Every year OPT’s Southern California Astronomy Expo plays host to a huge variety of manufacturer representatives. They travel from around the world just to be there to answer your questions! Each manufacturer will be displaying their latest and greatest at their SCAE booth. Come see premier products and talk to the experts that make them. If you ever had any questions about astronomy as a hobby, this is the place to get them answered!
Opticron
Opticron is one of our newest manufacturers here at OPT. They have been in business in the UK for over 40 years, and produce some very nice binoculars, whether you are a bird-watcher, nature lover, hiker, or astronomer. Opticron will be at SCAE this year to show off their products, and will be donating a pair of their binoculars to our giveaway.
Read MoreAtik
About Atik… About Atik…ATIK is the European leader in cooled CCD astronomy cameras. Remarkably sensitive and with extremely low noise levels, these are professional grade cameras at prices the hobbyist can afford! Noise levels are so low in fact that dark frames are often not necessary. Come see why these cameras are so righteously in demand! SCAE Prize Donation… It’s 3, 3, 3 cameras in one! The ATIK Titan Monochrome CCD camera, valued at $689.00, performs wonderfully...
Read MoreTony Hallas
About Tony Hallas… Tony is professionally trained with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography, and apprenticed at one of the major professional photolabs in the US. Five years later, he opened his own lab in Ventura, California, which grew to be the largest lab in the county, with clients like Amgen and Patagonia, among many others. Tony continues… “My interest in astronomy began by accident…one night I happened to look at this mysterious yellow star with a small telescope and it turned...
Read MoreFarpoint
About Farpoint… Farpoint Astronomical Research offers a wide selection of innovative products to the astronomical community, from simple yet useful Bahtinov focus masks (an ever popular item at astronomy product shows each year) to laser collimators built to last. Farpoint is also a supplier of dessicant caps…a very inexpensive product that keeps moisture away from your expensive optics. It’s a simple eyepiece cap but with serious ...
Read MoreDayStar
About DayStar… DayStar Filters have long been the industry standard in narrow bandpass astronomical solar filters. For decades, professional observatories and universities worldwide have counted on the superior quality and performance of DayStar filters. They can be found in the world’s major educational institutions and research facilities, both terrestrial and flown. Booth Highlights... DayStar will have their solar telescopes set up for SCAE customers who want to experience breathtaking...
Read MoreOrange County Astronomers
The Orange County Astronomers is a non-profit organization whose main purpose is to spread knowledge and appreciation of the science of astronomy. The club has been doing this for more than 40 years and has grown to over 800 members. Just a beginner? No problem! You will find that many OCA members joined the club when they were just beginners too! They even have a free beginners class in astronomy. The Orange County Astronomers has an extensive variety of resources and activities to meet the wide needs...
Read MoreAstrodon
About Astrodon… Don Goldman, a Ph.D. with a background in near-infrared spectroscopy, had always been fascinated with the night sky. Out of his own interest in the hobby and his fellow astroimagers’, he started Astrodon Filters to provide the best possible filters for both scientific research and for those that would like to capture the most beautiful of images. Don’s line continues to mold itself around what imagers want in research grade filters and off-axis guiders. SCAE Prize...
Read MoreLosmandy
About Losmandy… An enduring standard in dovetail and ring systems, Losmandy has also been a long standing favorite among serious observers and imagers for their precision machined equatorial mounts. All of their products are finely crafted to last a lifetime or longer and their mounts have an understated industrious beauty that is well matched to their reliable and precise function. SCAE Prize Donation… If you’re tired of messing around with equatorial mounts that just can’t handle...
Read MoreIstar Optical
About Istar Optical… Istar Optical was founded in 2009 by Ales Patrick Krivanek, an engineer and designer based in the Czech Republic. Ales’ vision is to make a variety of quality refractors available to amateur astronomers worldwide for a reasonable price. His telescopes are not made on an assembly line, but are custom-built by hand from quality CNC machined materials. The lenses are designed by Istar’s own master optician. Each telescope is assembled and tested at their facility in Southwest Florida,...
Read MoreSoftware Bisque
Software Bisque entered the astronomical arena in 1986 with TheSky, a truly beautiful planetarium software package that took the astronomy world by storm. Through the years, the Bisque brothers have continued to add to & improve their formidable software line, & there truly is no equal in today’s market. In 1996, the Paramount GT-11 robotic mount was introduced, the progenitor of today’s Paramount MEII & Paramount MX. These amazingly sophisticated robotic equatorial mounts are built to handle 240...
Read MoreADM
OPT is proud to support skilled, innovative amateur astronomers, and that description fits ADM Accessories, or Anthony Davoli Machining, to a T. Anthony has been machining his own telescope and CCD accessories at his shop in Buffalo, New York for many years. When we heard about the quality of his work, and the fact that he offered Meade ACF dovetail plates before anyone else on the market, we knew he had to join the OPT family!
Read MoreShannon Telescopics
Shannon Telescopics manufacturers Celestron and Meade wedge accessory trays that are the epitome of convenience and ease-of-use. Now, with the addition of their Celestron CPC series compatible trays, Shannon Telescopics can offer the amateur astronomer a solution to their organizational problems. Shannon Telescopics was founded in 2010 by James Shannon, a Ph.D. in microbiology who served in the Air Force as a Nuclear Weapons electrical/mechanical specialist. Also involved is James’s son, Ken. He has a B.A....
Read MoreAstronomik Filters
About Astronomik… Produced in Germany to the most exacting standards, Astronomik Filters have gained the reputation of being exceptional filters with unbelievably hard coatings. The coatings lend a strength that seems to repel hairline scratches and marring, helping make your filters to stay beautiful – even if you’re not handling them with laboratory-like care. Producers of a wide range of filters and sizes, they make an entire host of narrowband and color filters to fit everything from...
Read MoreApogee
About Apogee... CCD cameras from Apogee Imaging Systems have contributed to discoveries in many different fields, from astronomy to life science. They are operated in a variety of extreme conditions, from the Arctic to orbiting around the Earth. OPT carries the Alta and Ascent series of CCD cameras…the latest in imaging technology from Apogee Instruments. Alta meets Apogee’s design goals for imaging performance, connectivity, cooling, cost effectiveness and the elimination of external support...
Read MoreCanon USA
About Canon USA… Known the world over for their cameras and printers, Canon has been an important player in the astronomy world as well. This has never been more true than now as Canon brings their second astroimaging – specific DSLR to the world! And what happens when you finally master that imaging processing software and have gotten just the shot you wanted? You have to print it out so the world can see the beauty you have captured. Canon’s professional and archival quality printers are...
Read MoreImaging Source
About The Imaging Source… The Imaging Source has been developing image processing components that have been exclusively used by developers and engineers in industry, medicine and science for nearly two decades. Imaging Source FireWire CCD cameras are universally known in all technological regions of the world, and both their Firewire and USB cameras have become popular with amateur astronomers entering into the field of astrophotography. Imaging Source cameras have won several awards since they entered the...
Read MoreCelestron
About Celestron… Started by a hobbyist looking for a better telescope for his son, Celestron rapidly grew into a company offering a range of Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. By 1970 the company had developed a way of producing SCT’s that not only performed well but were less costly to make, meaning owning an eight or ten inch telescope would soon be feasible for the backyard astronomer. Schmidt-Cassegrains remain the backbone of Celestron’s product line but they’ve also brought us highly...
Read MoreDelkin
About Delkin Devices… Probably best known for their memory cards, Delkin has been making sure our digitally captured images are safely recorded and stored since 1986! They have since expanded to include a wide array of storage devices from compact flash and solid state drives, innovative camera mounting equipment, to their extremely popular and well designed SensorScope system which helps you safely and effectively remove debris from your camera sensor. Delkin has your ultimate digital accessories...
Read MoreExplore Scientific
About Explore Scientific… A new name paired with a lifelong fascination of astronomy, an obsession with astronomy outreach, and 30 years in the astronomy business- that’s Explore Scientific. Started in 2008 by Scott Roberts, Explore began with a core group of high quality refractors & eyepieces and, since then, has expanded to include a wider selection of choice products. Explore Scientific’s philosophy is to bring the hobbyist what they want and need without overloading the product line...
Read MoreSBIG
About SBIG… A leader in CCD imaging, the Santa Barbara Instrument Group was founded to bring real imaging tools out of the realm of professional-only observatory equipment, to the amateur astronomer. The ST-4 changed everything; a simple yet powerful camera kicked off what would become a major trend in the astronomy hobby. Since the “ST-4 days” in 1990, SBIG has developed a carefully curated production of cameras, bringing users what they want and need in a CCD camera. The only cameras of their...
Read MoreStellarvue
About Stellarvue… Stellarvue is a relatively small telescope company dedicated to introducing people to the night sky with high-quality, reasonably priced telescopes and telescope accessories. Stellarvue telescopes utilize exceptional optics of their own design. They maintain the highest quality components and keep prices low. This results in refractors with very high performance at reasonable prices. Do not confuse these telescopes with mass-produced products. These are Stellarvue’s own proprietary...
Read MoreTakahashi
About Takahashi… Takahashi Seisakusho of Tokyo, Japan has been producing fluorite apochromatic refracting telescopes since they introduced the 90mm f/10 FC-90 in 1979. This revolutionized amateur astronomy as the world’s first fluorite apochromatic telescope in regular production. Since that time Takahashi has produced fluorite apochromats up to 250mm as well as a variety of state-of-the-art telescopes such as Hyperbolic Astrographs, Newtonian-Cassegrains and Dall-Kirkham Cassegrains. OPT is proud to...
Read MoreMeade Instruments
About Meade Instruments… Meade Instruments has been around for a long time (1972), and they are still developing and producing cutting edge, innovative products today…products that customers all around the world use and appreciate. From the first 8″ Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with a worm-gear drive (1980) to the breakthrough LX200 telescope in 1992, Meade kept pushing the envelope, and we owe them a tip of the hat for the boom of go-to, computerized “do everything” telescopes that...
Read MoreTele Vue
About Tele Vue… TeleVue Optics and the name Al Nagler go hand in hand in the international astronomy and birding community. Their revolutionary telescope and eyepiece designs have been in production since 1977, and with their refracting telescopes for photo visual applications in birding, panoramic observing, and astronomy are beyond compare. In 1982 the first telescope offered by TeleVue was introduced to the public and by 1983 Al Nagler had visualized the perfect telescope – a refractor – the...
Read MoreLunt Solar Systems
About Lunt Solar Systems… Lunt Solar Systems designs and manufactures a large array of products for the enjoyment of solar astronomy, from H-alpha solar filters that can fit on the front end of your own celestial telescope to large H-alpha telescopes suited for an educational facility or organization. Located in Tucson, Arizona (the perfect place for any hobby that includes the SUN!) the Lunt team constantly strives to offer high quality instruments for a reasonable price. Their telescopes and filters...
Read MoreVixen
About Vixen Optics... Vixen Co. Ltd. has been a well respected telescope manufacturer in Japan since 1949. The first to introduce a GoTo telescope mount to the consumer market, they have always been at the forefront of the ever-expanding boundaries of astronomy hobby equipment. With a huge product lineup, Vixen offers everything an amateur astronomer might desire from monoculars and binoculars to advanced telescopes and imaging systems. Vixen Optics is the official North American distributor for this popular and...
Read MoreDiscovery Telescopes
About Discovery Telescopes… Best known for their large Dobsonians, Discovery Telescopes is among the last of the telescope manufacturers in the world to hand figure their optics. Each mirror is hand ground to exacting specifications, thoroughly tested and configured to ensure your large Dob is as perfect as it can possibly be. Offering both truss and split tube options, they can make owning a giant telescope very feasible and surprisingly portable. Discovery is the name in precision, large...
Read MoreFLI
About FLI… Finger Lakes Instrumentation is one of the largest manufacturers of CCD cameras and accessories in the world. Providing professional and research grade equipment to the amateur astronomy market, their quality is uncompromising. Headquartered in Lima, New York their state of the art facilities is a signal of their continued commitment to quality, innovation and customer service. From the small but powerful Microline series to the high-end Proline models, FLI has a CCD camera to suit your imaging...
Read MoreOrion
About Orion… Orion has been bringing astronomy equipment to hobbyists since 1975 and they have something for everyone with a product line up that dwarfs most. Now owned by Imaginova, Orion Telescopes has been able to expand to monumental proportions rapidly becoming a household name. Telescopes, binoculars, eyepieces, cameras and imaging accessories; from the advanced telescope systems to the most basic, Orion has it all! SCAE Donation… Orion is a big supporter of SCAE every year, providing...
Read MoreStarlight Xpress
About Starlight Xpress… Starlight Xpress Ltd is a specialist supplier of cooled CCD cameras for low noise imaging applications. They provide a wide range of high performance cameras for both amateur and professional imaging, at competitive prices. If you are looking for an economical, low noise CCD camera for astronomy or fluorescence imaging, check out Starlight Xpress! Booth Highlights… Michael Hattey is coming all the way from the UK just to see you! SCAE is the place to talk...
Read MoreNew Mexico Southern Skies
About New Mexico Southern Skies… New Mexico Southern Skies is proud to offer a limited number of 2+ acre home & observatory sites at the world famous New Mexico Southern Skies Astronomy Enclave in beautiful southeast New Mexico. Dark skies, excellent seeing, great transparency, a mountain-top location and up to 300 clear nights (and days) per year makes New Mexico Skies the finest location for your home and observatory. Each home and observatory site is ideally situated such that you’ll have...
Read MoreMonSTAR Prints
About MonSTAR Prints… MonSTAR Prints provides the amateur astronomer media print options and a variety of ways to display your image, including large format images for your walls, custom wraps for your telescope tube, or prints mounted inside an illuminated frame to highlight the depth and color of the image. Booth Highlights… Lance (also of Arizona Sky Shack) will be at SCAE to show you how he can turn your telescope, wall, or any other item into an astronomical work of...
Read MoreOptec
About Optec… Optec’s roots are founded strongly in astronomical research instrumentation with products such as the SSP line of solid-state photometers, photomultiplier tube and CCD photometers, the patented TCF- temperature compensated focuser and the recent addition of the Pyxis 3-inch, a high precision camera field rotator for large telescopes. In addition to the astronomical product line, Optec designs and manufactures optical couplers for video/CCD microscopy, atmospheric visibility measuring...
Read MoreHotech
About Hotech… A leader in the optoelectronic industry, Hotech has continually brought innovative lighting and collimation products to the astronomy industry. “We share your dreams to live a fuller life by providing ways of working smarter and enjoying the rewards of technological advances.” SCAE Prize Donation… Now, backyard astronomers have an alternative to achieve excellent collimation conveniently using the Hotech Advanced CT Laser Collimator, valued at $455. The...
Read MoreSky & Telescope Magazine
About Sky & Telescope… Since you are interested enough in astronomy to be reading this page, the odds are really good that you have picked up an issue of Sky & Telescope magazine at your local book store at some point in your life. Why? Because Sky & Telescope magazine is one of the best ways someone can find out more about this hobby of ours! The pretty pictures on the cover draw you in, but once you turn the pages and get into the meat of the magazine, it is obvious that you are dealing...
Read MoreiOptron
About iOptron… iOptron’s focus is to develop easy to use, and reasonably priced, innovative astronomy products. Their flagship mount the SmartStar, an ultra portable go to Alt-Az mount with an incredible weight to load capacity, is a prime example of what they bring to the astronomy community. Since their start, iOptron has expanded to offer a wide variety of quality telescopes and a line of heavy duty equatorial mounts, including the iEQ45 and iEQ75. They are at the forefront of portable, goto...
Read MorePlanewave
About Planewave… Born in 2006 out of a passion for precision design and advanced optical engineering, Planewave was founded by Richard Hedrick and Joseph Haberman both who were previously Celestron engineers. Richard carries 21 years of experience and, as one-time co-owner of Celestron, contributed heavily to their product development. Joseph was once master optician at Celestron and has 20 years of experience in the telescope engineering field. Long before their departure from Celestron, it was their dream...
Read MoreAstro-Hutech
About Astro-Hutech… Located in Torrance, California, Borg/AstroHutech is the international distributor of the Japanese line of apochromatic refractors called Borg. Borg refractors, ranging from 45mm to 125mm, with their premium optics and modular design are the most versatile and portable refractors on the market today allowing its users many different setup configuration options, including binoscope setups. Astro-Hutech also carries a complete line of accessories, such as, reducers/field flatteners for...
Read MoreQSI
About QSI… QSI, or Quantum Scientific Imaging, designs and manufactures scientific grade, thermo-electrically cooled CCD cameras designed for applications that require superior image performance such as astronomical, medical and industrial imaging.
Read MoreRigel Systems
Apart from the telescope, there are very few items that are absolute essentials for an astronomer to have on them at all times. A night vision-safe flashlight is simply something no astronomer would do without and Rigel Systems makes the very best. Known for their smart LED flashlights with features like dimmers and multi-colored lights, Rigel Systems also makes popular accessories like the Quickfinder and the Pulseguide.
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