Askar SQA55 Full Review
Key Takeaways
- The Askar SQA55 uses high-quality optics to produce astrophotography images that are sharp, flat, and well-corrected.
- It features an innovative design with a variable aperture, similar to a camera lens with a manual focus ring.
- The small aperture (55mm) and short focal length (264mm) mean it is unsuitable for planetary imaging or photographing small galaxies.
The Askar SQA55 is not your ordinary apochromatic refractor telescope. Its innovative design and clever features make it an attractive choice for deep-sky astrophotography in 2024.
At its core, the SQA55 is a quintuplet air-spaced SD glass Petzval astrograph telescope with a focal length of 264mm and an f-ratio of F/4.8 when used ‘wide open.’
The Askar SQA55 is currently listed at Agena Astro for $795.
This model is in the compact, wide-field refractor category, but a few things make it unique, like the variable aperture and the ability to switch from a nighttime astrophotography telescope to a manual daytime photography lens.
While its aperture (lens diameter) is just 55mm, the optics pack a punch in the astrophotography department. It weighs about 5 pounds, making it a good choice for anyone using a portable star tracker for quick setup on a clear night or dark-sky adventurers.
The video shows how I set up the telescope (and my image results).
Askar SQA55 Super Quintuplet Astrograph
The Askar SQA55 uses high-quality optics, consisting of one piece of ED glass and one piece of SD glass for a total of 5 elements. This helps to create a well-corrected and flat image field.
The SQA55 product page states that ‘the central star point has an RMS radius of less than 2.5 μm (microns), and the point at the corner is less than 4 μm’.
While I don’t have the expertise (or equipment) to prove this value, I can tell you that the star quality was excellent in my real-real astrophotography tests from the backyard.
The Optical Layout of the Askar SQA55 Quiptuplet Astrograph.
Variable Aperture Lens and Manual Focuser
The most interesting part about this model is its variable aperture, which starts at F/4.8 and goes all the way up to F/22.
While the higher f-stops may be useful for daytime photography, if you use this telescope for astrophotography, you should keep it fixed at F/4.8.
This yields the best star quality and the most light-gathering power. (Askar specifically mentioned leaving it at F/4.8 to avoid star patterns).
Keep the aperture set to F/4.8 for the best star quality in your deep-sky photos.
It doesn’t have a traditional dual-speed rack-and-pinion focuser like what you would normally find on a refractor telescope.
Instead, the Askar SQA55 uses a manual focus ring like you’d find on a manual lens like the Rokinon 135 F/2 or the original William Optics Redcat 51.
There are two focuser adjustment points: a coarse focus adjustment and a fine focus adjustment ring. Both of these rings include small locking knobs.
The design choice makes sense if you consider people using this telescope as a lens for wildlife or landscape photography with a DSLR. I’m just not sure how many people will use it like this.
The SQA55 is extremely lightweight and portable (4.8 lbs, 316mm overall length with dew shield).
Thoughts from the Astrophotography Community
When the Askar SQA55 arrived, I asked the astrophotography community on X what they thought of the design.
Arrived today: https://t.co/ezJLaOWJ86
…and it might be clear enough to test it tonight! 🤓 pic.twitter.com/lemcuvPjob
— 🔭AstroBackyard (@AstroBackyard) September 10, 2024
Askar SQA55 Quintuplet Astrograph Specifications
- Aperture size: 55mm
- Focal length: 264mm
- Focal ratio: f/4.8
- Objective lens: Quintuplet Petzval APO
- Format specifications: 44mm
- Aperture blades:14 pieces
- Graded Aperture: f/4.8-f/22
- Closest Focus Distance: 5m
- Focusing mode: Manual focus
- Filter Diameter: M67
- Total length: 316mm (including dew shield)
- OTA weight: 4 lbs (1.84 kg)
- Total weight: 4.8 lbs (2.18 kg)
- Rear-end adapter: M48 * 0.75 (with M48 × 0.75 filter thread)
- Rear-end connection distance: 55mm (recommended)
The lens shield can be removed during travel or storage.
Some of my favorite aspects of this package are the included hard case, the innovative ‘quick-release’ mounting spots (4 in total), and the M48 adapter with the internal 2″ filter drawer.
What’s in the Box?
The SQA55 package includes a heavy-duty, ‘military-grade’ carry case with additional space for photographic and astronomical accessories such as filters.
This waterproof locking case is exceptionally well-padded. The foam fitted precisely to the size of the SQA55, which means it was well-protected during shipment.
The SQA55 comes in a military-grade waterproof case.
Inside the case, you’ll find the SQA55 OTA (optical tube assembly) with the 200mm vixen-style dovetail attached at the base. The handle/guide scope mount is also attached at the top of the OTA.
The package also included an inspection report, stickers, a printed manual, and a little Allan key with extra bolts.
My Astrophotography Setup
I tested this telescope on the Star Adventurer GTi with the ZWO ASI2600MC Air color camera attached at the back. This allowed me to skip the camera controller (in my case, the ASIAIR Plus), guide scope, and guide camera and power the telescope mount and the camera.
Because this camera includes an ASIAIR controller, I just needed to connect the camera to the mount using an EQMOD cable. That’s the only actual connection cable needed other than the power source to the mount and camera.
I control the star tracker mount from the ASI2600MC Air using this cable.
Believe it or not, with this simple setup, I could run an entire deep-sky session with autoguiding, dithering, and plate solving. If you’re using a more traditional setup with a guide camera and guide scope, the SQA55 comes ready to go.
I personally don’t mind using the manual focus ring in place of a traditional telescope focuser. I find it easy to fine-tune and lock my focus, although I did have to borrow a Bahnitov mask from another telescope to dial it in.
Because this is a quintuplet Petzval design, backspacing is not really an issue. The website states that anywhere between 50 and 60mm is fine. I just used the regular 55mm spacing I always use, and my images were nice and flat, without any noticeable vignetting or tilt.
The Setup
- Telescope: Askar SQA55 Super Quintulplet Astrograph
- Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Air
- Mount: Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi
- Filter: Optolong L-eNhance
Askar SQA55 Features
There are a few features of the SQA55 that I wanted to highlight.
There is a little handle/guide scope mount that comes with the scope and it has a slick, quick-release connection. You don’t need to use an allan key to remove or re-attach it, it clicks in and then you just lock it.
The same goes for the vixen 200mm dovetail plate on the bottom. You can remove it with the hand screw if you want to mount it to a photography tripod or something like the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer.
The guide scope/handle can easily be removed or attached to any side of the Askar SQA55.
There are 4 multi-purpose connection points in total, including the bottom one for the dovetail. While I appreciate the spots for accessories, I’m not sure I have the right hardware to mount anything else.
A spot to mount an ASIAIR wifi controller would be nice, but I would need another one of the handle mounts with the click connection point.
My favorite (simple) addition to this telescope is the threaded filter slot at the rear. You can thread in your favorite 2-inch light pollution filter and be on your way.
The built-in image field rotator (with a locking knob) is another nice touch. It amazes me that some astrophotography telescopes don’t include a rotator function.
Recommended Accessories
Additional items are needed to run a deep-sky imaging session with the SQA55. While my setup involved a ‘smart camera’ that combined camera control, guiding, and plate-solving, most of you will use a more traditional camera such as a DSLR or dedicated astronomy camera.
Here is a handy list of accessories to keep in mind.
Using it with an Autoguiding System
If you are using a traditional guide camera and guide scope setup with the SQA55, you will appreciate the handle/mount on the telescope’s top connection point.
The William Optics 32 ‘UniGuide’ Guide Scope (and many other guide scopes with this mounting style) will fit perfectly in the included dovetail mount.
Using a guide scope and guide camera with the SQA55.
The only potential problem with a configuration like this is finding a spot for your WiFi controller, whether it’s an ASIAIR or a Mini PC.
It would be nice to be able to purchase an additional quick-release handle-style mount and attach it to one of the connection points on the side of the OTA. I am unsure if these will be available as an add-on accessory.
For now, I have used Velcro tape to ‘stick’ the ASAIR on the side of the telescope. While this isn’t an ideal solution, it does the trick.
Using an Autofocuser
While I prefer to manually focus my astrophotography telescopes (most of the time), I know that others will quickly upgrade the Askar SQA55 with an autofocuser. Askar offers an electronic focuser kit designed explicitly for the SQA55.
This kit will adapt an existing electronic autofocuser (such as the popular ZWO EAF shown below) to fit the SQA55. It includes three lengths of synchronous belts along a tensioner pully to effectively fit the telescope’s focus ring.
You can use a ZWO EAF (and many other electronic focuses) with the SQA55 using the focusing kit (optional accessory).
Astrophotography Results
I am happy to report that I saw no odd-shaped stars or aberrations during my imaging tests. The stars were sharp pinpoints across the entire field.
While I still need to take some unfiltered photos using the SQA55, the images captured through the Optlong L-eNhance filter looked promising.
I chose to photograph the beautiful North America Nebula, as this is a bright nebula target that currently sits nice and high in the sky from my location.
I captured 60 sub-exposures that were 3 minutes in length, for a grand total of 3 hours of total exposure time.
The North America Nebula and Pelican Nebula. Askar SQA55 + ASI2600MC Air.
I should mention that the skies in my Bortle 6 backyard have been quite smokey lately. Although this target benefitted from better transparency being near the Zenith, I believe the image quality suffered from a thin haze of smoke in the air.
Related Post: Use a Stargazing App to Choose Your Astrophotography Targets
Optical Quality
One of the main reasons I wanted to try out the SQA55 was to see if the optical quality was as good as advertised on the Askar website. There are numerous test images shared that show how flat and well corrected the optics are. You can check this using a tool in PixInsight called ‘Abberation Inspector’
Because I’m using a crop-sensor camera, the field of view is pretty forgiving. The website states the image circle at 44mm, which I think is a little too small to fully illuminate a full-frame sensor.
However, using the popular 2600MC Air one-shot-color camera, I should be able to get a flat, even illuminated image across the entire sensor. Here are the aberration inspector results of my stacked image using a crop-sensor, CMOS dedicated astronomy camera (ZWO ASI2600MC Air).
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a high-quality astrograph to take wide-field deep-sky images, I think the Askar SQA55 will serve you well. It gets all of the important things right, from the included mounting hardware to the optical quality.
Whether you use this telescope with a simple star tracker and a DSLR or upgrade the OTA with an electronic focuser for an advanced imaging system, the SQA55 feels like a ‘lifetime’ ‘scope.
I was thoroughly impressed with the images I took using the SQA55, and I am excited to bring it to a dark sky site for some razor-sharp, broadband images. As I collect more data, I will share it on this webpage.
The Askar SQA55 is currently listed at Agena Astro for $795.
As always, I was not compensated in any way for providing a positive review of this product. Nor does Askar have any say in my written or video content.
Trevor Jones is a deep-sky astrophotographer and a valued member of the RASC. His passion is inspiring others to start their astrophotography journey on his YouTube Channel so they can appreciate the night sky as much as he does. His images have been featured in astronomy books & online publications, including the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).
