William Optics + ZWO

Zenithstar 61 with the ASI2600MC Pro

Exact
22.0 mmof spacers

between the corrector and the sensor, for 56.0 mm of back focus.

22.0 mm of spacers puts the Zenithstar 61 with the ASI2600MC Pro exactly on target.

Assumes the William Optics FLAT 61R (0.8× reducer) between the two.

The imaging train

Imaging train from sensor to corrector, 56.0 mm total: ASI2600MC Pro 17.5 mm, M42-M42 (T2) Extender 21mm 21.0 mm, M42 fine adjustment ring 1.0mm 1.0 mm, M42 (T2) to M48 Extender 16.5mm 16.5 mm.sensorFLAT 61RASI2600MC Pro — 17.5 mmASI2600MC Pro17.5 mmM42-M42 (T2) Extender 21mm — 21.0 mmM42-M42 (T2) Extender…21.0 mmM42 fine adjustment ring 1.0mm — 1.0 mm1.0 mmM42 (T2) to M48 Extender 16.5mm — 16.5 mm · M42→M48M42 (T2) to M48 Exten…16.5 mm · M42→M4856.0 mmHover or tap a part for its full spec
Drawn to scale, sensor plane to corrector. Total 56.0 mm — the required back focus for this pairing.

Where this number comes from

The William Optics FLAT 61R does not have a single back focus figure — it depends on the telescope it is fitted to. On the Zenithstar 61, William Optics specify 56.0 mm. That is the distance from the back of the corrector to your sensor, and it is what everything below is working towards.

The ASI2600MC Pro contributes 17.5 mm of that on its own — sensor to front face. Its M42 thread does not meet the corrector's M48 directly, so the ZWO M42 (T2) to M48 Extender 16.5mm bridges them and adds 16.5 mm. Together that is 34.0 mm, leaving 22.0 mm for spacers.

21.0 mm + 1.0 mm comes to exactly 22.0 mm, so this combination lands on target with nothing left over.

What to buy

PartLengthThreads
ZWO M42-M42 (T2) Extender 21mm
BuyAgena Astro · US · also Teleskop-Express (EU)
21.0 mmM42
Astrodymium M42 fine adjustment ring 1.0mm
BuyAgena Astro · US
1.0 mmM42
ZWO M42 (T2) to M48 Extender 16.5mm
BuyAgena Astro · US · also Teleskop-Express (EU)
16.5 mmM42 → M48
Corrector to camera38.5 mm56.0 mm − 17.5 mm camera = 38.5 mm needed

Links to retailers are affiliate links. They cost you nothing and they pay for this site. They do not affect which parts are recommended — the stack above is whatever lands closest to target.

What you get

Focal length
288 mm at f/4.7 (from 360 mm native)
Sampling
2.69″/px
Field of view
4.67° × 3.12°
Sensor
23.5 × 15.7 mm, 3.76 µm pixels

Where to buy this setup

Where to buy the ZWO ASI2600MC Pro

Affiliate link — they may earn this site a commission and change nothing above. No prices shown: this site is static, and a stale price is worse than none.

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Sources and caveats

ZWO publish "Back focus distance 17.5mm" for the ASI2600MC Pro without stating whether that figure includes the adapter supplied in the box. We use it exactly as published, which is correct for the camera in the configuration it is sold in. If you have removed or added an adapter at the camera end, adjust accordingly.

We have not recorded the thread gender of every part listed above. The lengths are right; check that the faces actually mate before ordering.

Every figure on this page was read from the manufacturer’s own documentation and last checked in September 2026. Manufacturers revise them — ZWO and QHY both have, mid-model — so that date is part of the answer.

Check these figures against your own manuals before buying. If something here is wrong, tell us and we will fix it.

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