Film Gallery
The pictures below were all taken by fellow amateur astrophotographers (some now pro) using STI focusers. Some photos have even made it into Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazine. I continue to be amazed at what dedicated individuals have been able to accomplish from their backyards. I am truly envious of their skill, patience, experience, time, and luck . I thank each of them for going out of their way to share these wonderful glimpses of the universe. It is a joy to realize there is obviously still hope for all of us to someday capture our own quality delights on film or digitally. -Richard
"Two words! THANK YOU! The Stiletto II worked like a charm!!!! Here is a pic of M27. I scanned it so it isn't near as good as the original print. I am so pleased!!!!! I'll recommend one all my friends and all the people I meet. I still can't believe it! You're the Best!!! I tell you I was ecstatic! I shot three photos Friday Night and all three came out! Can't beat that! I am really happy Richard! It'll be so nice not to have to ever worry about being out of focus again! Thanks!" - John Horsley
"EA!!!, YIPPEE!! FANTASTIC!!, I've finally got some great "FOCUSED" pictures. It takes a little getting used to, but this thing really "WORKS". I must compliment you on a extraordinarily fantastic piece of work. Being a prototype machinist by my original trade and a shop here at my place. It is, simply put, a jewel of a piece! A job well executed." - Wayne Parrish
"I just got to try out the Series II Stiletto focusing aid Saturday night on the first quarter moon. This is a fact: These photos are the sharpest I've taken of the moon "ever". I started doing this in 1978. I work for a camera store." - Jack Estes
"I just wanted to say THANK YOU!! Man, these focusers are a snap to use. I just got back my first roll of film using the Series II for my Nikon. I used it on both my Vixen R200SS and my Sigma 400mm lens and all I can say is WOW! I never thought focusing could be this easy. You've got a great product." - Philip Confalone
"I finally had a few clear nights here for some imaging, so I went on a tear and got quite a few nice images. It was easy to focus with the Stiletto IV and the new screen, even at 3.3. I tested the Stiletto against diffraction spikes and are far as I can tell, you calibrated it perfectly! " - Rob Bensko ( MX7 )
"I used the Series II for the first time on a trip to Terlingua, Texas. It performance was outstanding! Every negative had pin point focus. When I use the STI focuser I find it so easy to get tack sharp stars every time and quickly too. A real joy to use over the old methods I used to focus." - Jim Brownfield
Just wanna let you know that this Sunday, I took a photo with my ultra-portable AP Stowaway(90mm) and used your focuser (I used Antares)....damn it was quick: 10 sec. So quick, I didn't believe it. I went back & forth for another two minutes to confirm. Monday the negatives were printed: dead-on focus !! Yes, by far the quickest and most accurate focuser on the market. Okay, it took another 6 seconds to gently remove the focuser, another 10 seconds to put in my camera case and retrieve the real body, and another 6 seconds to gently align and turn the body into place. When focusing in the past, it took me a minimum of 15 minutes with my OM-1 Varimagnifier...even then, I was never too sure about the focus...due to my astigmatism. That's all history now :) - Jay Ouellet
"I should mention that I did not do any stacking or any fancy imaging processing with these images, but simply performed the basic procedures outlined by Terry Platt in the MXC7 manual. I used the Series III MX7C focuser on a nearby star and then slewed the scope to Jupiter. I think you'll agree that the focuser works very well, so well that I doubt I'll need to get a secondary focuser such as a JMI. Here's one of Saturn. I used the focuser on Aldebaran, slewed to Saturn, and popped in the MX7C. Like the Jupiter pics, this one is not a composite (look, ma, no stacking!) and very little processing was done." -Rob Bensko
"Well I'm very impressed with the focuser, it's cutting down the wasted time trying to refocus the camera. I now have much more time for imaging and I have never been able to produce pictures like these before with a webcam." - Alan Leggett
(Taken with a Meade F10 LX 200 10" and a Vesta SC2 peltier cooled 30x40sec exposures, using a Mogg focal reducer down to F4.5 and Series IV QC focuser.)
"I tried photographing the Swan Nebula (M20) from my garden, in a very light polluted environment. As you see, the focus is perfect (even if my guiding wasn't ...) I'm not in the same league as the pro's, but it's my first marginally successful astro-image, period." - Bruce Dickson
"Someday you might want to stop by my web site and see what your focusers have allowed me to do. Steve Smith Gallery I'm especially pleased with the latest M3 and M51 shots. Thanks for a great product!" - Steve Smith
"I am attaching one of my latest images. Focused with a Stiletto of course!!!!! I am happy to report I have not had a single exposure out of focus after I purchased your focuser. I wouldn't want to do without it." - Anthony Davoli
"Attached are a few shots I took after using the Series IV Stiletto focuser. Since I am quite nearsighted and have astigmatisms, focusing by other means has almost never worked. Your focuser, however, made focusing the camera a breeze!" - Paul Lennous
