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Next Upgrade, wider refractor or switch to mono?

Equipment Buying Advice
7 replies•135 views
Tobias Buob avatar
Tobias Buob avatar

I’m about to upgrade my setup and am not sure where to go from here. Right now I have an Askar Apo 140 with a ZWO 2600MC.

Now I’m stuck between getting a smaller refractor like Askar SQA85/106 for wider field of view or switching to a ZWO 2600MM. I can leave my scope in my garden over night, so the time to capture with mono wouldn’t be a problem. I’m just not sure, from which equipment I would profit more. My goal for the future is definitely to do both, upgrade my telescope range and switch to mono. But because both options aren’t the cheapest, the question is, which to do first…

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SemiPro avatar
SemiPro avatar

You will profit immensely from going mono. It is a leap we all have to take, but it is totally worth it. Having used both colour and mono cameras, I can tell you the switch is pretty insane, especially for narrowband targets. Upon using narrowband filters for the first time on a mono setup, you will immediately realize just how bad the narrowband filters for colour cameras are in terms of gathering data.

That is not to say colour cameras don’t have their place. I still have a 2600MC, and given that you are at Bortle 4 then you should be good gathering data on many a broadband target.

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TiffsAndAstro avatar
TiffsAndAstro avatar

Maybe get a small inexpensive scope like the sv535, give it a try with your 2600mc, see how you get on.

If you already have 2 inch narrowband filters they can be used up front on it. No need for specialised fast filters, even though it's an f2.8 scope.

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Tony Gondola avatar
Tony Gondola avatar

No question, go mono. You can always shoot two frame mosaics if you need more coverage. Mono makes that a more practical possability.

donld avatar
donld avatar

This was my rational for buying a full frame sensor. But a key cost problem is needing 2” unmounted filter. My full frame sensor on 648mm is also a APS-C field of view equivalent from a~400mm and ~250mm on a IMX533.

I feel that a lot of newer/less technical astrophotographers don’t get that smaller sensors crop, not magnify.

The +$2000 for full frame upgrade over APS-C is perhaps 1/3 of the true cost for most people. Filters and storage is usually going to be the other 2/3. Even that assumes a higher end computer is not needed.

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ScottF avatar
ScottF avatar

donld · Aug 18, 2026 at 04:30 PM

This was my rational for buying a full frame sensor. But a key cost problem is needing 2” unmounted filter. My full frame sensor on 648mm is also a APS-C field of view equivalent from a~400mm and ~250mm on a IMX533.

I don’t feel that a lot of newer/less technical astrophotographers don’t get that smaller sensors crop, not magnify.

The +$2000 for full frame upgrade over APS-C is perhaps 1/3 of the true cost for most people. Filters and storage is usually going to be the other 2/3. Even that assumes a higher end computer is not needed.

If you mount the filter wheel as close as possible to the camera, such as by removing the tilt shift plate, which takes up 5mm, hence the filters are closer to the camera, can you not use 2” mounted filters with full frame?

donld avatar
donld avatar

ScottF · Aug 18, 2026, 04:39 PM

donld · Aug 18, 2026 at 04:30 PM

This was my rational for buying a full frame sensor. But a key cost problem is needing 2” unmounted filter. My full frame sensor on 648mm is also a APS-C field of view equivalent from a~400mm and ~250mm on a IMX533.

I don’t feel that a lot of newer/less technical astrophotographers don’t get that smaller sensors crop, not magnify.

The +$2000 for full frame upgrade over APS-C is perhaps 1/3 of the true cost for most people. Filters and storage is usually going to be the other 2/3. Even that assumes a higher end computer is not needed.

If you mount the filter wheel as close as possible to the camera, such as by removing the tilt shift plate, which takes up 5mm, hence the filters are closer to the camera, can you not use 2” mounted filters with full frame?

Sorry, I don’t know.

Tobias Buob avatar
Tobias Buob avatar

Yeah full frame would of course get me more coverage, but there is also the scope to take into account. The telescope would need to be much better, than my current one, to get good stars into the corners.

Mono camera is I think perhaps the logical solution here. As soon as I have kinda mastered that, I can move to a new telescope