William Optics Pleiades 181
William Optics
William Optics Pleiades 181 is a 181 mm Seven-element APO astrograph for deeper refractor imaging, smaller galaxies, and high-quality visual observing.
Best Current Offer
Other retailers
- $19,998.00
High Point Scientific (In stock)
- $19,998.00
Mile High Astronomy (In stock)
Specifications
Optics
- Optical design
- Seven-element APO astrograph
- Aperture
- 181 mm
- Focal length
- 998 mm
- Focal ratio
- f/5.5
- Dawes limit
- 0.64"
- Glass / elements
- 7-element astrograph with three Super ED elements
Imaging
- Image circle
- 55 mm
- Camera format
- Medium format / full frame / APS-C / Micro 4/3
- Full-frame coverage
- Yes
- Back focus
- No flattener required; M68, M54, and M48 camera adapters included
- Corrected field
- Native medium-format flat field
Mechanical
- Focuser
- 4.1-inch rack-and-pinion focuser
- Weight
- 15 kg / 33.07 lb
- Tube length
- 1231-1496 mm
- Dovetail
- Losmandy-style dovetail
Astrophotography Fit
Best for deeper refractor imaging, smaller galaxies, and high-quality visual observing when the mount, camera format, and correction hardware are chosen as one system.
William Optics Pleiades 181 sits in the telescope slot for deeper refractor imaging, smaller galaxies, and high-quality visual observing. The useful headline specs are aperture 181 mm, focal length 998 mm, f/5.5.
Camera coverage: Medium format / full frame / APS-C / Micro 4/3. Image circle: 55 mm. Back focus: No flattener required; M68, M54, and M48 camera adapters included.
Refractors keep the field routine calmer: no regular collimation, predictable cooldown, and a clean path to autofocus and filtered imaging. The tradeoff is aperture and reach.
Weight matters here: 15 kg / 33.07 lb. Leave payload headroom for the camera, guider, focuser, dew control, and cables instead of judging the mount by bare tube weight alone.
Best paired with
- Corrected field flattener or reducer when the design requires one
- Cooled APS-C or smaller astro cameras matched to the image circle
- Autofocus, guide scope or OAG, and a mount with comfortable payload margin
Not recommended for
- Large full-frame sensors unless the corrected field supports them
- Very small travel mounts near their realistic imaging payload limit
- Buyers expecting one telescope to be ideal for every target size
Where To Buy
Some links on this page are affiliate links. Prices and availability are pulled automatically from each retailer and updated daily.
| Retailer | Price | Availability | View Offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Break Optics Cloud Break Optics | $19,998.00 | In stock Updated 8/5/2026 | View Offer - $19,998.00 |
| High Point Scientific High Point Scientific | $19,998.00 | In stock Updated 8/5/2026 | View Offer - $19,998.00 |
| Mile High Astronomy Mile High Astronomy | $19,998.00 | In stock Updated 8/4/2026 | View Offer - $19,998.00 |
Price History
Chronological retailer pricing with out-of-stock points shown at reduced opacity.