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
14	Askar 71F	81 out of 100	£599
17	Askar 80ED	77 out of 100	£379
23	ZWO FF80 APO	73 out of 100	£1,175
40	Celestron 63ED	43 out of 100	£322
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 Raw against finished
06 The rig on the mount
07 What is it for
08 Watch the review
09 Tested numbers and the download
10 Should you buy it?
11 Questions and more about this review

In 30 seconds

Stars for Your Buck 77/100

Reviewed 10 Nov 2025 Updated 23 Sep 2026

Rank: #17 of 42 telescopes
Verdict: Damon recommends

Written by Damon Scotting 5 min read

Buy it if

You want 80 mm of ED glass for imaging nebulae and galaxies at one of the lowest prices for a quality refractor.
You have a small or budget mount: the light tube leaves room for a camera and guide scope.
You image with a small sensor and want nebulae and galaxies about a degree across.

Skip it if

You shoot on a full-frame sensor: Askar quote APS-C coverage, and only with the optional flattener or reducers.
You want a fast astrograph with the flattener built in: at f/7 this doublet needs extra glass for that.
You already own the Askar 71F: the 80ED is no faster at f/7 and needs a flattener the 71F does not.

The Askar 80ED is shockingly lightweight given its size and aperture, and it is a fantastic new addition to my astrophotography arsenal.

Specifications and features

Against the telescopes I have reviewed

Compare with

Askar 80ED reviewed #17 of 42	Askar 71F #14 of 42	Altair 60EDF #38 of 42	Celestron 63ED #40 of 42	Askar 60F #8 of 42
Recorded UK price	£379	£599	£499	£322	£498
Stars for Your Buck	77/100	81/100	51/100	43/100	87/100
Aperture	80 mm	71 mm	60 mm	63.5 mm	60 mm
Focal length	560 mm	490 mm	360 mm	381 mm	408 mm
Focal ratio	f/7	f/6.9	f/6	f/6	f/6.8
Optical design	Doublet, one ED element	Quadruplet APO, one ED element, self-flattening	S-FPL53 ED doublet	Doublet, one ED element	Quadruplet APO, one ED element, self-flattening
Image circle	APS-C with the optional flattener or reducers	44 mm	APS-C with the optional 1.0x flattener	1 inch	44 mm
Back focus	55 mm with the optional flattener or reducers	Up to 82.5 mm from the M48 thread	55 mm with the optional flattener or reducer	not recorded	31 to 81 mm from the M48 thread
Focuser	2 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, 70 mm travel	2.4 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, rotator	2.5 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, rotator	2 inch dual-speed, 1:10	2.4 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, 50 mm travel
Weight, tube	1.7 kg; 2 kg with ring and dovetail	2.5 kg; 3.0 kg with rings and dovetail	About 1.5 kg with rings and rotator	About 2.5 kg with accessories	2.36 kg; 2.86 kg with rings and dovetail
Length, tube	404 mm; 505 mm dew shield extended	372.5 mm; 430.9 mm dew shield extended	230 mm; 300 mm dew shield extended	not recorded	289 mm; 323 mm dew shield extended
Dew shield	Retractable, reversible	Retractable	Retractable	Retractable	Retractable
In the box	Tube rings with carry handle, Vixen-style dovetail plate, 2 inch rear adapter, manual	Tube rings, handle, Vixen dovetail, photographic adapters	Rings with clamp, 200 mm dovetail, handle rail, 2 inch adapter, test report	Tube rings, Vixen dovetail, screws	Tube rings, handle, 230 mm Vixen dovetail, adapters

In the hand

How good is it? Here's what I captured

Six targets

Elephant's Trunk Nebula (IC 1396), ASI533MM Pro, HSO narrowband

Integration: 1 h 30 min (30 x 180 s)
Field: 1.16 x 1.16 degrees
Telescope: Askar 80ED
Camera: ZWO ASI533MM Pro
Mount: Unknown
Target: Elephant's Trunk Nebula (IC 1396)
Type: Emission nebula
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888), ASI533MM Pro, HSO narrowband

Integration: 1 h 30 min (30 min each of H, S and O)
Field: 1.12 x 1.12 degrees
Telescope: Askar 80ED
Camera: ZWO ASI533MM Pro
Mount: Unknown
Target: Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888)
Type: Emission nebula
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Andromeda Galaxy (M31), ASI533MM Pro, LRGB

Integration: 1 h 30 min (30 x 180 s)
Field: 1.09 x 1.04 degrees
Telescope: Askar 80ED
Camera: ZWO ASI533MM Pro
Mount: Unknown
Target: Andromeda Galaxy (M31)
Type: Spiral galaxy
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

North America Nebula (NGC 7000), ASI533MM Pro, HSO narrowband

Integration: 45 min (15 x 180 s)
Field: 1.12 x 1.11 degrees
Telescope: Askar 80ED
Camera: ZWO ASI533MM Pro
Mount: Unknown
Target: North America Nebula (NGC 7000)
Type: Emission nebula
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Crab Nebula (M1), ASI533MM Pro, HSO narrowband

Integration: 1 h 30 min (30 x 180 s)
Field: 1.11 x 1.11 degrees
Telescope: Askar 80ED
Camera: ZWO ASI533MM Pro
Mount: Unknown
Target: Crab Nebula (M1)
Type: Supernova remnant
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), ASI533MM Pro, HSO narrowband

Integration: 1 h 30 min (30 min each of H, S and O)
Field: 1.11 x 1.11 degrees
Telescope: Askar 80ED
Camera: ZWO ASI533MM Pro
Mount: Unknown
Target: Helix Nebula (NGC 7293)
Type: Planetary nebula
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Raw against finished

The rig on the mount

The 2 targets, the raw combined stack against my finished image, each with its integration, the camera and the palette:

Elephant's Trunk Nebula (IC 1396): 1 h 30 min (30 x 180 s) of light, ASI533MM Pro, HSO narrowband, the raw combined stack with one automatic stretch
North America Nebula (NGC 7000): 45 min (15 x 180 s) of light, ASI533MM Pro, HSO narrowband, the raw combined stack with one automatic stretch

On the TeSeek 11, then on six other mounts

What is it for

Three things it is for

Deep-sky imaging

These are some of the incredible images I have been taking with the $399 Askar 80ED.

Two dovetail slots

It has two dovetail slots and a reversible dew shield cover.

A partner for a budget mount

I reckon it could make a very good partner for a budget mount like the TeSeek 11.

Watch the review

What YOU can CAPTURE with the $399 Askar 80ed Telescope?! · published 10 November 2025 · 0:23 · Watch on YouTube · 66,989 views, 1,281 likes on 2 Oct 2026

Jump to

0:00 Deep-sky images through the 80ED
0:02 A $399 telescope
0:05 Shockingly lightweight
0:08 Two dovetail slots
0:10 The reversible dew shield
0:12 A fantastic new addition

Transcript of the review video 74 words · 3 chapters · searchable

Press a time stamp to play from there.

0:00 Deep-sky images through the 80ED

0:00 These are some of the incredible images I've been taking with a $399 Askar 80ED telescope.

0:05 Shockingly lightweight

0:06 It is shockingly lightweight given its size and aperture with two dovetail slots and a reversible dew shield cover.

0:12 A fantastic new addition

0:12 This is a fantastic new addition to my astrophotography arsenal. 0:16 Let me know what you think of the telescope in the comments down below. 0:19 I've attached a link just in case you want to check it out for yourself.

Check out more videos on the Askar 80ED

I tried a £299 Telescope mount?! Surprisingly GOOD! (TeSeek 11 mount)

30 Aug 2025

Tested numbers and the download

Finished image

Licence: for personal use, credit Damon Scotting. Both JPEGs 3,004 x 3,004 px.

-10 C sensor temperature during imaging set point -10 C

561 mm focal length, plate solved Askar states 560 mm

1.16 x 1.16° field of view 3,008 x 3,008 px on ASI533MM Pro

9 MP ASI533MM Pro 3,008 x 3,008 px, 11.3 x 11.3 mm

Should you buy it?

77/100 Stars for Your Buck

Pros

The tube weighs 1.7 kg, or 2 kg with its ring and dovetail: light for 80 mm of ED glass.
At 560 mm on a small sensor it frames the Crescent, the Crab, the Helix and Andromeda with both of its companions.
A 2 inch dual-speed rack and pinion focuser with 70 mm of travel, drilled for an electronic focuser.
It comes ready to mount: tube rings with a carry handle and a Vixen-style dovetail plate are in the box.

Cons

There is no flattener built in: the 1.0x flattener and the 0.85x and 0.7x reducers are sold separately and quoted for APS-C.
Askar publish no image circle or back focus for the bare tube, so corner stars on a larger sensor are unknown until you add the flattener.
At f/7 it is on the slow side for faint nebulae; the optional 0.7x reducer brings it to f/4.9 at extra cost.

A surprisingly light telescope that's also one of the most affordable quality refractors on the market.

Who the 80ED is for

Budget astrophotographer

Buy

80 mm of ED glass for £379 leaves money for the camera, filters and mount.

Owner of a small harmonic mount

Buy

It leaves plenty of payload for a camera, filter wheel and guide scope on a mount such as the TeSeek 11.

Small-sensor narrowband imager

Buy

Every capture on this page is from a mono 11 mm square sensor, most through H, S and O filters.

Full-frame camera owner

Skip

Askar quote APS-C coverage at most; the self-flattening Askar 71F covers a 44 mm circle.

Imager who wants a flat field out of the box

Skip

A self-flattening telescope such as the Askar 60F, or the ToupTek Hope D60 at f/4.7, saves buying and spacing extra glass.

Askar 71F owner

Skip

Do not upgrade: the 80ED adds 9 mm of aperture but no speed, and it needs extra glass to flatten.

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 80ED

Reviewed 10 November 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

Does the Askar 80ED need a field flattener? It is a doublet with nothing built in to flatten the field. Askar sell a 1.0x flattener and 0.85x and 0.7x reducers for it, each quoted for APS-C at 55 mm of back focus. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
What is the real focal length of the Askar 80ED? Askar state 560 mm at f/7. Plate solves of six of my stacks put it at 561 mm, 1.38 arcseconds per pixel on the ZWO ASI533MM Pro. Tested numbers and the download ↓
What field of view does the Askar 80ED give? 1.16 x 1.16 degrees on the 11.3 mm square ASI533MM Pro: enough for the Crescent Nebula, the Helix Nebula or the core of Andromeda with both companions. Tested numbers and the download ↓
How heavy is the Askar 80ED? Askar's figures are 1.7 kg for the tube and 2 kg with the tube ring and dovetail plate, and it is 404 mm long with the dew shield retracted. The rig on the mount ↓
Which mount suits the Askar 80ED? It suits small harmonic and budget equatorial mounts. The rig on the mount adds the camera, guide scope and accessories and shows the load on each mount. The rig on the mount ↓
Askar 80ED or Askar 71F? The 71F is a self-flattening quadruplet with a 44 mm image circle at f/6.9. The 80ED has more aperture, weighs 0.8 kg less and costs less, but needs the optional flattener to cover APS-C. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
Is the Askar 80ED good for beginners? Yes, as a first imaging refractor: it is light, it costs less than most ED refractors I have reviewed and it rides on a small mount. Budget for the flattener if your camera is APS-C. The verdict, the readers and the sellers ↓
How much does the Askar 80ED cost and where can I buy it? The prices I recorded: £379 at First Light Optics (UK), in stock; $399 at Agena Astro (US), in stock; $383 at AliExpress (The Plough Telescope Store), Global, listed. A record, not a live price The verdict, the readers and the sellers ↓
What have I not tested on the 80ED? I have not used the 80ED visually, shot it on an APS-C or full-frame sensor, or measured its star shapes across the field.