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Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

Differences in sharpness between BTX 115 and 85? (1 Viewer)

andrea86bert

Well-known member
Hi,
is there someone that has compared BTX 115 Vs 85 mm? Is there some differences in terms of "wow factor" regarding sharpness?

Andrea
 
Hi, is there someone that has compared BTX 115 Vs 85 mm? Is there some differences in terms of "wow factor" regarding sharpness? Andrea
As a happy owner of the 65 and 95 modules as well as the ATX eyepiece I was tempted to try the 115 to replace possibly my 95. So I ordered the 115 and additionally the 85 to find out whether a "small solution" - i.e. solely the 85 and the ATX - could be sufficient for my needs. Moreover, there are rumours that the 85 might be the best of the bunch in optical terms so I was curious to see. I compared them several days in different lighting conditions and distances and kept in the end what I already owned - 65 & 95.
My findings in short: All modules are simply excellent, full stop. But there is an easily visible gain in brightness from 65 to 85 to 95 and to 115. The gain in resolution was far more difficult to detect for me and IMHO not decisive in daylight with the ATX. But the 95 and the 115 offer a tiny bit less CA than the 85 and for me an easier, more comfortable eye placement with less blackouts. Besides, the ATX-85 combo is slightly back-heavy. (A longer QR plate does away with it.)

Concerning your question: Yes, the 115 delivers some more details than the 85 and primarily a brighter image and a slightly more comfortable view. But - IMHO! - it is such cloddish and heavy as lead that I would prefer the 85 anytime in the field. Moreover, the magnification range 25-60x is for me better suited than 30-70x. And don't forget: For the 115, you need a much more substantial tripod and head, adding to its bulk.
But that's just my personal opinion. Your mileage may vary.
 
As a happy owner of the 65 and 95 modules as well as the ATX eyepiece.”

forent, Thank you for the well-informed cogent paragraphs above. May I please follow up? 1. Could you please unpack just a little the conditions or circumstances when you choose the 65 or the 95? 2. Owning the 115, what should my second module be? The 65 or the 85? Thank you!
 
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dwever, many thanks for your kind comment. But to make things plain I'm neither a real expert nor a professional user but a sheer amateur depicting his very personal impressions and hampered by his German school English. So please take my words with a grain of salt. ;-)

Question 1.: Very easy - whenever size and weight become important, e.g. on longer walks, when I have to carry my DSLR + tele lens, when I haul a lot of other stuff in my backback, when using a scope is not at top priority etc, I choose the 65 over the 95. The same holds for observations at close range when the wider field of view at 25x magnification of the 65 serves me better than the higher maximum magnification of the 95. In all other cases, especially whenever I want to bridge large distances e.g. at the sea or at lakes, whenever I want the best optical quality and last not least in bad, low-contrast lighting (dark cloudy days, dawn, dusk) I prefer the 95. Very short: quality > weight = 95, weight > quality = 65.

Question 2.: A very personal decision and depending of your intended use of the 115. If you are willing to take it with you regularly I suppose you could take my answer concerning q. 1 and replace 95 with 115. In this case, I would recommend definitely the 65 over the 85 as the former is relatively small, light, inexpensive and hence a real alternative to the 115 (or the 95 as well). In other words: If you want to go light, go really light!
But if you purpose to use the 115 less frequently, e.g. only stationary or in low-light conditions, your second lens module should be all-purpose and as the 85 is clearly more versatile than the 65 I would recommend the 85 in this case.
 
Using the BTX in a stationary way, where weight and size don‘t matter so much, I found the difference in contrast and brightness between the 95 and the 115 quite substantial:


fwiw Canip
 
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