I will defend S+T as it is not an easy one for them. If they say ours
is not an apo but the clones are, they are doing a more of a
disservice to SV. I think they have to be even handed. Since the
102ED performs on par with many apo doublets which show about the
same "slight" amount of color as the 102ED, I can see why they would
state it as such. We originally planned to call this telescope an apo
but we changed our criteria around the time we first introduced it,
reserving the apo term only for our triplets.

I have it easier than S+T in that I only have to follow my own
criteria. S+T has to report on all the telescopes out there. So they
must be even handed in an industry that is not.

I do not think this is a problem as the average consumer will not get
an inferior product based on this announcement. We have seen what you
can expect from the 102ED based on actual user comments here. Some of
these comments have caused me to duck at times (when comparing the
102ED with premium brand name apo doublet optics that sell for more).
I do not like it when other good brands are criticized. So I think
these comments cause more of a stir than to state a well made ED
doublet is an apo. Since the 102ED meets the "industry standard" of
an apo; is triple tested and shows very little false color around all
but the very brightest objects; and Zygo tests with higher accuracy
than other 102ED's I have tested lately, I do not fault S+T for
indicating this as such. Based on what is selling out there, no one
should be disappointed.

Vic Maris

Vic Maris







--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Ferreira" <ferreira1@...>
wrote:
>
> Recently a fellow astrophotographer mentioned to me (seemingly out
of
> the blue) that the SV102ED should not really be referred to as an
APO.
> I thought, what brought that on. Turns out he was referring to the
New
> Equipment brief write-up in S&T.... I personally agree, as does
Vic
> and the folks at Stellarvue.
>
> To my eye, Vic has gone out of his way to avoid the APO thing with
his
> line of excellent ED scopes referring to them as highly color
> corrected 'ED refractors,' or words to the same effect. I,
personally,
> am in total agreement with that description of a two element ED
> refractor objective, but I don't want to re-start that debate here,
> please!!!
>
> What I am a little erk'd about is S&T putting words into Vic's
mouth by
> touting the SV102ED as an 'APO' in the magazines new equipment
> announcement. That is not what Vic has said about his ED
refractors in
> the past, nor is it how they are presented on the Stellarvue web
site.
> I feel S&T opened a can of worms by stating in no uncertain terms
that
> the Stellarvue SV102ED was an APO -- strongly suggesting that
> Stellarvue is marketing the SV102ED as an APO. And, perhaps, over
> stating its performance using the term 'color-free.' I feel this is
a
> serious disservice to Stellarvue seeing how refractor manufacturers
> have taken quite a bit of heat over the APO labels on ED scopes in
the
> past.
>
> <<S&T snip>>
> 'Stellar APO'
> Stellarvue adds a new affordable 4-inch apochromat to its line of
> premium-quality refractors. The SV102ED ($1,095) features a 102-mm
> f/6.95 ED (extra-low dispersion) doublet objective for color-free
> performance.
> <<>>
>
> Maybe I'm over reacting....or, not.
>
> Jim
> Livermore CA
>