Takahashi
MT-130 Review
My first proper
scope was a Tasco 3T-RB Newtonian reflector on an alt-az
yoke mount. I loved it and used it loads in my early teens. I still recall the
thrill of seeing the Moon’s craters, only recently departed by Apollo 14,
with my own eyes.
Back then small
(90-150mm) Newtonians were ubiquitous. Now they’ve largely vanished in
favour of the refractor. Part of the problem was quality.
My little Tasco
3T-RB 76/800 was great, but the next size up – the 11TE - just
wasn’t: the mount was wobbly, the finder couldn’t. The
all-spherical 76/800 had outstanding optics; the 114/900 11TE didn’t.
But what would an
11TE done properly be like? The answer can be found in Takahashi’s MT
series. On review here is the larger of the basic models, the MT-130.
MTs are quite rare
in Europe so this one was imported from Japan as a complete setup. It was
new-old-stock and has a few storage marks but is otherwise unused.
I was curious to compare
a quality Newtonian with a refractor, so throughout this review I compare the
MT-130 with an FS-102, a classic Takahashi fluorite doublet that has the same
focal length making direct comparison easy.
At A Glance
|
Telescope |
MT-130
Newtonian Reflector |
|
Aperture |
130mm |
|
Focal Length |
800 |
|
Focal Ratio |
F6 |
|
Central Obstruction (incl. holder/baffle) |
40mm (30%) |
|
Length |
760mm |
|
Weight |
5.3Kg OTA |
Data from Tak/me.
What’s in the Box?
The MT-130 set as
reviewed here was sold as a complete setup on its EM-1 mount and shipped in
three separate boxes – for the OTA, the tripod and the mount head.
Included are the
tripod and eyepiece tray, the mount with battery box and controller, the OTA
and ring, the finder, a flattener and a pair of eyepieces. It’s
everything you needed to get out and observe or image.
It’s a great
set, with everything of the highest quality. But this would have been an
expensive rig.
Design and Build
Takahashi made two
basic MT models, the MT-100 and the MT-130 on review here. Both were pure
Newtonians (no built-in correctors). Both were supplied on a medium EM-1
equatorial. Both appeared in the Takahashi catalogue from 1983.
Takahashi also made two larger MT models, the MT-160 and MT-200,
but these were better equipped for imaging with focuser rotators and F4.8 reducers included, supplied on larger mounts.
The small MTs were
typical of small equatorial Newtonians from the 1960s through 1990s. Their
basic design is identical to that Tasco 11TE. The difference of course is
quality and that difference isn’t small.
From the internal
finish, to the end castings, the tube ring, the finder and focuser, this is a
beautifully made device. It has all Takahashi’s signature features that
combine beauty with real utility.
The MT series are
long discontinued. Takahashi do still make a trio of Newtonians – the
Epsilons 130, 160 and (theoretically) 180 – but these are fast (~F3) imaging
machines with hyperbolic primaries that require a built-in corrector in the
focuser and secondary obstructions that approach 50%. They’re not ideal
for visual use, unlike the old MT series.
The MT-130 is from a time before digital imaging, a time when blur, b&w and vignetting were all part of the fun.
The MT-130 is like a premium-quality version of the once-ubiquitous
Tasco 11TE-5.
Original 1983 brochure.
Optics
The MT-130 has a
130/800 (F6) parabolic primary (many cheap Newt’s of the era had
spherical primaries) paired with a 40mm (30%) secondary flat. I believe the
mirrors were (most unusually for Japanese production) made in-house and
reputedly to a very high standard.
A central
obstruction of 30% is very usable visually, but still noticeable. You have to
drop to ~20% (possible at F8+) to get truly ‘refractor like’ views.
Noticeable how?
1)
The
secondary shadow can become uncomfortable at very low powers
2)
Performance
is noticeably worse in poor seeing
3)
Contrast
transmission is degraded for the aperture
Note that true
reflectors like the Newtonian bring all wavelengths to the same focus point, so
don’t suffer from the false colour fringing (chromatic aberration) that
plagues refractors (esp. the achromats from this era).
The primary has
push-pull thumb screws for collimation. The secondary has thumb screws too.
Support for both mirrors looks very solid and collimation in this
example is spot-on from the factory despite being shipped across the World.
Tube
The tube is rolled
steel with a spot-welded seam, just like any small Newtonian, but quality of
finish is high and here it seems as if the tube is double walled. The internal
skin in painted a very flat camera black, the outer enamelled in that distinctive
MT colour.
The end rings and
mirror cell are castings as usual (Takahashi started life as a sand casting
company), as is the focuser body, ring and finder mount. Quality of the cast
parts is very fine and contributes much to the overall sense of a premium
product.
All the cast parts
are in finished in the blueish grey coating that was Tak’s signature
finish in the 1980s. It has a smoother, shinier texture than the green and
later blue that replaced it. Some may not like the turquoise-and-grey colour
scheme; personally I love it.
The end rings are
fastened with shiny-chromed dome-headed screws, as is the finder mount. The
secondary spider is attached with knurled knobs that match the push-pull
adjusters on the mirror cell. Again, all the fittings have a quality feel.
The end cap is made
of pressed steel in that same grey finish and is thoughtfully provided with a
handle.
Both internal and
external build and finish are flawless and the overall sense is that the MT-130
was hand-crafted with real care. I’ve seen slightly rough castings on
some early Noughties Tak’s, but not here.
The MT-130 came with a 0.965” eyepiece holder, but a 1.25”
threads straight on (shown with Tele Vue Plössl).
Focuser
The focuser is
classic a Takahashi rack and pinion unit, with a cast body and drawtube, a very
progressive lock-knob on top and the those signature silver anodised wheels (in
this case the proper cast ones, not the plastic imitations found on the FC-60, for
example).
The single-speed
action is super-smooth and precise as usual, but the absolute focus snap had me
wanting a fine focuser at high powers.
The 60mm diameter
drawtube is finely ridge-baffled and blacked internally, ends in (I think) an
M53 thread. Travel is very short at just 20mm, but sufficient for all
Tak’s 0.965” Orthos, and most 1.25”
eyepieces with a 1.25” visual back fitted (see accessories section).
The MT-CRT
flattener threads straight onto the bare end of the drawtube for a very secure
and orthogonal connection.
Mounting
The MT-130 is
heavier than most small Newtonians – thanks to all those cast parts - so
needs a medium mount. Since it shipped as a set, I’ll make a some notes
about the EM-1 mount.
The EM-1 head has
the standard pair of M6 bolt-holes at 35mm separation, so you could bolt on
most Takahashi rings. The EM-1 holds the MT-130 securely enough, but needs the
supplied 5Kg weight at nearly full extension on the bar, ditto for an FS-102
4” refractor.
The EM-1 is
somewhere between the old-skool design of a P2Z and a
more recent EM-11. The RA motor is internal like an EM-11, but the slo-mo drive gears are external. Similarly, the friction
clamp to lock the RA axis is internal with a lever atop the RA housing, but
external on the declination like a P2Z.
Switching between
RA slo-mo and motor drive takes a twist on the
knurled silver clutch knob (its finish matches the focuser wheels –
nice). The super-chunky slo-mo knobs match the one on
the ring and are just perfect for gloved hands in the dark.
The supplied
battery box takes four D cells and the hand controller just offers two buttons
– one for faster, the other for stop. There is an internal polar scope,
accessed by the threaded cover like other Tak’ mounts. The polar-scope
light is internal with brightness adjustment from the control panel. The mount
tracks well once properly aligned and didn’t seem fussy about minor
unbalance across the RA axis.
The tripod features
fixed-length wooden legs and a cast top that attaches to the mount by a single
threaded knob. There is a nice central tray, but the eyepiece holes are
0.965” only.
Overall, the EM-1
is hugely superior to the kind of equatorial that typically shipped with a
Tasco, both in build quality and function. However, despite the solid wooden
tripod and hefty castings, vibes take several seconds to damp and a heavier
mount like an EM200 might be a better bet for serious imaging.
EM-1 can be used with any smaller Takahashi - here with an FS-102N.
Accessories
The MT-130 shipped
with the black accessory box typical of 1980s and 90s Takahashis. Inside are
the usual pair of eyepieces 0.965” Takahashi MC (for multi-coated and
they are) Orthoscopic eyepieces – a 25mm and 7mm (giving 32x and 114x
respectively) - and an MT-CRT flattener for photography.
Takahashi’s
MC Orthos are good eyepieces. Quality is on a whole
other level compared with the type of thing you got shipped with a Tasco, or
even a Vixen of the same era. However, a Takahashi 1.25” eyepiece holder
threads straight on to allow a much broader choice. I found a Tele
Vue 25mm Plössl was a great match.
But what about modern widefield eyepieces?
These have the advantage of a built-in barlow that naturally helps kill the field curvature. I
tried a 3.7mm Ethos, a 5mm Nagler Type 6 and (!) a super-high-end 12.5mm Nikon
NAV I had on loan. All focused fine. The NAV surprised with a great
edge-to-edge sharp and bright view at 64x.
The 1.3x MT-CRT flattener
threads directly into the end of the drawtube (on a male M53 thread?) and has a
T-2 thread at the other end for easy connection to a camera. I believe an F4.7
reducer was available, but wasn’t included in the set.
The included finder
is Takahashi’s 6x30 that sets the standard for small optical finders: it
gives a great view and has plenty of eye relief. Just don’t confuse it
with the similarly excellent but much smaller 5x25 unit that shipped with their
smaller refractors. In any case you’ll want to look after the finder
– you won’t find a replacement in that colour!
The MT-130 comes with a pair of 0.965” MC Orthoscopics, but modern
eyepieces work well, even this Nikon NAV!
MT-CRT 1.3x extender/flattener is included, threads onto the drawtube
with no spacers or adapters needed.
In Use – Daytime
Most small refractors
can do double duty as a daytime spotter, but the MT-130 is too large and
won’t focus much closer than ~100m. That’s a shame because daytime
views are bright, super sharp and (of course) completely free from false colour
fringing. I enjoyed watching a pair of Jackdaws on a TV aerial about 300m away.
In Use – Astrophotography
The included MT-CRT
flattener increases focal length by about 30% from 800mm to ~1060mm, F6 to ~F8.2.
It kills the severe field curvature and coma suffered by fast Newtonian optics.
Unfortunately, I
found the MT-CRT flawed in use. It was presumably designed for 35mm film
cameras, so it’s odd that vignetting is quite severe with my full-frame
Canon EOS. This seems to be a limitation of the lens group diameter, which is
quite small at ~23mm.
Vignetting
isn’t the only problem. Stars are still slightly distorted in the
corners. And while lack of false colour or violet bloat should be a major
advantage for a reflector, the MT-CRT introduces some of both on brighter O-A
stars. It is however multi-coated and didn’t produce any internal
reflections.
The central part of the frame appears well
corrected and sharp. The image of the Moon below, taken with the MT-CRT in
quite poor seeing, surprised me. It is similar to one taken with an FS-102 on
the same night. Instead of my usual straight-from-the -camera snap, I thought
it would be fun to process it to look like an emulsion photo pushed during
development, like the 1983 MT-100 brochure cover shot above (I still had a
darkroom in 1983 and used to do this).
Note: I’ll
update with better deep-sky images when I can get the MT-130 under dark skies.
The basic
Newtonian optics of the MT-130 are good, but the MT-CRT flattener is best used
with smaller sensors.
Full-frame starfield taken through light pollution demonstrates
vignetting and some off-axis distortion.
Snap of the Moon taken with the MT-CRT. Processed for fun to look like
the MT series brochure cover!
In Use – Observing the Night Sky
General Observing Notes
The focuser is
typical Takahashi – super smooth and precise with no shift. The wide
drawtube and short travel give great stability. Focus is very snappy,
indicating high quality optics as expected. Focus point so fine that I almost
wished for a fine focus knob.
Now we discover why
Tak’ equipped the Mt-130 with that massive ring and oversized clamp knob.
The eyepiece of a Newt’ ends up all over the place when equatorially
mounted and you frequently need to rotate the tube. The chunky knob and smooth action,
progressive clamping make that easy and secure. It’s then very easy for
me to get a comfortable eyepiece position for objects at a range of altitudes.
Unlike most optical
finders, the Takahashi 6x30 is actually useful and will help find things too
faint for a red-dot finder.
Cool Down
I don’t know
if the mirror is Pyrex or basic plate-glass, but at this aperture glass mass is
low and cooldown fast.
Star Test
The star test is
good, with very similar diffraction rings either side of focus.
The Moon
A waning 19-day
gibbous Moon is sharp and detailed through the MT-130, even at just 32x with
the supplied 25mm MC Ortho.
At 160x with a 5mm
T6 Nagler, I got excellent views of prominent craters Theophilus, Cyrillus and
Catherina (my favourite grouping through that childhood Tasco and all early Christians
– 2 bishops and a saint - from Alexandria in case you were wondering) in
the south and distinctive Posidonius, with its central crater and rille, in the
north.
Jupiter
Excellent views of
Jupiter at 160x with a 5mm Nagler: perfect focus snap and no issues with
blurring or unfocused light around the limb. I noted several fine belts and
subtle variation in the central belts too. I just managed to spot the GRS.
Overall, the view
was similar to my 92mm AP Stowaway refractor’s, but with slightly lower
contrast.
Mars
Mars at 10.7”
on the way towards the January 2025 opposition was still low in the sky. Even
so, it was a good view at 160x with a Nagler 5mm - excellent colour
transmission and a sharply defined gibbous disk with hints of albedo detail
– Mare Acidalium - when the seeing settled.
Mars can be a
difficult object for refractors, even “apochromatic” ones intended
for imaging that perform poorly in the red; reflectors have a big advantage
here.
Saturn
With its rings now closing
fast, Saturn is more challenging than it once was. Even so it’s a good
view through the MT-130 at 160x, with hints of the polar hood, gap between the
ring and planet.
Direct
comparison with an FS-102 suggests lunar and planetary views are on a slightly
lower level, perhaps like that through a fine ~80mm-90mm refractor, but with
worse sensitivity to seeing (see optics section).
Deep Sky
The view of M42 was
great, even in moonlight, with plenty of structure in the nebulosity and hints
of colour and a nice split of the trapezium at 32x with a 25mm Tele Vue Plössl. Staying in
Orion, I split Rigel (just) in poor seeing, but with the diffraction spikes
from the secondary spider getting in the way compared to the refractors I’m used
to.
The Pleiades just
fitted in the field at 32x with the 25mm Plössl and looked brilliantly glittery the way
only fine optics deliver them.
Summary
The MT-130 setup
remains an excellent starter set today, with everything you need and nothing
you don’t: properly designed and executed to make it easy and pleasurable
to use. The MT-130 is the scope the Tasco 11TE should have been. But then you
can’t pick one up on EBay for fifty quid!
It’s a rig
that will show you a lot, too – Moon planets and deep sky. You can also
plug in a modern DSLR and start imaging with the supplied flattener, but
it’s not up to modern standards if you want to get more serious.
This comes from the
pre-goto era and you’d have to learn to align
the mount and finder, but those are great skills to acquire anyway.
The
MT-130 is one of those scopes that’s just right: it is easy to use, gives
great views and decent images even today. Highly recommended and not just for
Tak’ collectors!
