At that price point, it couldnt compete with other 5-element devices like Erfle and Nagler eyepieces that had better performance. It also produces an erect image, meaning you see what youre viewing rather than seeing everything upside down or sideways as some types do. Good value. Was compairing the Apertura standard 15mm Plossl with their 15mm super wide angle eyepiece (70 afov). These eyepieces have about 35 to 50 degrees apparent fields of view and reasonable eye relief, though quite short for high magnifications. I have a 4 element (traditional) and a 5 element 32mm Meade, both from the same era in Japan, and the 5 element is much better by quite a bit. They deliver sharp images in almost all telescopes.
Best Telescope Eyepieces For Viewing Planets [Top 8 Picks For document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Stargazing Help came into existence when some young minds got mesmerized by outer space while camping. 4. My most used eyepiece is an 8-24 mm zoom. I want these as possible as wide, magnification and astrophotography purpose.
Telescope Eyepieces | Orion Telescopes: Shop But with 2 eyepieces and a Barlow, you have the full effective range of your telescope. Most people will be fairly comfortable with eye relief of 12 mm or higher. Why not go back to the people who sold you the scope and get their help. Youd have to look into more complex designs which include a barlow lens, or simply use a longer focal length eyepiece with a quality barlow. In general terms, the higher the AFOV number, the more the eyepiece will cost. Yes, the wider field of view of a Plossl is very helpful, but 40 degrees of Kellners isnt a soda straw (unless you are used to looking through very wide field eyepiece. It uses two symmetrical pairs of glass elements (one convex and one concave) to pass the light. For the price, I think the eyepiece is still a good pick. Consider something between 35 and 40 mm in focal length with an AFOV of 65 degrees or wider for your lowest power eyepiece for your telescope. The 21mm is simply amazing, I can't believe that TV decided to discontinue this little gem, it is better than the newer version in every category including eye comfort, the overall shape along with fit and finish is one of the best from TV. The bottom line is that it is best to have several magnification choices so you can optimize the view. That is a really interesting picture. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Orion+Q70&ref=nb_sb_noss_2, Understanding Telescope Eyepieces- There are recommendations, based on budget, So you ended up with: Orion Q70 38 mm works well. The longer FL Plossls (>15mm) have some distinct advantages over more complex designs without the major disadvantage of Plossls which is short ER. The zoom can be used with any 1.25 focuser too. Plossl eyepieces are often included in better telescope packages as the starter eyepieces. You can build a full set of these with good results, but be aware of eye relief, especially if you wear glasses. Omni 12mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. (Svbonys Plossls, for example, are optically identical to Orions Sirius Plossls). Since it's such a popular eyepiece and allows for quality, planet-viewing, that makes it a great instrument for attracting newcomers to the hobby, especially children. For astronomical observations, such as viewing craters on the moons surface from Earth, high-magnification models are preferred because they offer more detail.
Omni Eyepieces | Celestron No, adapters are not needed but they may come in handy when you want to change the focal length or add other lenses such as filters or Barlow lenses. An Austrian inventor Georg Simon Plossl came up with the Plossl eyepiece design in 1860. Lower power almost always looks better than higher power. Yes, Plossl eyepieces are some of the most popular with amateurs and professionals alike. These Astromania Plossl eyepieces provide a good way to do exactly that without breaking the bank, and this is what I love about them: they're an affordable way to significantly upgrade your telescopes. I hope I can say that someday. Outstanding job Jack. Jupiter and Saturn are low in the sky now. This type of eyepiece provides you with wide-field views without any distortion due to its use as an achromatic lens system which reduces chromatic aberrations by combining two lenses made from different types of glass materials together on each surface. 2019-2023 Little Astronomy. https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8829-Wide-Field-Telescope-Eyepiece/dp/B000M89H7C/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Orion+Q70&qid=1606584502&sr=8-2, The Explore Scientific 68 degree series would be better but at a much higher price. I often recommend it. Generally, to maximize the number of stars you see in an eyepiece with a given telescope, both the magnification and field of view should be maximized. Some people have more than 6 and some have as few as 3. Some accept 2 and have an adapter that allows you to also use 1.25. I have an SCT and my eyepiece case only hasPlssls (and one Ortho) in it. Kellners can be as little as half the price of a Plossl in the same focal length, but they are generally very comparable, especially in recent years as telescope prices have fluctuated in response to changing supply chains and demand. I consider the Plossl to be the minimum standard for a good eyepiece. So we say that an F5 scope benefits from better corrected eyepieces more than the F10 scope. For what it is worth, a slow scope like your CPC9.25 (f/10?) But those EPs mentioned were all great too! These are the workhorse eyepieces of today. You mentioned regarding ORTHO eyepieces: Excellent specialty eyepieces, usually for planets. 130 mm scope will have a max of 260X for planning purposes. So, for your 30 mm, 82/60 = 1.36 degrees. When you use a Barlow lens with an eyepiece, you get the magnification, but the eye relief is not affected. In most cases, these are eyepieces that are focused on wider AFOV or better correction for low focal ratio scopes. It may very well last you a lifetime and in the long term, you will definitely consider it to be a worthwhile investment. I loved my Baader Mark-IV 8mm-24mm Zoom+Barlow combo in my 8" EdgeHD. If money is not a concern, you cant go wrong with Tele Vue eyepieces, any Tele Vue eyepieces. In our example, we targeted 200X as the top magnification. Eyepiece Field of View Simulator astronomy.tools Field of View Simulator Change Telescope Reset Change Target Add Equipment I have just one Meade product currently and that is a series 4000 1.25 inch UHC type filter which I use for outreach. To achieve six magnifications, you can have six eyepieces. While many people will stay with and add Plossls to their eyepiece set, I would recommend not going below 10 mm focal length as the eye relief gets quite short. Our previous exchange convinced me to start out with an 80mm refractor. condition as described, a good transaction. The ES is actually slightly cheaper than the Orion but my understanding from your reviews and replies is that ES might actually be the better eyepiece have I got that right? This is why we recommend you try to locate the object first at low power, then use a higher magnification if you likethe wider field of view on the sky provides more context in terms of asterisms and reference stars and makes it more likely that youll catch the object you are looking for. Meade telescope maksutov eyepiece ETX-105EC Super Plossl 6.4mm 1.25" w capsule. A 15mm Plssl might be worth it, if you dont wear glasses. These eyepieces are technically called Symmetrics, since Plossls can have different focal lengths for each doublet, but they are always marketed as Plossl. This is the link to the eyepiece I am looking at potentially buying, would you recommend this over the Orion one or vice versa do you think? Looking forward to first use. You can find the eyepieces I use and recommend in this article. Meanwhile, Plossl eyepieces are much more common and easy to find.
New and used eyepieces + 2 diagonals - Updated For the $66/$42 of these kits, you can get one or two decent eyepieces (depending on where you buy). Not really. This is a fairly inexpensive zoom that I wanted to try. I expect such eyepieces are available but I have never seen or used one. High-quality Plssl eyepieces provide high contrast and sharpness across the entire field of view. No results, please adjust your filters.
TeleVue Naglers, Plossl and Powermates | Astromart By the 1980s, amateur astronomy equipment suppliers were still selling new telescopes with Huygens and Ramsden eyepieces, not merely because they were cheap but because they lacked internal reflections.
This is my all-time favorite eyepiece and the one I use more than all the others put together. But some people demand the very best, and it is available, at a price. Ive read reviews about my scope. The category is over $300 and some of these are way over $300. They are usable, but your eye will be extremely close to the top lens glass. As Im sure you know, a Barlow actually narrows the cone of light that enters the eyepiece, hence it affects the apparent focal length and thus the f/ratio of the telescope objective.
Plossl vs Super Plossl Eyepieces. Which One is Better? - Little Astronomy These eyepiecesproduce a 'standard apparent feld of view' of between 50 and 56 with most set at around 52. This is your Lexus, Acura, and Infinity types that offer more features, better build, and a bit more polish. In this article, we will only focus on the differences between Plossl and Kellner eyepieces. Gold line eyepieces are available in 6mm, 9mm, 15mm, and 20mm focal lengths. Understanding and using a Barlow Lens And, the quality of the eyepiece clearly comes into play here. I need some eyepieces with long FL for low magnifications. Compared with a zoomable telescope eyepiece, they are pretty much the same in terms of the quality of the image. Plossls tend to come with large, ground-standing Dobsonians, whereas youre more likely to find a Kellner sold with a tabletop Dobsonian. I possess an embarrassing array of fine eyepieces with names like Ethos and Nagler and Delos. This Super Plossl design was better than regular Plossl eyepieces, but not by much. They include links to them where they can be ordered. Disclosure - If you buy something via our link, we may earn a commission with no additional expense to you. These tend to run toward the more expensive price range. But I think you will feel more confident about your purchases and be less likely to be disappointed if you read through the guide. I possess an embarrassing array of fine eyepieces with names like Ethos and Nagler and Delos. Offering a wide 52 apparent field of view, these 10mm, 17mm, and 25mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepieces provide extremely sharp images of impressively high contrast. A Plossl eyepiece lens provides more eye relief than anything else out there! A couple of them felt fancier, but the jump in performance was either insignificant or non-existent. Can You See The ISS With A Telescope? A wide range of focal lengths are available, all in 1.25-inch size. . In order to help you narrow down your choices, weve created a short guide that can help you figure out what the best viable option is. short answer: yes. Put the zoom on the Barlow for the high range. Plossls cost a bit more than the Kellners as Plossls are expensive to manufacture because they require good optical glass and precisely matched concave and convex doublet surfaces to prevent internal reflections. Know what diameter eyepieces your scope takes. This would definitely matter to observers who wear eyglasses when viewing. A standard Plossl eyepiece is typically between 20mm to 25mm but can range anywhere from 15mm up to about 40mm in diameter. This means less time trying to figure out which way your images should be oriented before examining them.
SVBONY Telescope Eyepiece Set Telescope Accessory Kit with 2x Barlow L I would recommend the Orion Q70 series over that. There are inexpensive adapters that will let you use standard 1.25 eyepieces in a .965 focuser/diagonal. As for Barlow Lenses, take a look at this article. The basic design hasnt changed much, but the real costs of manufacturing have dropped. This number can range from 30 degrees to 120 degrees. very happy. Celestron - 1.25" Eyepiece and Filter Accessory Kit - 14 Piece Telescope Accessory Set - Plossl Telescope Eyepiece - Barlow Lens - Colored Filters - Moon Filter - Sturdy Metal Carry Case. If you would prefer to buy him $60 eyepieces or even $30 eyepieces because he is only 7 and he can upgrade later, that is also OK. As long as you take good care of them, Plossls can last you a lifetime, and you will be able to use them with your next telescope if you upgrade at some point. I really enjoy usingPlssls. I often recommend a 32 mm Plossl as a good low power wide view eyepiece for scopes with a 1.25 focuser. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But for AP you should really start your planning with the mount. If your focuser/diagonal will accept 2 eyepieces, then I will suggest you get one or two 2 eyepieces for your low power wide view eyepieces. Just start with 32 mm for your low-power eyepiece. Think of these as your Ford, Chevy, and Toyota of eyepieces. Newer multi-coatings are better, I suppose, but newer does not always mean better in the ocular game. However, i can read very well without my glasses with almost microscopic vision and can use my binoculars without glasses. Stargazinghelp.com is a knowledge hub for professional and amateur astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. Between Kellners and Plossls, this means a 32mm Plossl, which maximizes the field of view in the 1.25 barrel diameter format, will show more stars than either a 32mm Kellner with the same magnification but a smaller true field of view, or a 40mm Kellner (or 40mm 1.25 Plossl, which has a 40 degree apparent field of view) with a lower magnification and the same true field of view. Lets illustrate with an example using a 1200 mm FL telescope. As new anti-reflection coatings were developed, it became possible to actually make use of complex lens arrangements (not just in relatively simple 4-element systems but also in convoluted, extreme wide-field eyepieces such as the TeleVue Nagler). Apparent Field of View: This is a measure of how wide a view the eyepiece will provide as compared to alternate eyepieces. However, if you want to optimize your viewing experience, youll need to invest in a better-quality eyepiece. Now put the zoom on a 3X barlow and you have: Using the zoom approach with a Barlow your eyepiece set would consisit of a 32 mm low power eyepiece. But the difference in price to get to the next level is high, and the performance difference may be small. You see the object in a wider expanse of space with more stars. They have a 50-56 degrees field of view, better eye relief, and cost more than Kellners. In addition, the eyepiece would be a Huygens or Ramsden design, where two lenses made of the same type of glass could be combined to yield minimal false color fringing, as long as the focal length of the telescope remained fairly long. Scott. When I was getting my start in the hobby, I bought an ultra-cheap ($15?) These and the essentially identical AT Paradigm are universally praised as good quality eyepieces with a wider 60-degree apparent field of view. OK that makes sense, many thanks. They are a good brand with high-quality eyepieces, you just dont need to spend the extra money for almost no gain in performance. Because of this setup, you might also hear a Plossl eyepiece referred to as a symmetrical eyepiece. This is where the second formula comes into play. 4mm Eyepiece vs 20mm Eyepiece. Be sure to read the following as you consider your eyepiece purchases. I am looking for as much as best I can buy. There are three types of Plossl eyepiece: the regular, Super, and Orthoscopic. And, in general terms, the higher the AFOV, the harder it is to make an eyepiece that will present a good image all across the field of view, which also drives up the cost. Modified vs Unmodified DSLR Astrophotography: The Ultimate Showdown! A rubber safety cap protects the lens when not in use while also providing additional grip on this 35 mm Plossl eyepiece. (Focal ratio is a term that refers to the telescopes focal length divided by its aperture. This is where the cheap eyepiece will frequently fail to deliver a good image, around the edges. How does that field of view impact the viewing experience?
Astro Essentials Super Plossl Eyepiece | First Light Optics I decided to jump in with both feet and get an Orion ED80 (600mm f7.5 with a 2 focuser, So that I can move into astrophotography down the road. Low focal ratio scopes deliver the light rays to the eyepiece at an ever-increasing angle as the focal ratio number goes down. Read the full Earning Disclosure here. These low-quality Plossls lack an internally blackened lens barrel with thread baffles and blackened lens edges and sophisticated anti-reflection multi-coatings, all of which are a necessity to produce an excellent image. I had a newer - purchased in 2016 Meade 32mm (white lettering) that was no better than the older 32mm 4000. . In simple terms, high focal ratio scopes, say those over F6, tend to be less demanding on eyepieces than those below F6. This gives us more flexibility at the low end of the magnification range. The Regular Plossl eyepiece is made to be a basic type of scope for viewing objects that are nearbysay within two feet or so from where youre looking through it. I couldnt find any suggestions on your site about diagonal recommendations. We can see that 2 eyepieces have an advantage over 1.25 eyepieces when designers are making wide-view eyepieces. Choose three focal lengths. To achieve a maximum of 200X (2X the aperture of 100 mm), we solve for the focal length. If you stumble the first few uses, dont be discouraged. Omni 6mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. Every new skill takes time.
What's the difference between two Plssl eyepieces? It is pretty much worth it for everyone that has a telescope with a 1.25 inch focuser to have a 32mm Plssl. Again, it only costs $30 to $40 to find out, so the education is not that expensive.
eyepiece for Xmas scope - Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography Do you have any additional comments to help me? Cheap to try, and if you don't like it, easy enough to sell also. This 10 mm Orion Sirius Plossl Eyepiece is a great, moderately high power ocular for observing small planetary nebulas and globular star clusters, as well as for planetary probing when seeing conditions don't permit higher magnifications. We may earn commissions by recommending products on this website. 100-300X, 2X Barlow. I would suggest you also get a 2 low power wide view. I foolishly destroyed it while experimenting with solar projection, because I hadnt realized the metal-and-glass construction was aided by a plastic retaining ring on the field stop, and I hadnt realized you do not need to change the eyepiece focal length when doing solar projection. That is the critical factor. Stargazinghelp.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com. The "sharpness" you are seeing may well be better explained by the focal length of the ep than the quality of Plossls in general. It was named after Peter Barlow who invented it in the 1800s, so it is usually capitalized. With a 8" dobsonian, a 6mm is very versatile. In the next section, we will talk about the AFOV of an eyepiece. Etc.? or a Baader Classic Ortho 18mm with both a 1.5/2x Barlow and 3x Barlow. 8.5-ish mm (75x & 150x) It also gives the widest possible exit pupil in my dob and SCT, very handy when using nebula filters. One more thing if you havent purchased a telescope yet, I would recommend a tabletop version, since they are easier for kids to move than the fiddley ones with spindly legs and complicated dials. If you feel the need to buy something now, consider this Orion diagonal. The way a Plossl eyepiece works is by using the convex lens and concave lenses to create an image that has both total magnification of what youre viewing, as well as erect images.
10mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepiece | Orion Telescopes As is outstanding in the workmanship, a Plossl type eyepiece is a moderately wide field eyepiece involving two colorless doublets in which the crown components generally face each other. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It had one of the best fields, edge to edge, in my SCT that I've ever seen. When a beginner is choosing eyepieces on a budget, there are a number of possible designs they may choose between. So, I think it worth your while to try the Plssls. If I had to give them all up and keep only one eyepiece, It would be the BH Zoom. Omni 56mm Eyepiece - 2" Learn More. Dont worry about the math, as its simple stuff you can do with any calculator, on paper, or perhaps in your head. A zoom eyepiece works like the zoom lens on a camera. Each eyepiece gives you a unique magnification based on the formula listed at the start: Why do you need more than two eyepieces? All registered. Centuries of improvements led to achromatic refractors, where the primary lens is made up of two lenses of different types of glass, which reduces false color fringing and allows the telescope to be made considerably more compact. These have the advantage that the front section with the optics can be unthreaded and threaded on to the filter threads of a 1.25 inch eyepiece. They are most useful in medium and longer focal lengths for terrestrial, planetary, and lunar viewing. This can be especially helpful in telescopes of focal ratios below F8. Quality this good usually costs a lot more. I found an ES 70 degree AFOV 35mm eyepiece and am wondering whether I should get this or the Orion 38 70. > Click here to jump to the Best Eyepieces section. A Plossl eyepiece is one of the most decent general-purpose eyepieces that are available on the market. They can also be found as Orion Expanse sporting a blue line rather than gold. But the longer FL units are certainly useful. And new proprietary designs come out from time to time. This four-element Plssl design is the most popular eyepiece optical design that gives you excellent image quality, good eye relief, and a 50 to 56 degrees apparent field of view. 32 mm = 18.75X 16 mm = 37.5X (32 mm eyepiece with a 2X barlow), 12 mm = 50X (If you have a 25 mm that came with your scope, use Barlow for 12.5 mm), 4 mm = 150X (8 mm eyepiece with a 2X Barlow), 3 mm = 200X (6 mm eyepiece with a 2X Barlow), 24 mm = 25X (the low power end of the zoom), 8 mm = 75X (24 mm zoom setting in a 3X Barlow), 2.66 mm = 225X (8 mm zoom setting in a 3X Barlow), True field of view or FOV = Apparent field of view (AFOV) eyepiece / magnification. The Astrovid 40X60mm Zoom Telescope Camera Lens Kit is a great choice for those looking to get a variety of lenses, at different magnifications. The Japan made 16mm Meade 3000 was a very nice medium power plossl and the 40mm in that series was surprisingly nice as well. However the package includes a 1.25 to 2 adapter so if you have a 2 focuser you can treat this like a 2 eyepiece leaving the adapter normally included with the scope for use with other 1.25 eyepieces.