The Widescreen Centre

The Widescreen Centre: astronomy and telescope retail since 1971

The Widescreen Centre presents itself as a UK specialist in astronomy and telescope equipment, a role it dates back to 1971. Its activity combines an online shop with a showroom in Cambridgeshire, where customers can see equipment and receive advice. The catalogue is broad and covers both entry-level observing and advanced astrophotography, with a strong emphasis on branded instruments and components.

Telescopes for every level, from children's models to observatory instruments

The telescope range is organised by user profile and budget. It includes smart telescopes, beginners' telescopes, children's telescopes, models under £200 and computerised telescopes, alongside dedicated solar observing equipment. Among the brands listed are Celestron, Sky-Watcher, Meade, Takahashi, TeleVue, Vixen, Explore Scientific, Bresser, Altair Astro, APM, Askar, Borg, DWARFLAB, Founder Optics, Intes-Micro, Nakoh, Officina Stellare, Orion Optics UK, PlaneWave Instruments, Questar, SharpStar, StellaLyra, StellaMira, Tecnosky, Unistellar, Vaonis, WideSky, William Optics, Ylena and ZWO.

Celestron models are broken down into families such as Origin Home Observatory, StarSense Explorer, Nexstar Evolution, Advanced VX, CGX and CGX-L equatorial telescopes, CPC, NexStar SE and SLT, Astro FI, Inspire, AstroMaster, optical tube assemblies, RASA astrographs, Ambassador and FirstScope. Sky-Watcher appears with Heritage and tabletop models, AZ-GTi, AZ-Go2 and Star Discovery WiFi GoTo systems, SynScan AZ GoTo, manual AZ5 and Pronto, Starquest, Dobsonian reflectors, dual-speed parabolic reflectors, Evostar ED and EDX refractors, short tube refractors, Esprit triplet APO refractors, Newtonian and Maksutov-Newtonian reflectors, Maksutov telescopes and solar telescopes. The catalogue also lists auto-tracking telescopes and Helios brass refractors.

Mounts, tripods and control systems

For mounting and tracking, the store stocks Sky-Watcher, Celestron, Vixen, WarpAstron, Explore Scientific, Fornax LighTrack, Omegon, ZWO, Pegasus Astro, Avalon Instruments, HOBYM Observatory, 10 Micron, PlaneWave, TeleVue, Software Bisque, Intes-Micro, iOptron, Artesky and Primaluce Lab mounts. The selection covers equatorial, alt-azimuth and harmonic drive (strain wave) mounts, tracking platforms, control units, piers, extension tubes and pillars, Astrotrac, Berlebach tripods, motor drives and controllers, mount accessories, counterweights, polarscopes, equatorial wedges, navigational power supplies and tripods with their accessories.

Solar observation and optical accessories

Solar observing has its own section, with Lunt H-alpha solar telescopes, double-stacked telescopes, H-alpha solar filters, blocking diagonals, adapter plates, Ca-K solar telescopes and modules, DayStar Quark eyepiece filters, Daystar H-alpha solar telescopes, Sky-Watcher and Acuter solar telescopes, DayStar H-alpha ION filters, Quantum SE and PE series, solar C+D-ERF filters, white light filters, Herschel prisms, accessories for solar observing, Lunt and Coronado solar eyepieces, Lunt dovetail bars, solarscopes, card models and sundials.

The eyepiece and barlow range includes Tele Vue (DeLite, Delos, Ethos, Nagler, Nagler Zoom, Panoptic, Apollo, Plossl, barlow lenses, Powermates, eyepiece bags, DIOPTRX astigmatism corrector, 2''-1.25'' adapters and accessories), William Optics, Explore Scientific, Baader, Celestron, Sky-Watcher and OVL, Founder Optics, StellaLyra, Teleskop Service, APM, Vixen, Vernonscope, Takahashi, Omegon, Sky Rover, Masuyama, electronic eyepieces, Pentax super-wide angle eyepieces, Lunt and Coronado solar eyepieces, zoom eyepieces, specialist eyepieces, reticle eyepieces, Ronchi eyepieces, binoviewers, eyepiece and accessory sets, eyepiece bags and cases, 2-1¼ adapters, eyepiece clamps and eyepiece accessories.

General accessories listed include adapters, rings and collars, astroimaging cameras, autoguiders, Bahtinov focusing masks, binoviewers, books and software, cases and bags, cloud sensor/weather stations, collimating tools, coma correctors, counterweights, dew control systems, diagonals and prisms, education kits, extension tubes and bars, eyepieces and barlows, filters, filter wheels and sliders, finderscopes, flat field panels, flip mirrors, focusers, focusing masks, guidescopes, guidescope mounts, Hyperstar, motor drives and controllers, mounting hardware (including William Optics and Primaluce Lab PLUS hardware), mounting plates and dovetail bars, saddle plates, dual mounting bars, adapter pucks, tube rings, ADM guidescope rings, dovetail bases for finderscopes, finder brackets, navigational equipment, observatories and domes, off axis guiders, optics cleaning, Paracorr, Pegasus Astro, photographic accessories, polarscopes, power supplies, Primaluce Lab accessories and control units, red torches and lasers, reducers, flatteners and correctors, scientific instruments, smartphone adapters, solar observing equipment, spectrographs, Starizona accessories, Telegizmos telescope covers, universal filter changers and ZWO accessories.

Astrophotography, filters and imaging

The astrophotography section covers cameras from ZWO, Atik, Starlight Xpress, QHY, Altair Astro, Sky-Watcher, QSI, Moravian Instruments, SBIG, Celestron, Imaging Source and Orion USA, together with autoguiders, guidescopes, guidescope mounts, off axis guiders, Hyperstar, reducers, flatteners and correctors, coma correctors, Paracorr, Bahtinov focusing masks, flat field panels, photographic accessories, smartphone adapters, books and DVDs, image processing DVDs and tutorials, astronomy software and DVDs, telescopes and equipment, sky maps and atlases, and astrophotography books and DVDs.

Filters are available from Altair Astro, Antlia, Askar, Astronomik, Baader, Chroma, Gerd Neumann, IDAS, Omegon, Optolong, Pegasus Astro, Tele Vue, ZWO and Atik, including filter wheels. The catalogue distinguishes imaging filters (Orion USA, Celestron, OVL) from visual filters (Orion USA, OVL and Celestron), and adds Baader UFC universal filter changers, filter wheels and sliders, filter accessories, solar filters and energy rejection filters.

Binoculars, spotting scopes and other optical equipment

Beyond astronomy, the store lists binoculars from Celestron, Helios, Swarovski Optik, Hawke, Bresser, Sky Rover, Opticron, Barr and Stroud, Vixen, APM, Kowa, Omegon and Founder Optics, with categories for wide field, pocket, stabilized and astronomical binoculars, solar observing with binoculars, binocular accessories, and buying guides for astronomy, birdwatching, safari, mid-priced, budget, giant and observation binoculars, as well as opera glasses. It also offers spotting scopes (including Maksutov), spotting scope accessories, monoculars, night vision, thermal imaging, compasses, microscopes (digital, student, laboratory, stereoscopic, prepared slides and accessories), tripods, magnifiers, books and lens caps.

Projection, film and 3D

The projection and film area includes 3D and screens, front projection screens, STUMPFL mobile frame, crank drive, electric, spring roller and fixed frame screens, custom made screens, pull-up screens, pelmet de-luxe, pull down economy electric screens, fixed frame screens, tripod screens, tabletop screens, rear projection screens, specialist dual and 3D screens, slide and document projectors, slide scanners, projection tables, slide viewers, slides, mounting accessories, slide magazines and storage, 3D glasses, 3D viewers, beam splitters, slide bars, 3D cameras and camcorders, projectors, lamps, JVC digital projectors, Super 8 film, 16 mm film, film splicing, Super 8 and Standard 8 reels, film cleaning, projectors, lamps, projectors drive belts, digital stock, pocket video cameras, offers, gift vouchers and clearance.

Advice, support and showroom

The company presents expert advice and customer support as part of its service, and invites customers to contact it by phone or email for help choosing a first telescope. It also publishes a blog, news and events, new product announcements, an astro glossary and guides such as best telescopes for beginners, best telescopes to see planets and how to use a telescope. The Cambridgeshire showroom allows customers to visit in person. The site lists brands including Cambridge University, Damian Peach, Philip's Books, Pulsar Observatories, ScopeDome, SeeStar, Simulation Curriculum, Starpoint Australis, Telrad and Kendrick Astro Instruments, among many others.