Review of the Intes Alter M715, a 7" f/15 Maksutov - A Cult Scope Lover's Cult Scope!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ม.ค. 2023
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f/23! I'm imagining how crisp that single crater on the moon in my field of view would be :)
F/23 ?!?!?!?!!!!??!
A astrophotographers nightmare for everything that needs exposure time will a astrophotographers even use it???
Edit:higher magnifications worst view what is the aperture then??? Only the 40mm eyepiece will give you planet magnification 😢
I've owned Meade and Sky-Watcher's 7" f/15 Maks and each has its own little quirks. Both were fantastic with Baader's Hyperion Zoom! Perhaps one day I'll get a chance to experience if the 'all-business' Intes-version solves the issues I've had with other brands...
This YT channel is outstanding. I've learned a great deal from it and this has allowed me to enjoy night sky viewing 10X more than I used to in my early days. Thanks much, Ed! Cheers.
As always a fun, informative and entertaining overview. Well done Ed.
I've owned several of these. Yes, Intes scopes are the Russian T34 tanks of the telescope world. No frills or even fancy powder coats. But fantastic optics once properly collimated and cooled. But, ahh, that's just it. Regarding collimation, yes, you have control over both the primary and secondary mirror alignments. A nice feature, but this means you also have two ways of really messing up the collimation. Every single one of mine I got real "cheap" because the owners had completely screwed up collimation. After about a half hour or so of tedious, iterative, adjustments, everything was fine...and sharp!
Regarding cooling. REFLECTIX!! Many of us have found that adding a couple of layers (yes, two as a single layer is not enough) of Reflectix to our Maks and SCTs tubes (and backplates) does wonders to stabilize the thermal environment of the tube and optics. The difference in thermal performance envelope using the stuff can be striking. No more fair weather friends. It's sooooo easy to work with and install/remove. And it's CHEAP! Actually a video on the use of Reflectix or similar insulation might be very useful and of much interest to your fans.
Again, well done sir and thanks!
Jeff
jeffblazey
Hi, Do you know of a tried and trusted method of collimating these scopes. I have an Alter m603 (6” Mak Cass) that’s out of collimation. It’s not out too much, but having two mirrors to adjust, I don’t want to make things worse. Now that the weather’s starting to pick up here in the U.K. I want to start using it. Thank you.
Great review Ed. I learned a lot as always. Keep up the great work!
Ed, I simply LOVE your content, THANK YOU
I always look forward to your videos. Thank you Mr Ting, keep up the good work.
Wow. Lunar images are sublime 🤓👌
Thanks Ed. Very informative.
New Ed Ting video always puts smile on my face, keep doing what you do!
finally we see a big mak. Love it have a skywatcher
Thanks for the review. Excellent as always. I know making videos is not easy, and I appreciate all the work you are putting into this channel.
Thanks. This review took me almost a year to complete. I hope you all find it useful.
I have the Intes MK67 and I leave it outside for a couple of hours with a bin bag pegged over it .
You could leave it in your car for protection from the elements, Ed is correct, they take a lot of cooling, I thought about putting it in a chest freezer for 20 mins but my wife insists it's for food!
I have a couple of 6” Intes Rumak. One has a fixed primary mirror, the other has a moveable primary. The nice thing is the movable mirror is on a scissor cantilever so no mirror flop. I put a reducer on it to image larger galaxies. Got great images of black eye, sunflower, pinwheel, and the like. Without you can go deeper. Both give great visual observing of planets. I have been waiting for a 7” but none have popped up. Even the 6” gives great refractor-like view of the moon. I think these can go head to head with Questar.
Excellent presentation and very informative. I use my Binotron 27 in my Orion 7” Mak. Tons of backfocus allows focal reduction via the power switch on the Binotron. This makes the scope more versatile and deepsky views are enhanced. I’m willing to send you a model to review. Anyway great job Ed.
TEC used to sell an 8 inch f/15 Mak, also Russian. Heckuva scope, heavy though and took forever to cool down. Great for the big Mars opposition 20 years ago. I think TEC just sells high end refractors now. That's Telescope Engineering Co., Golden, Colorado.
just couple hrs ago missed auctions of a alter7 black intes micro 7inch f10 rumak. if i had watched this video earlier, i would have bought it lol. thanks for the video as always
First time I came across Intes and Intes micros was during the early naughties in the Optical Vision brochures. Have never observed through one of those telescopes but a friend of mine showed me a pair of Russian binoculars from the 40's 50's and couldn't believe the clarity of what I was seeing through them. The image was so crisp it was like you were standing right next to what you were viewing. Not even my ED binoculars could compare to those Russian bins for clarity and the Russian bins were about coming on 75 - 80 yrs old. There is alot to be said for Russian optics.
I have a 100 year old zeiss 6x30 binocular. Other than then the lack of coatings which didn't exist back in 1923, they are amazing. But at night I prefer my 1970s single coated japanese 7x35 wide angle. Even the the zeiss has no distortion over its 50degree field and the outer part of the 7x35 is astigmatic, they are considerably brighter even though they have the same exit pupil. During the day the zeiss kills them
wow, nice lunar images Ed!
I always loved the Russian maks, thank you for the wonderful review, my condolences on the passing of your cgem mount. Clear Skies.
Gorgeous telescope.
I also owned the 10" ALTER MAK-CASS AT 1/10TH WAVE! WOE IS ME!
I have a couple of the Meade 7”LX200 and LX50. I took the plates out and put them on standard eq mounts. Very good. My Favorite for double stars is my RuMak Intes MK66 and 67. Don’t have the 715 yet…😊
My local astronomy store has a new one in stock (UK). I've always had a soft spot for Maksutov telescopes and will no doubt get another to add to my 12" dobsonian and 102 apo.
I had one of the earlier Intes 6 inch Mak-Cassegrains and it compared well to my 7 inch Questar. They did a good job. There have been some remarkable if somewhat obscure large Mak-Casses over the years, like the Aries unit of the 1980s.
Just found your channel; love it. I have a lot of viewing to do. I'm thinking about returning to the hobby after a 40+ year hiatus. I used to grind and build my own, about a dozen scopes from 4.25-12.5"; loved the wide-field scopes I made. Have none of that now, so have started looking. The hobby is so different with the computerization, the proliferation of refractors and the seeming emphasis on photography. I'm trying to figure out what will be best for me now; suburban skies, humid air, not great seeing generally although on the best of nights I've caught the Milky Way. With my older eyes, I think I'll have to be content with the planets, Messier catalog and similar NGC objects. I've wondered about Maks, Questars were a dream of sorts back when; as a primary scope it doesn't sound like a fit now, although there is a Mak-Newt out there that might be about right (have you done a review of those?).
Thanks for the channel, I'll be eating it up for the next few weeks at least.
Good review Ed! I bought a yellow Intes(claimed) 150 mak off of cloudy nights a few years ago. I still don't know for sure, but every time I bring it out under clear skies it about knocks my socks off! Super sharp! I won't be letting it go anytime soon... 👍
I've never seen a yellow Intes before. Then again, who knows what color paint the Russians had at their disposal that day...
@@edting I've never seen yellow either. I think maybe someone painted the tube but I haven't scratched it enough to see. Someday I'll take it apart to see if I can find any more clues... For now, it works great and matches my solar yellow jeep rubicon... 😉
The one image on astrobin, uses a reducer for f10.
There are elongated stars in the corners of the image! For £3500 scope and plus expensive reducer, demonstrates this design is for planets or moon close ups.
A DK cassegrain could do this at a tenth of the price. But nobody makes one. DIY like I did.
Maks are for moon, planets and doubles, I have got nebula and clusters photographicly but it's a bit too much like hard work but another unexpected plus is that aspheric eyepieces work really well in them
I am currently using an Orion UK OMC'140 MAK. CARBON TUBE, GREAT SCOPE
I own an Intes STF Mirage 180/1800 Mak for visual and photografic use for solar system objects.
Bevor that scope I had a Skymax 127/1500 Mak, it was a nice litte scope but the Intes out perfome it in every situation.
Since I now the russian quality I watch for an Intes 127 Mak and 5inch Intes Mak Newton.
But the scopes are hard to finde in Germany, they are very popular...
I almost got hypnotized when he pointed the shiny end into the camera....🤪
Also bringing any scope in from the cold outside to a heated property will cause a lot of moisture on the whole scope, a hairdryer works well here.
Mak's are awesome niche scopes, I had a 150 and it threw up awesome planetary and lunar views, as planetary imagers they are fantastic. If I ever saw that Intes for sale I would drive a thousand miles for it, not even kidding.
Ein sehr gutes Teleskop.
I saw several craterlets in your shot of Plato!
Thanks for another great review,Ed. I used to own an Intes Alter 7" Mak (Rumak variant, I think) and that thing was not as good as the one you reviewed. Cool down was a major problem and optically, it wasn't as sharp as I'd hope it would be. Definitely not a good beginner's scope, at least in the 7" size.
Collimation must be out.
Hi Ed, I think I've found one of these close by, so I'll continue my program of acquiring telescopes you recommend :).
I got a chance to look through one once with binos at the stars in the Orion Nebula and it was unbelievable..
Just give me 10" to 12" Mak Daddies, and I'll be a very happy man. Roland C did a very nice job!
If it ever cools down before dawn.
You would need an observatory with climate control and a huge electric bill
What a nice scope
Nice shot M57 if you use a bit of averted vision you can glimps Ic1296 Just above near the four stars that form a trapezoid it right below the the top one
I went back and looked. You're right!
I owned the M17, not a great scope in northern climes but outstanding in south Florida
Ed, nice review as usual ! You need to borrow my 7 inch Intes Mak Newt. It may beat this out as the very best lunar scope that walked through your doors. And at F6, it’s much more flexible.
Yikes, I have to find a mount to hold that!
@@edting mine is the one with a Bakelite type of tube so weighs 20lbs. Had it on an SP mount even.
Oooh, nice! Might have to check that out.
You might also need another mount to hold my 7” F8 Mak Newt Mr Ting.💪💪😀
Hi I just commented on your Starmaster Scope. It was about a yr ago I made my comment on Rick’s scope
Thanks Ed. Any plans to cover EAA at all? I know Maks aren't suited for it because of their high focal ratio numbers, but EAA seems to be attracting a very large crowd these days, especially given the vast improvements in astro cameras from ZWO etc.
Yes, EAA is an interesting topic.
I have a Skywatcher Skymax 127 Maksutov which I bought in pristine as new condition second hand with a load of accessories, including a dew shield and Bahtinov mask for the princely sum of £200. I can only imagine the difference in viewing though!
Was one of the accessories a 7-21mm Zoom? They're a lot of fun with the Skymax line, up to the 180mm which is best with an 8-24mm.
Yeah, I have a 5 inch F15 Bresser that I like to pull out from time to time. I sometimes think it isn't giving me much, but when I compare it to my 90mm F10 achro, I am quickly reminded that, yes, that mak is indeed giving me something pretty darn great. I use it on my Skywatcher AZ GTi for quick and easy setup. Would like to get a lymax cooler for it sometime.
Great show Ed. I watched this edition with my friend and her 4 year old daughter. He just bought her a little Celestron. Have you seen your sponsor Night buddy. It is a headband that lights up. I dont understand why watching about telescopes we have to see the night buddy salesman go down on a woman with his headband on. Do we always have to be perverts and see cunnilingus even while watching telescopes, with a 4 year old?
Hi Ed,Great Review,Curious How This Would Be Compared To A 6se..Looks Sweet,I Like The White Tubes❤God Bless and Clear Skies🙏🏼❤️🔭✨🌏
I have a couple of Meade 7”. One had a bad secondary spot and I ended up having to resurface it and get it recoated, now it is hard to get these spots redone. From Cloudy Nights forums, i found unlike the Intes of course, the Meade 7” seems to have an aspheric mirror matched to the corrector plate. They are not swappable between scopes of the same model, they are paired from the pool of plates and mirrors.
Fazergazer
Hi there, I also own two Meade 7” Maks. One of them I got cheap some time back. The one I got cheap, never seems to give the same image quality as the other one. Both have had the counter weights removed. You state that the Meade’s have matched optics that are not swappable. I’m wondering if the meniscus had been put back in a different position from that at the factory. Do you know if so, would it, or could it affect the image quality?
Many thanks
HI Ed ... please, if possible.... review a Chromacorr on a fast Achromat.... thanks for the video
Great review! Fun fact: Maksutov was born in either Odesa or Mykolaiv, not known for sure, which are Ukrainian cities. And although Ukraine at the time was occupied and a part of Russian Empire, it still makes Maksutov a Ukrainian/Soviet optical engineer:)
Thanks for letting us know!
Odesa was not just occupied, but had been apart of Russia for hundreds of years before Maksutov was born. He served in the Russian military through a military engineering college, a radio operator in ww1, and by volunteering for flight school. "Maksutov served with distinction in the Caucasus as a radio operator,
winning promotion to the rank of lieutenant. " - Starscan, Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society, Volume 20, Number 2, February 2004
With cameras making lucky imaging possible with more dso's, and more pixels sizes to get the correct f-ratio combinations, giant mak's will make a comeback at some point. Some of these recent cameras have such low read noise that exposure length is becoming less relevant. And the main benefit of lucky imaging is breaking through the arcsecond limitations of the sky by taking rapid exposures. The only thing limiting a pristine mak's optics is the sky.
Twenty years or so ago I would look at all the adds throughout Sky& Telescope and Astronomy mags and seriously looked into the Intes series. They were very competitively priced. Of course some were hit and miss. JMR
Other special design is the Field - Maksutov wich uses a sub-aperture corrector lens group in front of the secondary mirror. Open tube, large obstruction. The Vixen VMC series scopes use that design.
I owned a VMC110L and a VMC200L earlier.
The smaller one is quite soft, the secondary is not adjustable, plus it has an integrated flip mirror which is also not collimable. Compact, might be good for sidewalk astronomy or travel, but a 70mm f/6 refractor performs much better in a similar weight and it is much sturdier.
The VMC200L can be excellent if everything works fine (the temperature is right, the scope is in the right position), but it is unreliable, the main problem is it's primary mirror holder which basically stress the mirror or let the mirror flop around, practically impossible to find the good setting point between these states. Also the 6mm (!) thick secondary spiders can cause insanely large diffraction spikes around brighter objects, forget Venus on low magnification (
Ed, you really need to sell that CGE and get a G11:)
You left out the very affordable ($1,150 as of today) and still for sale Celestron 7" f/15 with a standard 2" SCT back. It includes a 8x50 finder scope, diagonal, 28mm eyepiece, and a CGE/Losmandy rail. Synta also has a SkyWatcher branded version for $350 more.
Nice video. Could you do please do review of Mead e 14" LX600 ACF telescope?
I didn't catch it in your list of 7" Maks, but Celestron is now selling one, but I don't see it sold as an OTA only, just paired with the AVX. Since it's Celestron, then it's going to be the Synta-made version, the same as the SkyWatcher and the old Orion variant.
I know someone who fixes CGE mounts and has a few he strips for parts. If you're having trouble with yours, I can get you his contact info.
Love my Skymax 180 (a poor man's Questar 7", I guess). Probably not very different than the Intes Rumak at the end, and easier to buy here in EU
My only remaining must-obtanium scope - a 7" Mak. My heart is set on the 7" Meade but the 180mm Skywatcher/Orion Synta scope beckons as well. Would love to see a comparo that included the latter. It has an excellent reputation. Thanks!
I have a review of the Orion branded variant on Scopereviews. I've had good luck with these but I have heard of some with questionable QC. The problem is it doesn't take much misalignment/QC/etc to throw these off.
I have an Orion 180mm. It is wonderful scope!
@@edting I got an ioptron maksutov (rumak design) and it was very disappointing. Scope came damaged.
Put out a Want ad on the used astronomy buy-and-sell sites asking if anyone has one collecting dust somewhere. It got me my Meade 7", maybe it'll work for you too. Good luck!
@@oninoyakamo One thing to keep in mind, the coatings on the corrector are very important. Being that many of these scopes are very old, you want to make sure they are not showing those signs and overpaying.
Maybe I just got lucky. I’m fortunate enough to own a couple of Russian Maks (MK67 & an Alter M603) plus a Meade 7” Mak. The Meade (in my humble opinion) is optically every bit as good as its Russian counterparts. My favourite scope from Meade. It would be great if they reintroduced them.
The 7" Mak may be my favorite Meade telescope as well. Its only issues are Meade's variable QC, and that %$#!@ lead weight in the back.
I was lucky in that the optics on my one are very good and I managed to remove the counterweight myself (not for those of a nervous disposition!) Such a shame that the Russian Maks and Mak Newts and the Meade 7” Mak are no longer available. BTW, any chance of a Mak Newt review sometime?
Why not put the scope in a old refrigerator or freezer for a few hours set to about the predicted out side temperature , that way it would nearly be the same temperature and would not need cool down time .
I have been thinking about buying one of these scopes maybe if the price is low enough .
😎👍
Hello Ed, I always pick something up from your reviews. I like the utilitarian handle on the Mak and am thinking of putting one on my Orion XT-8’s tube so I don’t have to cradle/bear hug it to and fro.
PS - the EM-200 mount in the background (8:20) caught my eye…did you win the lottery or is it a loaner? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it someday. Thanks for all you do.
Best used with a big furry hat.
For lunar and planetary work, is a good refractor or a Mak better? I have a 80 mm Lunt which is excellent for planetary, with very sharp, highly contrasting views. I wish it gave more resolution. My 10 inch Dob has better resolution, but is less sharp and less or similar contrast. Would a Mak bridge the gap? If so, what is a reasonable size? That heavy OTA and large f number make me think I will need a very heavy duty mount.
Yes, the issue is the mount. But otherwise, your reasoning is sound. Another option is the good 'ol 8" SCT.
Hi Ed, I am thinking about getting an Intes MK91 I've come across (D=228 mm f/3100 mm , 9"F/13.5). Have you ever seen one of those? I had a TEC MC250/20 years ago that I shouldn't have sold, so I'm trying to rectify that! Thanks for the informative reviews and your general enthusiasm!
Mark
Wow, that thing is big! If you have a big enough mount and steady enough skies to accommodate such a beast, go for it!
Frist light 👋👋
I absolutely love my 127 Mak. Its f15 and glorious on planets and lunar. Its my first and only scope. Who says you cant start this hobby by walking up hill both ways.
I have an f/15 Mak too. Try an 8-24mm Zoom with it. They're a lot of fun together!
@@oninoyakamo i bought one to see what focal length eyepieces i would use most. Use it on the moon mainly now.
@@ozmosis0074 What focal lengths did you find you used the most?
@@oninoyakamo Bought the Baader Mark IV zoom this past holiday season to use with my 5 inch Bresser mak also, but a month later and I still haven't had the chance to try it out. Do like my mak though. Just small enough to ride on my Skywatcher AZ GTi for easy setup.
@@oninoyakamo I use 25mm and 12mm a ton. I have celestron xcel lx eyepieces, there soft but very easy to see through. I have the 25mm, 18mm, 12mm, and 7mm.
Hey which is the best telescope for astrophotography under 200$
The Maks in the five to seven inch range seem to be most popular. But didn't the Russians also market a high quality 8 inch Mak?
These I've heard of or read about but never had opportunity to try!
I've been wanting to upgrade my Celestron C6 to a 7" Skywatcher MAK but it would be my only scope so I am wondering if it's worth upgrading or should I stay with my trusty C6?
Thanks Ed.
I'd keep both. The Mak is more a specialty instrument than an all-rounder daily driver.
Be nice if someone made an astro-photography camera with laser pointers that could shoot down Starlink satellites.
Looks around 1/3 more expensive than a Celestron 7″ f15 XLT Maksutov-Cassegrain.
I bought a used 7 inch Intes Mak about 12 years ago. I'm not sure of the model. It has "MAKSUTOV 180/1800" in blue letters on the side and a small adhesive sticker on the back "INTES RUSSIA". At F/10 would this be rarer? It came with a Moonlight focuser as well. Great optics and great for me being a planet nerd.
There have been so many Mak-Cass, Mak-Newt, etc variants. I have not come close to seeing them all. Perhaps a Mak aficionado out there could compile a list for us.
I have the same telescope (180/1800 letters in blue). it’s the Intes MK-72. I bought it some 20 years ago on an GP/DX mount and love it.
@@joris123qwe Hi Joris, I can't find much information about this telescope. I was wondering how old it was, so I guess it is at least 20 years !
Has Ed reviewed a Mak Newtonian
Yes, on Scopereviews.
What should I buy after a 8 inch dob , I realized I am a pure visual observer. And i like observing planets and dsos and I have access to a bortle 2 location once in year in summers, while now I live in a bortle 5 location . Plz help ed
Takahashi
@@radod6147 ?
A 14" Dob or larger of course!
@@visionare7641 explorer scientific 16 inch truss tube ?, I heard it's optics are not good 😐
Didn't Intes also make a Maksutov/Newtonian?
Yes, and they are fantastic.
jeffpittel
Intes made several Mak Newts of various apertures and focal ratios. The smallest was a 5” (possibly an f6) and the biggest one I seem to remember was an 8” f6. They may have made bigger scopes than this, but they would have been a special order. All highly regarded.
I am really suprised that russian telescopes are so rare. I live in Europe and I have never seen or heard anyone own a russian telescope. I wish one day I can get one, and thank you Ed for showing this masterpiece.
My sense is that the Russians never perfected efficient mass assembly the way the Asians have.
@@edting In the current political climate (as regards to Russia) purchasing anything russian would be enough to put you on a government watchlist, so this might be another reason why they are so rare outside of Russia.
@@arongyorffy3070 Funny you mentioned that, because russian maksutovs were (and probably still are in a related way) used for military terrestrial viewing.
arongyorffy
Here in the U.K. back in the early 2000’s there were quite a few Russian telescopes of various designs on the market. The high end manufacturer’s were Intes and Intes Micro (two different manufacturers) I also seem to remember a company called Yelna. At the ‘lower’ end of the market was a manufacturer called Tal. There were quite a variety of designs on offer, such as Maks, Mak Newts, Mak Cass, Newts, and refractors. Possibly due to the apo explosion at around the same time, a few of these Russian gems started popping up on the used markets now and then. I have owned and looked through a few Russian scopes from high end Maks down to a humble 112mm Newtonian reflector. I have yet to find a bad one optically. Even the 112mm Newt really surprised me with it’s optical quality. They are out there, just not as common as they once were.
Sadly for him Soviet patents were very limited in personal benefits, he never got rich from it
INTES, we can't get it new any more. Only the small remaining in a used market. In my experiences, every INTES had excellent optics, despite most of the owner tuned worse from factory tuned condition. It's the shame. Without interferometers or optic tools, you should not disassemble them. If you did, it will never be the proper condition. In a way, Makustov is the far distant triplets. Even a tiny bit of misaligning will yield to degrade the performances as a triplet of refractors. Whole tube is the lens itself.
Love Russia!
Do you live there?
Me too. Go Russia.