The RASA 8 already proved itself as practical and easy to operate in the first tests. Without annoying mirror shifting I could focus the camera (Fujifilm X-T3) within one minute. Thanks to the very fast f-ratio of the RASA 8, it is even possible to focus on average bright stars in the field of view, without having to point the telescope at a bright star.

No collimation was necessary after unpacking and mounting the instrument (the telescope seems to be very resistant against shocks and temperature changes). The star image in APS-C format is perfect down to the corners of the image. Due to the high light intensity, very short exposure times of less than 30 seconds and low ISO values can be used, as in the image shown below. This accelerates the image acquisition and increases both quality and comfort, since you don't need the perfect aligning of the mount to the celestial pole and don't have to bother with tracking errors and a parallel mounted guiding scope.

The RASA 8 is one of the few instruments that I know that are a very good choice for the ambitious astrophotographer as well as for the beginner. A top price-performance ratio for an extremely fast instrument which shows very fine stars, the RASA 8 is unrivalled. The RASA 8 is one of the best instruments I can imagine to capture large, dim gas nebulae in great detail on the chip.

The Cirrus-Nebula in Cygnus. The area fits completely onto an APS-C-sensor when used with the RASA 8. The exposure time is ca. 70 minutes (141 x 30 s) with a Fujifilm X-T3 (ISO 800) and a Celestron RASA 8. The image was taken at Spicherer Höhe close to Saarbrücken in Germany.