Copyscope

Copyscopes usually use an objective lens sourced from a photocopier. Usually 50mm to 60mm in diameter, these lenses operate at low f/numbers (f-ratio of around f4 to f6) but cover a large field of view, and usually used at 1:1 conjugate.^[3] Other parts of a copyscope include an eyepiece, typically with a barrel diameter of 1 1/4 inches with a focal length of 17 to 20 mm or longer. The availability of components over the Web allows enthusiasts to build a copyscope that can replace small Newtonian design as their first serious telescope.^[2]

Benefits and Drawbacks

Pros

• When compared to the majority of telescopes that are offered in stores, the Copyscope gives a much larger field of view along with increased light gathering.
• If all the equipment necessary is at hand and the scope is built by the individual the result could more than likely be a very economical bottom-of-the-line telescope, as good as or even better than anything offered in the stores for the same value of price, however, in recent years some very good cheap telescopes have become available for little more than the cost of making a Copyscope.

Cons

• The lenses used for the telescope were not manufactured for this purpose, so they're not able to achieve a sharp focus at high magnification across the whole field of view. For wide-field, low power views of the heavens these telescopes work well and low power Copyscopes can make good finder scopes when used on larger telescopes.

See also

• List of telescope types

References

External links

• [1]
• [2]

This optics-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This telescope-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e