Takahashi
Focuser and Accessory Colours
Three
Takahashi colours – grey, classic green and blue - in one setup, for
comparison.
Here I
describe the range of Takahashi focuser and accessory (rings, finder mounts
etc) paint colours (the ones I’m aware of – there may be more) roughly in
chronological order, with examples where possible at the end.
(Got a
Takahashi with a different colour? Send me a pic!)
Black
Traditional
smooth black graced the earliest Taks, like the TS-65
and some FC-65s, for both focuser and (in gloss) the lens ring. Black, with a
textured surface like other later colours, has re-surfaced in recent special
editions like the 1st edition FC-100DL (second-run FC-100DL have standard
lime green or pale blue focusers). Special livery FS-60s issued for Tak’s 80th anniversary have black focusers too.
Blue-grey
Seen in 1980s
models, including triplets like the FCT-76 and doublets like the FC-65 and early
FC-50s. Also found on other 1980s era Tak’s,
including the larger models (FC-76, FC-100, FC-125).This finish is glossier than later
colours and may be a traditional enamel vs powder coat.
I now believe
that the FC-60 was never produced in this colour because it was introduced
later than the other FC models.
Metallic (‘Hammerite’) blue
A mid
metallic blue that reminds of ‘Hammerite’ is sometimes
found on larger early FCs, like the FC-125. It seems to have been used for
accessories too, but must be pretty rare as I’ve never encountered this colour
personally.
Lime Green
For many
years this was the Takahashi colour and is the most common, found on
a wide range of scopes including the later original FC-series FS-series and
mounts too. Interestingly, some scopes including the FC-50, FC-76 and FC-100
can be found in both this colour scheme and the earlier blue-grey because they
were produced for a long time.
Gloss Royal
Blue
Later FS
series scopes have gloss blue lens rings (earlier examples had green to match
the focuser like the FC-series). This colour is never found on focusers and
accessories, as far as I know.
Pale Blue
This is
Takahashi’s current colour at the time of writing (late 2022).
In around
2016 Tak’ switched to a bluer shade, in a move that
meant my PM-SP mount has an annoying combination of the two (see above). Classic
Taks (FCs, FSs) never came in this colour.
Silver
Some recent Tak’s have silver lens rings and caps and sometimes the
focuser ring (see FC-100DZ below) too.
Tube Colours
Regular
production tubes are off-white, except the Epsilon series, which have orange
tubes. Some 80th anniversary FS-60s are to be found with silver or
dark metallic blue as a tube finish.
Examples
‘Hammerite’ metallic
blue – 1980s?
Blue-grey on
a 1980s FC-50.
Classic Tak’ lime green on a c. 2007 TSA-102.
New light
blue with silver ring on a 2020 FC-100DZ.
New black on a c. 2012 FC-100DL (stock Tak’
image).
Stock tube colour is a creamy white, apart from the orange
Epsilon series and some special editions.