That is a really interesting picture. Pay attention to the eye relief, especially if you will be observing with glasses. As I discussed earlier, the zoom lets you explore your target over a wide range of magnifications without having to change eyepieces. 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). Plossls are extremely versatile and can be used for all use cases. I use some plssl eyepieces, since I still have quite a few in my kit, and yes, the others are correct. the shorter the focal length eyepiece = the shorter the eye relief. NEW. There is always more to learn but it helps if you go in with a good base understanding, and that was my goal. 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. But what are the other differences? I think I will go for the BHZ because, as you say, I will be able to use it now and into the future. When I was getting my start in the hobby, I bought an ultra-cheap ($15?) The 5-lens-element pseudo-Masuyamas that telesonic mentioned are/were fine eyepieces. A 20mm Plssl is probably worth it, if for no other reason than to compare the views it gives to the 21mm Hyperion you have. Many thanks. The Astrovid 40X60mm Zoom Telescope Camera Lens Kit is a great choice for those looking to get a variety of lenses, at different magnifications. You can do the calculation which will show that the 70 will have a significantly wider field of view as compared to the 52. I tested out my BH zoom yesterday for the first time and it is a great eyepiece so thank you for the recommendation! philhas Members 61 459 Location: North East England 130 mm scope will have a max of 260X for planning purposes. . Eye relief is the distance from the eye lens to your eyeball, and the higher the better (within reason). But the longer FL units are certainly useful. No price limit? That is why I suggest, if you can use 2 eyepieces, you will want one or two low power wide view 2 eyepieces. Note to spectacle wearers: Plossl eyepieces with 15mm and longer focal lengths are good choices for spectacle wearers but for shorter focal lengths the Celestron XCel LX series have greater eye-relief so are better suited. I think Id really enjoy a zoom for all the reasons you mention, But Im having a difficult time assessing how much weight to put on the field of view of given eyepieces. We may earn commissions by recommending products on this website. A four-element eyepiece was made by putting together two achromatic doublets with different focal lengths. With a refractor, SCT or MCT, it is usually better to get a correct image diagonal than a correcting eyepiece. But the difference in price to get to the next level is high, and the performance difference may be small. Looking from different sorts I found the Baader Aspheric 31mm and 36mm.these two eyepieces allow me to switch between 2" and 1.25"just by changing the barrel. This is why many telescopes come standard with at least one Plossl eyepiece. . The image will be reversed left to right so you will need to get used to that. Despite one being fundamentally superior to the other in terms of image correction, Kellners and Plossls are generally quite comparable in terms of the image you actually see. Eye Relief: This refers to how close your eye has to be to the lens in order to see the full field of view. 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. The third choice of eyepieces is the Orion 12 mm Sirius Super Wide Angle Correct Image Eyepiece. Am I correct? This can be especially helpful in telescopes of focal ratios below F8. Generally, dont mess around with solar projection unless youre okay with damaging the instrument. But you need to know, first, if you will be wearing glasses when you observe. Best suited for telescopes with f-ratios f6 or slower. 600 mm / 200X = 3 mm This will be the focal length of our highest power eyepiece. This determines how much light the telescope will gather. What diameter eyepieces will my telescope accept? I am very near-sighted, barely see the big E on the vision chart without glasses. Even when I upgraded to a 6mm Goldline, I kept the Kellner around because of pretty annoying kidney-bean blackout issues on the Moon with that eyepiece. Thanks in advance I really appreciate it! Or we say that F10 would be easier or less demanding on the eyepiece than the F5. Stargazing Help is a participant in Amazon Associates program. Inexpensive Plossls that are manufactured using low-quality lenses are susceptible to internal reflections when viewing bright objects at high magnification. Quality this good usually costs a lot more. I have a variety of eyepieces, including Explore Scientific and Meade 82 degree series so I have choices. Also worth mentioning i wear glasses which I will wear while observing. In general terms, the higher the AFOV number, the more the eyepiece will cost. Soft rubber eye guard that's custom fitted . Some will offer longer eye relief which can be important to eyeglass wearers. These are exceptional eyepieces, and only available on the used market nowadays. Here we get into the BMW, Cadillac, Porsche, and Ferrari of eyepieces. Since there are so many different types of eyepieces available on the market, choosing the right one for your situation can prove to be a harrowing task. 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. Oh the pain of uh having access to really cool eyepieces.). As for tabletop scopes, dont forget that you need a table, stool, or bench to place them. Of course, the entire eyepiece must be manufactured and finished correctly to realize the design's full potential. However, your budget must guide your purchases. No surprise there. Explore Scientific, like many eyepiece providers, have higher-priced and budget lines. thanks for all your help. i still use the binos. While I also have the Baader Hyperion Zoom, mentioned later, I continue to make use of the Celestron, especially in my smaller scopes. Edge sharpness is just satisfactory, nothing to boast about, as is the apparent field of view. Read the full Earning Disclosure here. I dont think so. So you ended up with: Also, children do not often have highly developed motor skillsso I would avoid the frustration of switching out eyepieces, and consider a zoom lens. I just added the 4.7 mm. Focal length telescope / focal length eyepiece = magnification or power. thanks Ed. Good value. I can recommend these with confidence. It had one of the best fields, edge to edge, in my SCT that I've ever seen. Be aware of the focal ratio of your scope. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide all this information! They can be recognized by a thin gold line just below the eye cup. But the conventional way of expressing it is in terms of eyepiece focal lengths. This Super Plossl design was better than regular Plossl eyepieces, but not by much. Now we can establish a target magnification range. Offering a wide 43 apparent field of view, this 40mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepiece provides extremely sharp images of impressively high contrast. I dont dabble in AP. 75-225X, 1.5X Barlow However, some lateral color error is apparent when looking at bright subjects, such as Jupiter or Venus, against a dark sky. My own lineup (with a C8) is 32mm Plossl, 18.2mm DeLite, and 10.5mm Pentax (the last one not chosen to match, but rather because it belonged to a deceased friend). We are a reader-supported organization. They have a narrow AFOV but have a reputation for being very sharp.. My Barlow is a 2X with a removeable Barlow element that can be screwed right onto an eyepiece giving a 1.5X effect. You are looking through a LOT of atmosphere which distorts the image. This is important to keep in mind because it means brands have to try really hard to one-up each other because the competition in a niche hobby such as astronomy can be fierce. The TFOV of the Hyperion will be greater than the TFOV of the Plssl, but the magnification will be about the same. This eye piece provides the maximum true field of view in the 1.25 inch format. Sometimes you want to see a wider field of view to locate an astronomical object like a nebula by using nearby stars. It is pretty much worth it for everyone that has a telescope with a 1.25 inch focuser to have a 32mm Plssl. This means you will be able to see a greater expanse for the objects in space but with fewer magnification levels than Kellner or Plossl lenses. But the one I am recommending here is the Tele Vue Nagler series. Ive read reviews about my scope. The Plossl design has become the mainstay of the modern ocular business and probably represents the best value in terms of performance and price, especially in medium and long focal lengths. They are referring to how much or how little distortion is visible as you look from the center of the image out toward the edge. For planetary viewing, comfort is essential in helping to increase viewing time . But what are the differences between these two and how do you know which one to choose? https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8879-1-25-Inch-Enhanced-Telescope/dp/B000BMPBLK/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3KKUJRXYYN7DI&dchild=1&keywords=telescope+diagonal+1.25&qid=1610887695&sprefix=telescope+diagonal%2Caps%2C512&sr=8-8, Excellent article and very good recommendations. I have seen some gatekeeping in this hobby about Kellners, and Im not sure I understand it. We enjoy binoculars for the moon, but having never looked through another telescope, my kids and I do not know what internal reflection, ghosting, vignettes, or diffraction spikes look like! Are there any good low-cost 2 EPS out there? https://telescopicwatch.com/best-barlow-lens-and-how-to/, Celestron 8-24 Zoom Review Most modern telescopes use a focuser, or diagonal, that accepts 1.25 eyepieces. Conclusion. Again, this is more noticeable in lower focal ratio scopes. SV207 30mm Super Plossl Eyepiece. Modified vs Unmodified DSLR Astrophotography: The Ultimate Showdown! So, I think it worth your while to try the Plssls. Between $100 and $250, I will call it mid-range.