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Farpoint Bahtinov Focus Mask for Celestron 6" SCT # FP409
| Brand | Farpoint Astronomical |
| Part Number | FP409 |
| Availability | available |
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Product Info
Manufacturer Description
Farpoint Bahtinov focus mask for astrophotography - for Celestron 6" SCT. Manufacturer part number FP409.
Farpoint Bahtinov Masks are by far, the easiest, fastest and most consistent manual focusing aid available to the amateur astrophotographer. In 2008, Pavel Bahtinov, a Russian amateur telescope maker and astronomer, published an ingenious new way to easily focus your DSLR camera, webcam or CCD camera for astrophotography. The method is simple, very intuitive, and the device has universally been named after the inventor: The Bahtinov Mask.
Prior to the innovative design of the Bahtinov Mask, astrophotographers could spend ten minutes or more just obtaining a reasonable focus. Problems with seeing, exposure length, and camera noise all increased the difficulty of and time spent finding perfect focus. With the Farpoint Bahtinov Mask, the process of finding the perfect focus whether it be through a DSLR, CCD or a WebCam takes a matter of seconds because the process is unaffected by seeing, noise and allows short exposure lengths!
Simply place a magnitude 4 or brighter star in the field of view of your camera, place the Farpoint Bahtinov Mask over your telescope’s objective and focusing becomes as simple as centering an easy to see diffraction spike!
Farpoint manufactures this "lifesaving" astrophotography tool out of virtually indestructible ABS plastic, which comes in two major types (for refractors and SCTs) and in a range of sizes. The Farpoint Bahtinov Mask will ensure that you spend more time imaging and less time focusing for years to come! Whether you focus manually or electronically, the Farpoint Bahtinov Mask is an essential tool for any astrophotographer.
Reviews
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May 8, 2019
Easy Focusing
Pros: Cons: Comments:This mask takes all the guesswork out of focusing. Just slip on the mask and get the spikes lined up. I did tie a string around one of the spokes on the mask to make it easier to pull off and to prevent touching the front glass of the scope by accident.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
May 6, 2019Works well
Pros: Cons: Comments:I use this Bahtinov mask to properly focus several small scopes, 76mm, 80mm, and 90mm. It works well on all and is very easy to setup and use. I am also please with the quick service and delivery I received from Agena Astro Products.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Apr 2, 2019Bahtinov mask for 6" Nexstar SE
Pros: Cons: Comments:Well made. Works as advertised. Had to make some small shims, however, to center mask perfectly. Otherwise, works great.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Feb 26, 20193" Batinov Mask for 72mmED scope
Pros: Cons: Comments:I picked this up amd the shipping was incredibly fast! I used it to get dead on focus or as close as I could tell and created the following image after using it
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
https://www.astrobin.com/full/392103/0/This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Sep 13, 2018Much needed accessory
Pros: Cons: Comments:After years of astrophotography, I got around to use one of these instead of using software to focus, and the results have been way cooler than I excepted.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Sep 9, 2018Batinov Disc for a Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope
Pros: Cons: Comments:As soon as it arrived I was able to place it on the front of the telescope and begin to focus it. Focusing is very easy and if you line up the third line in the middle it is next to perfect.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Aug 2, 201810" Schmidt Cassegrain Bahtinov Mask
Pros: Cons: Comments:I had purchased a bahtinov mask for my 120 mm refractor, and it works GREAT. So well, in fact, that I decided to purchase the 10" mask for my SCT. I received the product in two days, tried it out, and it works GREAT on the SCT, too. Accurate focusing has NEVER been so easy.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Jun 10, 2018Perfect focus!
Pros: Cons: Comments:The mask fits well my 115mm scope. I have three FP masks for my three scopes--they are cheap and effective, and have survived some mishandling by me.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Apr 10, 2018Bahtinov Mask
Pros: Cons: Comments:Product arrived very quickly. Product was exactly what I ordered and fit telescope perfectly. It works as described. Small learning curve in positioning central spike.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Mar 13, 2018Fine Focus
Pros: Cons: Comments:Although I have not used this mask for focusing just yet, I have a larger version for my C8 that I have been using f or a few years. It is an excellent way to achieve fine focus on bright stars prior to imaging with my telescope and camera. As always, Agena is first rate at ordering and delivery.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Dec 31, 2017Indispensable
Pros: Cons: Comments:Indispensable in knowing the proper focus when imaging deep sky objects. Think about it. Brighter stars look like larger blobs on a computer monitor. You want the finest resolution and this mask will take the uncertainty out of what’s the best focus at that moment. I wouldn’t use it on planetary objects, however I suppose it’s possible.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Jan 3, 2017A necessity for imagers
Pros: Cons: Comments:This may be the least expensive, absolute necessity for imagers. A bahtinov mask gives you an easy, precise focus in seconds.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Dec 24, 2016Bahtinov Mask
Pros: Cons: Comments:Fantastic focus with this mask! I added an ear on each side made out of electricians tape to make it easy to put on and take off.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Oct 4, 2016It just works
Pros:Easy to Use
Cons: Comments:This item just works like it is supposed to. Care must be taken to avoid touching the corrector plate when placing or removing it from the telescope. I used it with a DSLR camera and had to use the focus magnifier to see the spikes.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Sep 29, 2016Great product
Pros:Strong Construction,Accurate,Easy to Use,Lightweight
Cons: Comments:This makes focusing your telescope easy and quick! Especially good for astrophotography.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
May 19, 2016Must-have item for astrophotography
Pros:Easy to Use,Lightweight,Strong Construction
Cons: Comments:This product is so inexpensive and easy to use anyone interested in astrophotography should own one. It makes achieving perfect focus effortless.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Apr 27, 2016Makes focusing effortless.
Pros:Easy to Use,Lightweight,Accurate,Strong Construction
Cons: Comments:This focusing makes getting perfect focus effortless. It's a must-have item for astrophotography but it will also help you get the best possible views when doing visual observing.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Mar 12, 2016Essential for astrophotography
Pros:Accurate,Strong Construction,Easy to Use,Lightweight
Cons: Comments:Makes accurate focusing for astrophotography a snap.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Feb 4, 2016Eliminates Guesswork
Pros:Easy to Use,Lightweight,Accurate,Strong Construction
Cons: Comments:Bahtinov focus masks make achieving accurate focus objectively instead of guessing and hoping for the best. The diffraction spikes it creates are used to determine focus. It still requires a somewhat critical eye and a few iterations to get it right. Once it's set, lock the focuser and it might be good for the rest of the evening; however, I found it necessary to refocus later in the session (probably scope/lens and temperature dependent).
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
Easy to use, durable, good quality. I recommend it highly.This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Feb 4, 2016Does The Job but May Block Too Much Light
Pros:Lightweight,Easy to Use
Cons:Blocks A Lot Of Light
Comments:Bought this to take my planetary work to 11 and it does help focus but I wonder if I should have made myself a "Y" focus mask which works the same way and would let more light through. I've made one before and it does work.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? NoThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Oct 9, 2015Focusing is easy
Pros:Easy to Use,Accurate,Lightweight
Cons: Comments:Perfectly fits Celestron 6'' SCT, point the camera at a bright star and tune focus in real-time.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
That's really how easy it is :)This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Sep 25, 2015The best example of this type of product
Pros:Strong Construction,Accurate,Easy to Use
Cons: Comments:I purchased two of these Bahtinov masks - one for my 8" Meade SCT, and the smallest adjustable one for my 200mm telephoto lens.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
These things work perfectly! There's lots of webpages telling you how to make one, but after a struggle to find the right material, and researching alternate ways to make these (3D printing, etc.), I think it's way easier to buy these:
The material is thick, which means that not only is it durable, but it is easy to remove from the front of my scope once I'm all focused in, without risking smearing the objective with my fingers.
The edges are sharp and precise (exactly the problem I worried about when considering making one of these), so the diffraction pattern shows up precisely as it should.
The SCT model (with the hole in the middle for the secondary) fits perfectly. The adjustable model is easy to work with - the three pegs, or bolts, or whatever, are actually threaded capscrews, but they don't come with plastic nuts; they are simply inserted into the rubber grommets that hold them in place against the end of the lens (or lens hood, in my case). At first glance, it doesn't look all that secure, but it actually works just fine. The diffraction pattern does not need to be perfectly centered in the lens to work properly, so the adjustment capability is more than adequate for the task.
These masks have advanced by leaps and bounds the results of my rudimentary astrophotography efforts, both "prime-focus" through my SCT, and with my DSLR piggy-backed on the scope. I couldn't be happier with these!This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Feb 23, 2015Great focusing tool for photography
Pros:Lightweight,Easy to Use,Accurate
Cons: Comments:I have had difficulty focusing the camera on my telescope. It is vital to get sharp images.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
Using this device you can get accurate focus and it takes about 30 seconds.
I found best to use a bright star (Sirius in southern hemisphere) and focus the telescope to the camera. Don't change focus after that. Using some adjustment in extension tube you can focus the eyepiece to this.
Using a planet is too bright and big and doesn't work well. Focus on the star then move to the Planet.This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Jan 30, 2015Farpoint Bahtinov Review
Pros:Accurate,Compact
Cons: Comments:I use this product to get a good focus with several of my telescopes. I use the scopes for astro photography and this requires a very good focus for good results.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Nov 28, 2014Good focusing tool but not perfect
Pros:Easy to Use,Lightweight
Cons: Comments:The mask can assist the astronomer in achieving very close focus but in my experience, using your camera for final focus is absolutely required in order to achieve critical focus. FWHM measurement using a focusing routine in your camera acquisition software will get you the remainder of the way to critical focus. So in my opinion, this mask can serve as a step in achieving focus but not the final step. The mask is adjustable so it can be adjusted to fit your scopes dew shield. Very lightweight and portable.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Oct 19, 2014Fast easy focus tool!
Pros:Accurate,Easy to Use,Compact,Lightweight,Strong Construction
Cons: Comments:I use this with my William Optics GT81 refractor, and it makes reaching focus with my Canon 70D fast and easy! Much better than guesswork focusing.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Oct 18, 2014Ideal for the job!
Pros:Compact,Accurate,Lightweight,Strong Construction,Easy to Use,Price
Cons: Comments:This makes critical focusing for astrophoyography with my DSLR simple and fast. The sliding bolts used to secure it also make it possible for me to use it with several small refractors that I use.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Aug 17, 2014Makes focusing less of a guess
Pros:Easy to Use,Accurate
Cons: Comments:I had been trying to visually focus my WO 81 GTF through my camera, but frequently the resulting images would be slightly out of focus despite my best efforts. This focus mask takes the guesswork out.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
May 30, 2014Focusing for dummies, done right
Pros:Strong Construction,Lightweight,Accurate,Easy to Use
Cons: Comments:Does exactly what advertised, easy to adjust between my different scopes.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
It would be nice if it came with its own case or something to hold it in, considering the format of this thing (wide flat mask with 3 longish screws sticking out of it) I found is a non trivial exersize putting it in my accessories boxThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
May 30, 2014Excellent product!!
Pros:Accurate,Easy to Use,Strong Construction,Lightweight
Cons: Comments:This bathinov mask is a must have. I'm doing my first step in astrophotography and I can tell this is amazing to get perfect focus with you camera the fast and easy way. Very pleased with this product.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Aug 2, 2013Focus mask that works
Pros:Accurate,Easy to Use,Strong Construction,Lightweight,Compact
Cons: Comments:Fast easy to use, I attached 2 nylon wire ties to the mask, one a cross from the other. This makes a small handle to remove the mask from the front of my SCT. Great product, will produce perfect focus.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Dec 11, 2012A must for DSLR photo
Pros:Easy to Use
Cons: Comments:Sometimes when I look thru my camera's viewfinder I think that I am in perfect focus...wrong! One night I took 60 pictures and none of them were good! They were all out of focus. One of my friend told me to buy a Bahtinov focus mask so I could solve that problem...I'm glad he did. Thanks Agena!
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Dec 8, 2012Really helpful accessory
Pros:Makes Focusing A Snap,Easy to Use
Cons: Comments:I was having difficulty getting my 8" SCT into focus with the camera attached. The Bahtinov mask allows me to achieve sharp focus on the camera live view screen or on the imaging software display on the monitor. Nice product!
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Sep 27, 2012Focus easily and quickly.
Pros:Accurate,Strong Construction,Easy to Use,Lightweight,Compact
Cons: Comments:Makes focusing a snap on my telescope with a camera!
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
gmartin02 New Member
- Skill Level
- Unknown
- Time with Product
- Unknown
- User Notes:
- Review by Greg of Santa Clarita, CA.
Apr 29, 2012Great product
Pros:Accurate,Easy to Use
Cons:Accurate,Easy to Use
Comments:The Farpoint Bahtinov mask takes the guesswork out of focusing for imaging. Before using one of these it was always a struggle to attain perfect focus for digital imaging. Only takes a few second to get the focus right using a bright star and the camera's Live View feature.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Feb 24, 2012Simple and Functional
Pros:Easy to Use,Lightweight,Accurate
Cons:None
Comments:To achieve critical focus for astrophotography. The mask is adjustable and is easily mounted to the dewshield on my Celestron 9.25" SCT. What's else is there to say - Pavel Bahtinov got it right. This mask is made of ABS so a little bendy, but for the price it is a great product and with care it shouls last you a long time.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Jan 23, 2012Helpful but wind blows it off
Pros:Astronomy
Cons:Astronomy
Comments:This is a helpful tool to reach accurate focus. Bahtinov was a smart guy. The attachment to the scope (dew shield) with the four bolts that don't screw into anything is amateurish at best. Any light breeze blows the mask off the scope. (I have the version for the 5.5-8.5" OD.)
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? NoThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Dec 16, 2011A must have for astro photography
Pros:Lightweight,Compact,Easy to Use,Accurate
Cons: Comments:This may be the best and most useful piece of equipment if you're wanting to do astrophotography. Focusing accuracy can now be measured instead of estimated. In two minutes I can achieve pinpoint stars, instead of spending 10-15 fine tuning and trying to compare test shots.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
I have yet to find a downside to this product.This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Nov 1, 2011No more trial and error!
Pros:Compact,Lightweight,Strong Construction,Easy to Use,Accurate
Cons: Comments:Focusing a telescope on faint stars, nebulae, or galaxies is more often an art than a science. It's incredibly hard to judge whether your scope is perfectly focused or just mostly focused.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
With a Bahtinov Mask, there's now a quick and easy way to measure your focus. The first time I used it was last night, and I achieved perfect focus in under 5 minutes. In the past it might have taken me ten or fifteen long exposures on a faint object to determine that I was where I needed to be. Now that time is spent imaging or observing, not focusing.
The instructions are easy to follow and the results are spectacular.This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Oct 28, 2011FarPoint Bahtinov Mask Fits the Bill!
Pros:Easy to Use,Lightweight,Strong Construction
Cons: Comments:I was looking for a Bahtinov mask for small diameter telescopes and camera lenses. The two smallest Farpoint masks fit the bill perfectly.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
They're easily adjustable for lens diameter and constructed from good tough material.This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
MAK7 New Member
- Skill Level
- Unknown
- Time with Product
- Unknown
- User Notes:
- Review by Brad in Phx. of Phoenix, AZ.
May 28, 2011Excellent Value
Pros:Accurate,Strong Construction,Compact
Cons: Comments:This has cut my focusing time by 75%. I get a good focus with the mask, then go to the Fine Focus program in Nebulosity and try to get a better focus. The mask puts you so close, so quickly, that I don't really have to fine tune with Nebulosity. But I do, always trying to get the perfect focus. A real time saver!!!!!
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
Jan 2, 2011Works Very Well
Pros:Accurate
Cons: Comments:I will have to say that this product made focusing easy for me. The mechanism that holds the mast to the telescope lacks a bit but I had to purchase a generic mask so that is to be expected a bit. I certinally recomend this product because it will take the guess-work out of getting perfect focus.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesThis review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com
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