Is the Starfield Optics 115 Triplet good for astrophotography?

Yes. Through it I captured the Andromeda Galaxy in 3 h 34 min, plus the Crab Nebula, the Cygnus Wall, the Dumbbell and the Ring Nebula.

Do I need a flattener or reducer with it?

Neither is in the box. Starfield's adjustable 0.8x reducer takes it to 644 mm at f/5.68, and the 1x flattener keeps the full 805 mm; either improves it for imaging.

What mount does it need?

It weighs 6.88 kg with rings and dovetail, so a strain-wave mount rated for 8 kg without a counterweight is the minimum. The rig on the mount shows the load on each mount.

What field of view does it give?

On an APS-C sensor with 3.76 micron pixels my plate solves give 1.69 by 1.13 degrees at 796 mm, 0.97 arcseconds per pixel.

Can it image the planets?

Yes. With a 5x Barlow and an ASI585MC camera I captured Saturn and Jupiter on a night of ordinary seeing.

Gen I or Gen II: which one is on sale?

Mine is the Gen I, with a 2.5 inch focuser and a Vixen dovetail, which is what First Light Optics lists. Starfield's own store sells the 2025 Gen II, with a 3.7 inch ball-bearing focuser and a Losmandy-style dovetail.

What have I not tested on the 115 Triplet?

I have not measured its star shapes, tilt or back focus, or imaged through the 0.8x reducer.

Starfield Optics 115 Triplet review: my best Andromeda yet

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
3	Sky-Watcher HAC125DX	92 out of 100	£589
19	Sky-Watcher Heliostar 76Ha	74 out of 100	£2,399
23	ZWO FF80 APO	73 out of 100	£1,175
37	Starfield Optics 115 Triplet	52 out of 100	£1,899
38	Altair 60EDF	51 out of 100	£499
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 Planets and the Moon
06 Raw against finished
07 The rig on the mount
08 What is it for
09 Watch the review
10 Tested numbers and the download
11 Should you buy it?
12 Questions and more about this review

In 30 seconds

Stars for Your Buck 52/100

Reviewed 25 Nov 2024 Updated 23 Sep 2026

Rank: #37 of 42 telescopes
Verdict: With reservations

Written by Damon Scotting 7 min read

Buy it if

You image from home and want 805 mm of reach for galaxies and small nebulae.
Your mount is rated for 8 kg or more without a counterweight.
You want one refractor that can also take the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter with a Barlow.

Skip it if

You fly with your kit: this long, heavy tube is a stay-at-home telescope.
You want the big nebulae whole: on an APS-C sensor the field is only 1.69 by 1.13 degrees.
Your budget stops at the tube: the reducer or flattener that gets the most from it is extra.

This is a system ready to go out of the box: just add your camera and start shooting. It gave me the best image I have ever taken of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Specifications and features

Against the telescopes I have reviewed

Compare with

Starfield Optics 115 Triplet reviewed #37 of 42	Askar 140APO #15 of 42	ZWO FF110 #22 of 42	Askar 103APO #13 of 42	Askar 91F #6 of 42	Askar SQA106 #4 of 42
Recorded UK price	£1,899	£2,098	£1,499	£999	£995	£3,395
Stars for Your Buck	52/100	80/100	73/100	81/100	89/100	91/100
Aperture	115 mm	140 mm	110 mm	103 mm	91 mm	106 mm (4.17")
Focal length	805 mm	980 mm	766 mm	700.4 mm	609 mm	509 mm
Focal ratio	f/7	f/7	f/7.0	f/6.8	f/6.7	f/4.8
Optical design	Air-spaced triplet APO, FPL-53 ED glass, fully multi-coated	Triplet air-spaced APO	Four-element air-spaced apochromat with one ED element, native flat field	Triplet air-spaced APO	Quadruplet air-spaced APO, one ED element, self-flattening	Quintuplet Petzval APO · 2× SD elements
Image circle	Up to 42 mm corrected and illuminated sensor diameter with optional large 0.8x adjustable reducer	not stated by the maker for the bare triplet; 44 mm full frame with the optional 1x flattener or 0.8x reducer	44 mm	not stated by the maker for the bare triplet; 44 mm full frame with the optional 1x flattener	44 mm	44 mm illuminated full-frame · 55 mm medium-format rated
Back focus	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	not stated by the maker for the bare triplet; 55 mm from the base of the M48 male thread with the optional 1x flattener or 0.8x reducer	42 to 73 mm from the M54 to M48 shoulder	not stated by the maker for the bare triplet; 55 mm from the base of the M48 male thread with the optional 1x flattener	Imaging mode 45 to 75 mm from the M48x0.75 male thread base	48 to 78 mm; recommended 55 mm
Focuser	2.5 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, 1:10, 360 degree rotation	3.5 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, 1:10 fine focus, 360 degree rotator, 2 inch and 1.25 inch visual adapters	3″ rack-and-pinion, 1:10 dual speed	3.3 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, 1:10 fine focus, 2 inch and 1.25 inch visual adapters	3 inch dual-speed rack and pinion, 1:10 fine adjustment, 30 mm travel	2.8 inch rigid dual-speed focuser, 30 mm travel, engraved drawtube scale, motor-focuser compatible
Weight, tube	6.8 kg with tube rings and dovetail	9.2 kg OTA; 10.9 kg gross with tube rings and dovetail	5.74 kg OTA; 6.76 kg full package	4.75 kg OTA; 5.5 kg gross with tube rings and dovetail	3.92 kg OTA; 4.52 kg gross with tube rings and dovetail plate	5.82 kg
Length, tube	711 mm (28 in) dew shield retracted; 889 mm (35 in) extended	735 mm dew shield retracted; 870 mm extended; rear tube extension 125 mm	664 mm shortest (1.25 inch interface, all retracted); 728 mm photo tube retracted; 751 mm dew shield out; 815 mm photo tube plus dew shield extended	600 mm dew shield retracted; 711 mm extended	513 mm dew shield contracted; 599 mm extended (with 1.25 inch adapter); 550 / 636 mm with the photographic adapter	516 mm dew shield contracted; 586 mm dew shield extended
Dew shield	Retractable	Retractable	Retractable, internal anti-reflection coating	Retractable, felt-lined interior	Retractable	Retractable
In the box	CNC tube rings, Vixen dovetail, carry handle, soft case, optical test report, 2 inch to 1.25 inch adapter	140APO OTA, pair of tube rings, handle, Askar 300 mm Losmandy dovetail plate, Oxford cloth case, manual	Photo extension tube, M48 and M54 adapters, quick-release rings, handle/dovetail, inspection report	103APO OTA, pair of tube rings, handle, 290 mm Vixen dovetail plate, manual, Oxford cloth case	91F OTA, pair of tube rings, handle, 230 mm Vixen dovetail plate, set of photographic adapters	SQA106 OTA, Oxford cloth case

In the hand

On the ZWO AM5 at night

On the JUWEI-14

From below, against the night sky

Side on, on the ZWO AM5 by the fence

Beside the Askar 71F and ZWO FF80

Tube ring and handle on the JUWEI-14

How good is it? Here's what I captured

Six targets

Andromeda Galaxy (M31), Unknown

Integration: 3 h 34 min
Field: 1.66 x 1.08 degrees
Telescope: Starfield Optics 115 Triplet
Camera: Unknown
Mount: Unknown
Target: Andromeda Galaxy (M31)
Type: Spiral galaxy
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Cygnus Wall, North America Nebula (NGC 7000), Unknown

Integration: 1 h 30 min
Field: 1.66 x 1.09 degrees
Telescope: Starfield Optics 115 Triplet
Camera: Unknown
Mount: Unknown
Target: Cygnus Wall, North America Nebula (NGC 7000)
Type: Emission nebula
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Crab Nebula (M1), Unknown

Integration: 1 h
Field: 1.65 x 1.11 degrees
Telescope: Starfield Optics 115 Triplet
Camera: Unknown
Mount: Unknown
Target: Crab Nebula (M1)
Type: Supernova remnant
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Dumbbell Nebula (M27), ASI533MC

Integration: Unknown
Field: 0.80 x 0.80 degrees
Telescope: Starfield Optics 115 Triplet
Camera: ZWO ASI533MC
Mount: Unknown
Target: Dumbbell Nebula (M27)
Type: Planetary nebula
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Ring Nebula (M57), ASI533MC

Integration: Unknown
Field: 0.71 x 0.70 degrees
Telescope: Starfield Optics 115 Triplet
Camera: ZWO ASI533MC
Mount: Unknown
Target: Ring Nebula (M57)
Type: Planetary nebula
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis), Unknown

Integration: Unknown
Field: 1.68 x 1.12 degrees
Telescope: Starfield Optics 115 Triplet
Camera: Unknown
Mount: Unknown
Target: Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis)
Type: Red supergiant star
Location: Bortle 6.8 (in my garden)

Planets and the Moon

The planets and the Moon

Moon

Date: Published 29 Oct 2024
Gear: ZWO ASI585MC, no Barlow

Jupiter

Date: Published 29 Oct 2024
Gear: ZWO ASI585MC with a 5x Barlow

Saturn

Date: Published 29 Oct 2024
Gear: ZWO ASI585MC with a 5x Barlow

Raw against finished

The rig on the mount

The 3 targets, the raw combined stack against my finished image, each with its integration, the camera and the palette:

Andromeda Galaxy (M31): 3 h 34 min of light, Unknown, the raw combined stack with one automatic stretch
Cygnus Wall, North America Nebula (NGC 7000): 1 h 30 min of light, Unknown, the raw combined stack with one automatic stretch
Crab Nebula (M1): 1 h of light, Unknown, the raw combined stack with one automatic stretch

On the JUWEI-17, then on six other mounts

What is it for

Five things it is for

Andromeda at 805 mm

This is an image of the Andromeda Galaxy captured with the Starfield 115 mm triplet refractor telescope.

Small, faint targets

Its long focal length gives me the ability to take some beautiful deep shots, like this one of the Crab Nebula.

The Moon, Saturn and Jupiter

I imaged the Moon with the Starfield 115 and was so impressed that I pointed this four and a half inch refractor at the gas giants. With a 5x Barlow lens and an ASI585MC camera I got these shots, and the seeing that night wasn't even that good.

Ready out of the box

It comes packaged with its own carry case and a personalised report on its optical clarity.

Light enough for a strain wave mount

The Starfield 115 weighs 6.88 kg when you include the tube rings and dovetail bar. Add a 1x flattener and the ASI533 colour camera and you are still within the 8 kg payload limit for tracking without a counterweight bar.

Watch the review

The INCREDIBLE Starfield 115mm Refractor Telescope! · published 25 November 2024 · 1:00 · Watch on YouTube · 156,188 views, 5,930 likes on 2 Oct 2026

Jump to

0:00 Andromeda through the Starfield 115
0:06 The Triangulum Galaxy, the Pleiades and the Crab
0:14 Ready out of the box
0:20 Carry case and optical test report
0:26 Reducers and flatteners
0:31 Focuser and camera angle adjuster
0:36 FPL-53 glass
0:44 The Moon
0:46 Saturn and Jupiter

Transcript of the review video 166 words · 9 chapters · searchable

Press a time stamp to play from there.

0:00 Andromeda through the Starfield 115

0:00 This is an image I captured of the Andromeda Galaxy with the Starfield 115 mm triplet refractor telescope.

0:06 The Triangulum Galaxy, the Pleiades and the Crab

0:06 If that doesn't tickle your pickle, then here are images I captured of the Triangulum Galaxy, the Pleiades and the elusive Crab Nebula.

0:14 Ready out of the box

0:15 Starfield Optics is an astronomy system ready to go out of the box: just add your camera and start shooting.

0:20 Carry case and optical test report

0:21 It comes packaged with its own carry case, a personalised report on its optical clarity, as well as a 3 year warranty.

0:26 Reducers and flatteners

0:26 It can be used in conjunction with a number of reducers and adjustable flatteners to bring out the most in your images.

0:31 Focuser and camera angle adjuster

0:32 Its premium focuser and camera angle adjuster allow you to fine-tune your view of the night sky.

0:36 FPL-53 glass

0:36 The FPL-53 glass used for this telescope ensures a sharp view of deep-sky objects, as well as those within our own solar system.

0:44 The Moon

0:44 Here's how the Moon looks through the telescope.

0:46 Saturn and Jupiter

0:47 What about Saturn and Jupiter? 0:47 Not bad for a 4.5 inch refractor telescope.

Check out more videos on the Starfield Optics 115 Triplet

What Telescope should you BUY in 2025?

20 Dec 2024

WAS this the BEST week of STARGAZING EVER?!

29 Oct 2024

Is this the BEST value ASTRONOMY Mount?! (I BOUGHT the £600 JUWEI-14 Mount!)

18 Jul 2025

Tested numbers and the download

Finished image

Licence: for personal use, credit Damon Scotting. Both JPEGs 4,096 x 2,646 px.

Unknown sensor temperature during imaging

796 mm focal length, plate solved Starfield Optics states 805 mm

1.69 x 1.13° field of view

26.1 MP camera

Should you buy it?

52/100 Stars for Your Buck

Pros

At 805 mm it reaches small, faint targets such as the Crab Nebula and the Ring Nebula.
The air-spaced FPL-53 triplet handles the Moon and the planets as well as deep sky.
Tube rings, a dovetail, a handle, a soft case and an optical test report come in the box.
A 2.5 inch dual-speed rack and pinion focuser with 360 degree rotation.

Cons

Views like this are not cheap, and the 0.8x reducer or 1x flattener that improves it for imaging costs extra.
At 6.8 kg and 711 mm long with the dew shield retracted, it needs a strong mount and it is no travel telescope.
It is a deep-sky telescope first: 115 mm of aperture is not bad on Saturn and Jupiter, but it is no planetary specialist.
Neither the image circle nor the back focus of the bare tube is published, so spacing a flattener or reducer means following the accessory's figures.

The FPL-53 glass used for this telescope ensures a sharp view of deep-sky objects, as well as those within our own solar system.

Who the 115 Triplet is for

Complete beginner

Skip

An 805 mm refractor on an equatorial mount is a hard first telescope. My recommendation is a Seestar S50 or the Askar 71F.

Galaxy and small-nebula imager

Buy

This is a telescope for targets under a degree across: galaxies, planetary nebulae and supernova remnants from a back garden.

Strain wave mount owner

Buy

It fits an 8 kg no-counterweight rating with a light camera and a flattener; a guided rig with a guide scope wants a bigger mount.

Travelling astrophotographer

Skip

It is too long and heavy to fly with. My recommendation for travel is the Askar SQA85.

Wide-field nebula hunter

Skip

At 805 mm the big nebulae do not fit. My recommendation for them is the Askar 71F at 490 mm.

Owner of a 100 mm triplet

Skip

Keep what you have: the step from 100 mm to 115 mm is small for the price.

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

Seven questions, answered

Questions about the Starfield Optics 115 Triplet

Reviewed 25 November 2024 ·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 Starfield Optics 115 Triplet good for astrophotography? Yes. Through it I captured the Andromeda Galaxy in 3 h 34 min, plus the Crab Nebula, the Cygnus Wall, the Dumbbell and the Ring Nebula. What I captured ↓
Do I need a flattener or reducer with it? Neither is in the box. Starfield's adjustable 0.8x reducer takes it to 644 mm at f/5.68, and the 1x flattener keeps the full 805 mm; either improves it for imaging. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
What mount does it need? It weighs 6.88 kg with rings and dovetail, so a strain-wave mount rated for 8 kg without a counterweight is the minimum. The rig on the mount shows the load on each mount. What is it for ↓
What field of view does it give? On an APS-C sensor with 3.76 micron pixels my plate solves give 1.69 by 1.13 degrees at 796 mm, 0.97 arcseconds per pixel. Tested numbers and the download ↓
Can it image the planets? Yes. With a 5x Barlow and an ASI585MC camera I captured Saturn and Jupiter on a night of ordinary seeing. Planets and the Moon ↓
Gen I or Gen II: which one is on sale? Mine is the Gen I, with a 2.5 inch focuser and a Vixen dovetail, which is what First Light Optics lists. Starfield's own store sells the 2025 Gen II, with a 3.7 inch ball-bearing focuser and a Losmandy-style dovetail. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
What have I not tested on the 115 Triplet? I have not measured its star shapes, tilt or back focus, or imaged through the 0.8x reducer.