Comparison - With and Without a Focal Reducer

This is a followup to a previous post, How Do Focal Reducers Work!  In this post, I have compared images collected of the same object with the exact same setup except one set the focal reducer was used and one it was not used.

So the galaxy NGC 2903 was imaged in 2019 and again in 2020 with the following equipment acquisition time:

Date: 2019

Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Focal Length: 805mm, f/7
Focal Reducer: Astro-Tech 0.8x Focal Reducer/Field Flattener for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO EFW 8x 1.25"
Filter: ZWO R, G, B, L
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: L 57 x 90, R 40 x 90, G 39 x 90, B 38 x 90

Gain: 139
Offset 21
Temp: -10 C

Date: 2020
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Focal Length: 805mm f/7
Focal Reducer: HoTech Self-Guiding Field Flattener for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: ZWO L, R, G, B
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: L 58 x 90s, R 41 x 90s, G 39 x 90s, B 42 x 90s
Gain: 139
Offset 21
Temp: -15 C 

For this comparison, I just used the RGB data after it was combined and I applied automatic background extraction.  I then used star alignment and dynamic crop to size up for comparison.  As was expected, the data collected with the focal reducer was brighter, however, the data collected without the focal reducer did appear to show slightly finer detail.  This is only one set of data taken a year apart so not sure how valid it is but it is a start.

    Left side (2019)                                Right side (2020)

The Following is a recent video discussing what focal reducers do!