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What is your eyepiece bucket list?

Discussion in 'Eyepieces, Barlows, and Filters' started by CrazyPanda, Apr 13, 2018.

What is your eyepiece bucket list?

Started by CrazyPanda on Apr 13, 2018 at 2:45 PM

78 Replies 11225 Views 0 Likes

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  1. CrazyPanda

    CrazyPanda Member

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    I used to have a larger bucket list until I realized the difference between any given premium eyepiece is miniscule. The eyepieces remaining on my bucket list are:
    • 31 Nagler
    • Zeiss Abbe Ortho IIs
    • TMB Monocentrics
    • Leica ASPH Zoom
    • Leica HC Plan microscope eyepiece to see how it compares with my Zeiss E-PL
    • Zeiss S-PL microscope eyepiece to also see how it compares with my E-PL
    • Maybe a good night vision monocular?
    What's on your list of eyepieces you'd like to give a try someday?
     
  2. sickfish

    sickfish Well-Known Member

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    31mm Nagler
    3-6mm Nagler zoom

    PVS-14
     
  3. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    I'm utterly satisfied with my current collection, or to put in other terms - I can't truly justify buying any more. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. But I'm sure I'll cave-in and buy something I won't really need. My last purchase was a set of 3 cheap Kellner's to throw into a project, such as: I'll get around to giving a family, which I'll find in a local park with a kid who demonstrates great interest, the extra ST80 F/5 refractor I have. Now to include the Kellners' too!

    I may buy something rather pricey - if a new eyepiece appears with some new design twist I can't resist trying.

    So I guess my 'bucket-list' is for something that hasn't yet been invented yet. If that makes any sense!
     
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  4. Nebula

    Nebula Well-Known Member

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    @Dave In Vermont

    I'm utterly satisfied with my current collection, or to put in other terms - I can't truly justify buying any more. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. But I'm sure I'll cave-in and buy something I won't really need.

    I am at the exact same position has you right now, I see it has a good thing.
     
  5. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    I'm the same, I have an 18.2mm TeleVue DeLite that I can't even remember ever using lol. The 10mm Delos hasn't been used for over two years either. The Panoptics often get a work out though, especially the 19mm. I only have five 2" EP's and I can't think of a reason to purchase any more. I've considered upgrading the 19mm Luminos, but it works well in my refractors and the ES equivalent has a viciously flared drawtube.

    IMG_20170802_132633.jpg

    At 1.25" this isn't that much of a problem, but the 2" can severely deform compression rings. The 17mm Nagler is nearly a kilo in weight, add the weight of a 2" Baader diagonal and it seriously starts to extract the urine.

    Screenshot 2018-04-15 at 10.48.42.png

    Takahashi ortho's look nice, there's even a 32mm. I don't like the eyeguards though and I already have a perfectly good set of ortho's.

    IMG_20171117_132825.jpg

    The 9mm is a rare Circle T, I doubt Takahashi can beat that! I will probably buy other eyepieces if I really feel the need, I may even buy a bucket. But there's nothing more that I really need.
     
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  6. jgroub

    jgroub Well-Known Member

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    Mak, what's the purpose for very low-powered orthos? Like that 32mm you mentioned, and also the 25 and such.

    I think of orthos as being used for lunar/planetary work - and therefore, high magnification. What are low mag orthos used for - very long focal length scopes?
     
  7. jgroub

    jgroub Well-Known Member

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    As for what's on my bucket list, I'd like to get - or at least try - one of those RKEs. It doesn't stand for "Reverse Kellner Edmund", but it may as well. It supposedly gives you the impression that the object you're viewing is floating above the eye lens, kinda 3D-ish-like. I'd love to get a look through one, see for myself.

    Anyone have any experience with these, can confirm?
     
  8. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    Probably, although ortho's are good for DSO's as they naturally have good contrast, and many DSO's don't need huge FOV. M42 looks great at 60x in my 127mm Mak with an Astro Hutech 25mm ortho' (I even have a bino pair).

    In a fast refractor they can also perform well. The 25mm AH will give 16x in my ST80 I'm still getting over two arc degrees & thirty seven minutes of TFOV.

    OK, it's not quite a 'Nagler' field of view lol, but I can see the appeal of a simple four element EP with high contrast.
     
  9. jgroub

    jgroub Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, but . . .

    For me and my ST-80, the entire point of even having that scope is to get low-powered WIDE-FIELD views. I use a 25mm Plossl in mine. Of course, I get that same 16x, and I get 3 degrees 15 minutes. With just any old junky twenty-five dollar Plossl!

    Plus, with my 68-degree 24mm ES in the ST-80, I get 17x and a WHOPPING 4 degrees 5 minutes!

    I'll gladly trade off a little contrast for a wider field on that baby.
     
  10. CrazyPanda

    CrazyPanda Member

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    Orthos do have good contrast, but as long as your widefield has good glass and good coating, the contrast difference is very hard to spot, if it's there at all.

    My 18mm Fujiyama ortho is very good, but no better than my very old 19mm Panoptic (old coatings), or my 17mm ES92 with lots of glass and complex surfaces.

    In fact, the highest contrast eyepiece I have is my 12.5 Docter, which has quite a lot of complex glass going on. No other eyepiece reveals M81's spiral arms like my Docter does, and that includes my 12.5mm Fujiyama Orthos, 11mm TV Plossl, or 10mm Baader Classic Ortho. When the Docter goes in, those spiral arms go from "hmmm, can't really see them" to "Oh yeah there they are". Same is true of contrast on Jupiter. Cloud belts really pop with it.

    So IMO, the coating quality, lens polish, and internal light control of the eyepiece are the more important factors for maximizing contrast, rather than the optical design.

    I have not used that particular ES68, but I've heard it's just about the equal to the Panoptic 24, so I would not fret over sacrificing contrast for FOV. You're likely not sacrificing any perceptible contrast by using it.
     
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  11. jgroub

    jgroub Well-Known Member

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    Interesting stuff. Thanks, Panda.
     
  12. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, I mainly use these in my ST80's and ST102.

    IMG_20180412_161644.jpg IMG_20170912_142415.jpg IMG_20171229_103116.jpg IMG_20180412_150405.jpg
     
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  13. Nebula

    Nebula Well-Known Member

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    @Mak the Night, I admit I would like to test these two eyepieces to catch the differences.

    [​IMG]

    Perhaps someday (with a new, unpredictable motivation) I could upgrade my current 25mm XcelLX for something better, either the ES or the Panoptic.
     
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  14. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    I doubt there's much between them to be honest Neb. I suspect the Panoptic housing is made to higher tolerances, they're like the Bentley of eyepieces lol. I haven't had much chance to really compare my ES 14mm with the T5 Nagler properly yet, but I can't see any real difference. The both give a darker more contrasted background than the 15mm Luminos, with no noticeable EOFB. I think the 24mm Panoptics are about 300 quid now here. The ES 24mm are less than half that.
     
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  15. Nebula

    Nebula Well-Known Member

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    Panoptic 24mm
    320.00USD + 50USD shipping price could be around 464.58CAD

    ES 68d 24mm
    118.99 USD + 35USD shipping price could be around 193.36CAD

    Different prices.

    =======================
    @Dave In Vermont, i am very glad you gave me a Like for the #13 :D thanks.
     
  16. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    The 24mm TeleVue® Panoptic is the only eyepiece by TV I ever suggest (aside from Barlows) if someone is only going to buy ONE TV eyepiece.
     
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  17. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    A BIG difference.

    Screenshot 2018-04-18 at 02.30.50.png

    GSO Barlow with TS Optics written on it: 65 quid (75 euro).

    Screenshot 2018-04-18 at 02.27.08.png

    GSO Barlow with Revelation Astro written on it: 34 quid.

    IMG_20160319_001847.jpg

    If only I'd known four years ago.
     
  18. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    I think it's still their best seller.
     
  19. Nebula

    Nebula Well-Known Member

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    The 24mm TeleVue® Panoptic is the only eyepiece by TV I ever suggest (aside from Barlows) if someone is only going to buy ONE TV eyepiece.

    I believe you 100% perhaps that's why I would be interested to test it someday.
     
  20. Nebula

    Nebula Well-Known Member

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    @Mak the Night, what's with the barlow from your previous thread #17, you withs to test these?

    A BIG difference.
    :D
     

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