Is the Askar SQA55 better than the RedCat 51?

For me, yes: the SQA55 beat the RedCat 51. It has five lens elements to the RedCat's four and costs £795 against £849 at First Light Optics; the RedCat has the larger image circle, 48 mm against 44 mm.

What focal length does the SQA55 really have?

Askar states 264 mm. ASTAP plate solves of my four stacks put it at 264.7 mm, 2.93 arcseconds per pixel on the ToupTek ATR2600M.

What field of view does it give?

5.1 x 3.4 degrees on an APS-C camera like the ToupTek ATR2600M, wide enough for the whole Veil Nebula or the North America and Pelican nebulae together.

How sharp are the stars?

Across my four stacks the median star size was 1.4 to 1.8 pixels, 4.2 to 5.3 arcseconds at 2.93 arcseconds per pixel, and the corner crops of my North America frame show round stars.

Is the helical focuser a problem?

No. It is absolutely fine to use and it is okay, and the extra set-up for an autofocuser did not surprise me.

What mount does the SQA55 need?

The tube is 2.18 kg with its handle and dovetail, so with a camera, a guide scope and accessories the rig suits a small harmonic mount, and at 264 mm a total guiding RMS under 1.35 arcseconds is good.

How much imaging is behind this review?

One night, 5 to 6 August 2025: 3 h 48 min of 180 second S, H and O subs across four targets with the ToupTek ATR2600M.

How much does the Askar SQA55 cost?

The prices I recorded: £795 at First Light Optics (UK), in stock; $795 at Agena Astro (US), in stock; $763 at AliExpress (The Plough Telescope Store), Global, listed.

What have I not tested on the SQA55?

I have not used the SQA55 visually or on a full-frame sensor, and I have not measured its tilt, back-focus tolerance or corner star shapes.

Askar SQA55 review: the go-to telescope of the 50 mm range

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
6	Askar 91F	89 out of 100	£995
12	Askar SQA55	82 out of 100	£795
17	Askar 80ED	77 out of 100	£379
22	ZWO FF110	73 out of 100	£1,499
39	Celestron C5	49 out of 100	£850
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 Tested numbers and the download
09 Should you buy it?
10 Questions and more about this review

In 30 seconds

Stars for Your Buck 82/100

Reviewed 5 Aug 2025 Updated 23 Sep 2026

Rank: #12 of 42 telescopes
Verdict: Damon recommends

Written by Damon Scotting 5 min read

Buy it if

You were about to buy a RedCat 51 and want the better 50 mm astrograph for less.
You image big nebulae in narrowband and want a 5 degree wide field with round stars to the corners.
You want a light, forgiving imaging rig that a small mount can carry.

Skip it if

You want the simplest autofocus set-up: a helical focuser takes more fiddling.
You mostly image galaxies or small planetary nebulae, which come out tiny at 264 mm.
You are on a tight budget: the Askar 50P costs £299 and rates higher on my board.

“The SQA55 impressed me; the one slight downside is the helical focuser, which I have never been a big fan of.”

Specifications and features

Against the telescopes I have reviewed

Compare with

Askar SQA55 reviewed #12 of 42	William Optics RedCat 51 #29 of 42	SVBONY SV555 #16 of 42	Askar SQA60 Pro #26 of 42	Askar 50P #1 of 42	ToupTek Hope D60 #2 of 42
Recorded UK price	£795	£849	£509	£1,249	£299	£749
Stars for Your Buck	82/100	69/100	79/100	71/100	95/100	93/100
Aperture	55 mm	51 mm	54 mm	60 mm	50 mm	60 mm
Focal length	264 mm	250 mm	243 mm	276 mm	190 mm	280 mm
Focal ratio	f/4.8	f/4.9	f/4.5	f/4.6	f/3.8	f/4.66
Optical design	Quintuplet Petzval APO, one SD and one ED element	4-element Petzval, FPL-53	Petzval, 5 elements in 3 groups	Sextuplet Petzval APO, two SD elements	Quadruplet Petzval APO, one SD element	5-element PAPO with built-in flattener, SD and lanthanum glass
Image circle	44 mm	48 mm	44 mm	44 mm	APS-C, optimised for 1 inch sensors	44 mm
Back focus	50 to 60 mm (55 mm recommended), M48 x 0.75	55 mm plus or minus 3 mm	55 mm, M48x0.75 male thread	41 to 66 mm (55 recommended); flattener built in	55 mm recommended (50 to 65 mm), M48 x 0.75	55 mm recommended
Focuser	Dual-speed helical, fine ring 1 mm each way with lock, MXL teeth for a belt drive	Internal rack and pinion (WIFD), EAF compatible	Helical, lockable 360 degree rotator	2.8 inch rigid dual speed, 25 mm travel, 360 degree rotator	Single-speed focus ring with MXL teeth, 15 mm travel, rear rotator	3 inch dual-speed, 30 mm travel, zero backlash, 360 degree rotator
Weight, tube	1.84 kg tube; 2.18 kg with handle and dovetail plate	1.77 kg tube; 2.38 kg with accessories	2.45 kg (net)	2.79 kg tube; 3.54 kg with the ring and dovetail	1.4 kg with tube ring and dovetail plate	About 3.5 kg as supplied, not a bare-tube figure
Length, tube	316 mm with dew shield; 244 mm without	298 mm	not recorded	283 mm	147 mm retracted, 182 mm extended	255 mm, dew shield retracted
Dew shield	Removable	84 mm diameter	Reversible lens hood, 93 mm	Fixed	Retractable	Retractable, magnetic
In the box	SQA55 tube, military-grade waterproof hard carry case	Tube, Bahtinov mask cap, M48 adapter, plate, ring with handle, soft case, Allen keys	EAF mount kit, handle with Vixen saddle, dovetail, camera angle adjuster, 2 inch filter holder, lens cover, padded case	Tube, tube ring, 290 mm Vixen dovetail, handle, two finder shoes, Oxford cloth case	50P OTA with tube ring and dovetail plate, manual	Tube ring, dovetail, handle, M48 adapter, caps, dovetail rail, tools, tilt adjuster

In the hand

How good is it? Here's what I captured

Four targets

Veil Nebula, ToupTek ATR2600M, SHO

Integration: 54 min (18 x 180 s)
Field: 5.1 x 3.4 degrees
Telescope: Askar SQA55
Camera: ToupTek ATR2600M
Mount: JUWEI-14
Target: NGC 6960 and NGC 6992 Veil Nebula
Type: Supernova remnant
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

NGC 7000 North America Nebula, ToupTek ATR2600M, raw stack (not yet processed)

Integration: 45 min (15 x 180 s)
Field: 5.1 x 3.4 degrees
Telescope: Askar SQA55
Camera: ToupTek ATR2600M
Mount: JUWEI-14
Target: NGC 7000 North America Nebula
Type: Emission nebula
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

IC 1396 and the Elephant's Trunk Nebula, ToupTek ATR2600M, raw stack (not yet processed)

Integration: 1 h 27 min (29 x 180 s)
Field: 5.1 x 3.4 degrees
Telescope: Askar SQA55
Camera: ToupTek ATR2600M
Mount: JUWEI-14
Target: IC 1396 and the Elephant's Trunk Nebula
Type: Emission nebula
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

IC 1805 Heart Nebula and IC 1848 Soul Nebula, ToupTek ATR2600M, raw stack (not yet processed)

Integration: 42 min (14 x 180 s)
Field: 5.1 x 3.4 degrees
Telescope: Askar SQA55
Camera: ToupTek ATR2600M
Mount: JUWEI-14
Target: IC 1805 Heart Nebula and IC 1848 Soul Nebula
Type: Emission nebulae
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Raw against finished

The rig on the mount

The 1 target, the unprocessed side against my finished image, each with its integration, the camera and the palette:

NGC 6960 and NGC 6992 Veil Nebula: 54 min (18 x 180 s) of light, ToupTek ATR2600M, the SHO stack as it came out of stacking, before my processing

On the JUWEI-14, then on six other mounts

What is it for

Three things it is for

A helical focuser

The SQA55 focuses like a camera lens: a coarse ring with a distance scale, a fine ring that travels 1 mm either way and locks, and teeth ready for a belt-driven motor focuser.

A very wide field

This is a very wide field setup: 5.1 x 3.4 degrees on an APS-C camera, so the whole Veil Nebula sits in one frame.

Round stars to the corners

It is the exact same optical design as the SQA106, just a smaller aperture: five elements with the flattener built in, and the stars stay round out to the corners of the frame.

Tested numbers and the download

Finished image

Licence: for personal use, credit Damon Scotting. Both JPEGs 4,096 x 2,738 px.

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

265 mm focal length, plate solved Askar states 264 mm

5.1 x 3.4° field of view 6,224 x 4,168 px on ToupTek ATR2600M

26 MP ToupTek ATR2600M 6,224 x 4,168 px, 23.4 x 15.7 mm

Should you buy it?

82/100 Stars for Your Buck

Pros

A five-element Petzval with one SD and one ED element and the flattener built in, covering a 44 mm image circle with nothing else to buy.
Small, round stars: under 2 pixels median star size in every one of my four stacks.
A very wide field for the big nebulae: the North America and Pelican nebulae fit in one frame on an APS-C camera.
Forgiving on the mount: at this focal length a total guiding RMS under 1.35 arcseconds counts as good, and the tube weighs 2.18 kg with its handle and dovetail.
“It undercuts the RedCat 51: £795 against £849 at First Light Optics, with a fifth lens element.”
“A waterproof hard carry case comes in the box.”

Cons

Setting up an autofocuser on the helical focuser takes more fiddling.
At £795 it costs more than the Askar 60F (£498) and 71F (£599) I have reviewed, which give you more aperture for less money.
At 264 mm small targets come out tiny: galaxies and planetary nebulae need a longer focal length.
It is not the lightest 50 mm class astrograph: 1.84 kg for the bare tube and 2.18 kg with the handle and dovetail, against 1.4 kg for the Askar 50P.

It beats the RedCat 51, and that makes it the go-to telescope of the 50 mm class.

Who the SQA55 is for

Shopping for a RedCat 51

Buy

The SQA55 is my pick of the 50 mm class: the same job, one more lens element and a lower price.

Wide-field narrowband imager

Buy

The big Cygnus nebulae fit whole on an APS-C mono camera, with round stars out to the corners.

Travelling imager

Buy

The tube is 2.18 kg with its handle and dovetail and comes in a waterproof hard case, and a small mount carries the whole rig.

Complete beginner

Skip

My recommendation is the Askar 50P: £299, lighter, and the top telescope on my board.

Galaxy imager

Skip

At 264 mm most galaxies are specks in a 5 degree field; a longer focal length frames them better.

RedCat 51 owner

Skip

Do not upgrade: it is the same 50 mm class and nearly the same field, so spend the money on a camera or filters.

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 SQA55

Reviewed 5 August 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 SQA55 better than the RedCat 51? For me, yes: the SQA55 beat the RedCat 51. It has five lens elements to the RedCat's four and costs £795 against £849 at First Light Optics; the RedCat has the larger image circle, 48 mm against 44 mm. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
What focal length does the SQA55 really have? Askar states 264 mm. ASTAP plate solves of my four stacks put it at 264.7 mm, 2.93 arcseconds per pixel on the ToupTek ATR2600M. Tested numbers and the download ↓
What field of view does it give? 5.1 x 3.4 degrees on an APS-C camera like the ToupTek ATR2600M, wide enough for the whole Veil Nebula or the North America and Pelican nebulae together. What I captured ↓
How sharp are the stars? Across my four stacks the median star size was 1.4 to 1.8 pixels, 4.2 to 5.3 arcseconds at 2.93 arcseconds per pixel, and the corner crops of my North America frame show round stars. Tested numbers and the download ↓
Is the helical focuser a problem? No. It is absolutely fine to use and it is okay, and the extra set-up for an autofocuser did not surprise me. What is it for ↓
What mount does the SQA55 need? The tube is 2.18 kg with its handle and dovetail, so with a camera, a guide scope and accessories the rig suits a small harmonic mount, and at 264 mm a total guiding RMS under 1.35 arcseconds is good. The rig on the mount ↓
How much imaging is behind this review? One night, 5 to 6 August 2025: 3 h 48 min of 180 second S, H and O subs across four targets with the ToupTek ATR2600M. What I captured ↓
How much does the Askar SQA55 cost? The prices I recorded: £795 at First Light Optics (UK), in stock; $795 at Agena Astro (US), in stock; $763 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 SQA55? I have not used the SQA55 visually or on a full-frame sensor, and I have not measured its tilt, back-focus tolerance or corner star shapes.