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GSO 2" SuperView Eyepiece - 42mm

4.3 (37 Reviews) Read Reviews Write Review
Brand GSO
Part Number SV42
Availability available

Product Info

Manufacturer Description

Since their introduction in the US market a few years ago, the GSO SuperView series of wide-field eyepieces have taken the amateur astronomy community by storm. These are, by far, the best-selling GSO eyepieces. With an expansive apparent field of view (AFOV) ranging from 60 - 68 degrees, users will experience incredible views without breaking the bank or impinging on your scope's balance.  SuperView eyepieces are available in 2 barrel sizes (1.25" or 2') and 5 focal lengths (ranging from 15mm to 50mm).

Images are virtually free of chromatic aberration or pincushion distortion with excellent flatness of field and eye relief. These eyepieces feature rubber grips on the housing and foldable rubber eyeguards. All eyepieces are fully multicoated, have blackened lens edges for improved contrast, and come with two end caps.

Guan Sheng is a leader in optical telescopes and accessories and their products have been sold for years by the "Big Three" (Meade, Celestron and Orion) under their own brand names. Give these a try - you will not be disappointed!

Reviews

4.3 (Based on 37 Reviews) 95% of reviewers recommended this product.
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    1. Guest

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      Review by Robert F.
      1560735636
      Jun 16, 2019

      5.0 Clear, wide view. I love

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Clear, wide view. I love it.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    2. Guest

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      Review by Dennis R.
      1557344727
      May 8, 2019

      4.0 Great value

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Optics would be awesome at twice the cost- Great wide flat view right out to the edges. I use it on a Meade 12" LB and it performs magnificently.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    3. Guest

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      Review by Errol S.
      1536254641
      Sep 6, 2018

      4.0 GSO SuperView 30mm & 42mm

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Purchased both the GSO SuperView 30mm and 42mm 2" inch EPs just to expand my collection. Quality of EPs is excellent. Great eye relief and gives nice bright crisp views. Very good quality for a cheap price. Just wish they made some in higher magnifications. Not on the level of Explore Scientific or Televue, but also doesn't carry the extreme price tags. If your on a budget and wanting a decent wide FOV EP, I would definitely recommend the GSO SuperView 30mm and 42mm.
      Scope: Celestron C8 SCT
      Uses: Planetary, Moon, and finding DSOs

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    4. Guest

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      Review by Richard S.
      1526482127
      May 16, 2018

      5.0 Nice eyepiece

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      This eyepiece provides a great view without any distortion on the edges and is an excellent eyepiece for the money. Agena shipped this eyepiece very promptly as always providing excellent service

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    5. Guest

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      Review by Victor P.
      1516982461
      Jan 26, 2018

      5.0 A Great Value

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      This is a very nice and affordable eyepiece. On account of the weather this winter I have not had the opportunity to use this eyepiece under the stars. However, I have used it in the day and images are bright and sharp with good contrast.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    6. Guest

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      Review by Amy C.
      1503978823
      Aug 28, 2017

      5.0 Great fro learning to star hop

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Big, wide field without distortion, great for finding the way through star fields to deep sky objects.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    7. Guest

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      Review by Jose F.
      1495628502
      May 24, 2017

      5.0 Good Eyepiece

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Good Eyepiece for amateur deep space object observer. Excellent customer service fast shipping.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    8. Guest

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      Review by Armando O.
      1488542482
      Mar 3, 2017

      4.0 Big Boy

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      So far I have only used it in planetary viewing, the glass is very clear.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    9. Guest

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      Review by T
      1484619406
      Jan 16, 2017

      4.0 Great value. Good field of view.

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Cannot squeeze the Pleiades in the field of view for my 8" SCT, but the 50mm can. Field focus is pretty flat edge to edge. Contrast not up to Explore Scientific standard, but good.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    10. Guest

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      Review by Dan
      1483586989
      Jan 4, 2017

      4.0 Good performance with f/10 refractor

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Others have commented on the apparent field of view of this eyepiece. A daylight measurement of the FOV through a 102mm f/9.8 refractor at 100 ft. was 47 inches. This is a 2.24 degree TFOV which corresponds to an AFOV of about 53 degrees for this eyepiece (not 65 degrees). The field lens retaining ring is the effective field stop, and it measures about 38mm as predicted from a 53 degree AFOV. That being said, the eyepiece provides a clear and bright view, and it is well made and nicely finished. I think it provides a very good value compared to eyepieces of similar aperture and focal length.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    11. Guest

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      Review by Andy of San Diego.
      1463184000
      May 13, 2016

      4.0 Good value

      Pros:

      Lightweight,Strong Construction

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Can't beat the value for the money. This is my favorite eyepiece for wide views. It has some light scattering and astigmatism issues. But this is design limitations, not quality of construction. There are some more advanced eyepieces there but they cost a fortune and weight a ton.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    12. Guest

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      Review by Jim of Rocklin, CA.
      1434412800
      Jun 15, 2015

      4.0 GSO 2" SuperView Eyepiece - 42mm

      Pros:

      Quality Lenses

      Cons:

      Quality Lenses

      Comments:

      Last night I was trying out several 2" eyepieces on a new ES 127mm f/7.5 APO, focusing on the right triangle of stars around Polaris. Of the four eyepieces, ranging in focal length from 50mm to 24mm, the GSO stood out for sharp images down to a magnitude 10 star in one of the legs of the triangle.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    13. Guest

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      Review by Astronomy teacher of Massachusetts.
      1427673600
      Mar 29, 2015

      4.0 Gives near max AFOV in a C11

      Pros:

      Sharp,Lightweight,Quality Lenses,Low cost,Compact

      Cons:

      Some Edge Coma

      Comments:

      With the recent acquisition of a C11, I was disappointed in the narrow views obtained from eyepieces that were plenty wide in my other scopes. I bought this to get the largest actual FOV possible without spending a fortune. My goals were to see all the main stars of the Pleiades (from Alcyone to Electra and Merope to Asterope), both of Bode's nebulae in one view, the full bowl of M42, the moon with surrounding space, and a few other large objects. It accomplishes that, reaching about 0.97 degrees AFOV. However, using it with my diagonal and an auxiliary focuser cuts off some view, so it's necessary to mount it directly into the focuser, resulting in some challenging viewing angles. Perhaps a low profile back would allow its use with a diagonal. The contrast and on-axis sharpness are comparable to my 32mm Koenig -- quite good. There is some coma near the very edges, but the vast majority of the field is tack sharp. It's also pleasantly lightweight. Overall, I'm very happy with how it works. And Agena's shipping was shockingly fast, with excellent packing.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    14. Guest

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      Review by Howardastro of Tallahassee, FL.
      1401753600
      Jun 2, 2014

      4.0 Nice Eyepiece for the price

      Pros:

      Good Price,Wide Field of View

      Cons:

      Some Image Problems

      Comments:

      Purchased for the club's 14" Celestron for lower power and wider field of view. All members have been pleased with the quality and views with these eyepieces. There were no obvious optical flaws until you looked at the extreme edge of the field of view and even then it wasn't all that noticeable. A great value for the price

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    15. Guest

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      Review by Steve of Orlando, FL.
      1386374400
      Dec 6, 2013

      4.0 You may want the 30mm one instead

      Pros:

      Affordable

      Cons:

      Comments:

      I used this on my C102 GT refractor. I timed a star passage and calculated the true field of view (TFOV) and then calculated the apparent field of view (AFOV). I did not get the advertised 65

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    16. Guest

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      Review by fishuntime53 of Saint Louis, MO.
      1354492800
      Dec 2, 2012

      5.0 High Utility Eyepiece

      Pros:

      Lightweight,Versatile,Quality Lenses,Strong Construction,Easy to Use

      Cons:

      Comments:

      This is simply the most versatile eyepiece I own. I always wanted a true wide field Erfle, and when I received this eyepiece I anticipated a wide field. I was still stunned by the spectacular field of view: the Double Cluster in Perseus took my breath away! I even recommend you consider the extra cost for the eyepiece projection version!
      The only drawback is GSO's use of aluminum (instead of chrome-plated brass) for the barrel; the brushed aluminum provides friction which makes it difficult to mount/remove the eyepiece from your focuser. Still, the view is so good you won't want to change eyepieces!

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    17. Guest

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      Review by NealC of Clayton, NC.
      1354320000
      Nov 30, 2012

      4.0 Best bang for your buck

      Pros:

      Easy to Use,Accurate,Strong Construction

      Cons:

      Heavy

      Comments:

      As a casual observer, astronomy is not at the top of my list of what my money is spent on. However, I do like to observe with quality equipment. I also travel a lot, but do not like taking chances with airlines losing my "good" stuff. So, I purchased this eyepiece to use with a moderately fast travel scope. I was extremely pleased with the views I get with this eyepiece. Is it the highest quality eyepiece I have? No. But it is very satifying. And if you want to enjoy visual observing without breaking your hobby budget, this is exactly what you need.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    18. Guest

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      Review by tegisan of Rockville, Maryland.
      1341187200
      Jul 1, 2012

      4.0 Good value

      Pros:

      Lightweight,Quality Lenses

      Cons:

      Comments:

      This eyepiece is a good value - wide apparent FOV, decent correction over most of the field, and good throughput. Only real drawback is that the insertion tube is very thin, soft aluminum (from what I can tell, not even clear anodized...but I might be wrong about that). It's so thin you can actually see it deform by squeezing the sides! In some cases, light weight is a major advantage, but IMHO eyepiece barrels should be stainless steel. Making it from S.S. wouldn't raise the price much and would make this a great eyepiece for the money.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    19. Guest

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      Review by IndyTom of Indianapolis.
      1338681600
      Jun 2, 2012

      5.0 Fabulous Eyepiece

      Pros:

      Easy to Use,Quality Lenses,Strong Construction

      Cons:

      Heavy

      Comments:

      I bought this eyepiece to maximize the FOV from my Zhumell Z12, and it has never in any way disappointed me. I can get the whole of the Double Cluster in this eyepiece at once. The views are crisp, have great contrast, and are consistent all the way to the edge. I love this eyepiece. The only drawback is its weight. It is a real hand grenade, but its performance more than makes up for it.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    20. rmscott59

      rmscott59 New Member

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      Review by Mark of San Francisco, CA.
      1332028800
      Mar 17, 2012

      3.0 Didn't work for me

      Pros:

      Strong Construction,Quality Lenses

      Cons:

      Unstable,Difficult to Use

      Comments:

      I have many GSO products that are great performers, but this one did not work for me. I think it is more a function of being not a "good fit" with my telescope than an issue with the eyepiece. I have an F/6 Dob and this eyepiece is not a good match (significant kidney-beaning)! If you have a similar telescope and are looking for a low power, widefield eyepiece, I would highly recommend another selection.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? No
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    21. Guest

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      Review by Dom of Seattle, WA.
      1327363200
      Jan 23, 2012

      4.0 Good but not 65

      Pros:

      Astronomy

      Cons:

      Astronomy

      Comments:

      I have been using this for over two months as my primary finder ep with several different scopes. It serves this purpose well. But when calculated backwards from the AFOV, the field of view works out to be somewhere between 55-60 degrees.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? No
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    22. Guest

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      Review by AhBok of Tennessee.
      1320451200
      Nov 4, 2011

      5.0 Great Finder Eyepiece

      Pros:

      Accurate,Strong Construction,Quality Lenses,Lightweight

      Cons:

      Comments:

      If you are using a long focal length scope, need a good low power "finder" eyepiece, want a lighter weight alternative in a low power eyepiece, only need maximum true field of view occasionally or you are on a budget. . . well, this may be the best overall eyepiece for those purposes. It's the best of the low power budget eyepieces I have used.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    23. Guest

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      Review by Kirk of Feeding Hills, MA.
      1272672000
      Apr 30, 2010

      5.0 Great EP for the price!

      Pros:

      Quality Lenses,Strong Construction

      Cons:

      Comments:

      I was amazed at the visual quality while using this with my 11" SCT. When I bought the EP, I figured what the heck the price is right and I had been hearing good things about GSO products. Well the rumours are true and I have a great low power EP for taking in clusters and larger nebulae.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    24. Guest

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      Review by Tony S of St Clair Shores, MI.
      1263945600
      Jan 19, 2010

      4.0 Perfect lens for nebulas

      Pros:

      Strong Construction,Quality Lenses,Accurate

      Cons:

      Comments:

      This lens compliments my collection nicely. The wider views and low power make it an excelent choice for Nebulas and Galaxies. They fit right in the field of view very nicely.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    25. Guest

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      Review by KC @ the scope of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
      1249516800
      Aug 5, 2009

      4.0 This is the FIRST eyepiece I grab!

      Pros:

      Accurate,Quality Lenses

      Cons:

      Comments:

      I ALWAYS start out my evening of viewing with this super-wide field eyepiece. It tells me, right away, what the night sky has to offer! Is the 'seeing' worth any high-power viewing? Or... should I stay right where I started - a rich field of deep sky viewing! I never thought my 102mm f/10 refractor could yield views of galaxies, globular clusters and nebula - flat and contrasty - right to the edge, HERE in the middle of the city! The GSO SuperView 42mm STARTS and FINISHES my observing sessions!
      Thanks AGENA, for offering this level of quality viewing.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    26. boatman1

      boatman1 New Member

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      Review by boatman1 of Dallas, Texas.
      1243382400
      May 26, 2009

      4.0 GSO 2" Superview in an LX90

      Pros:

      Quality Lenses,Good value,Strong Construction

      Cons:

      None

      Comments:

      My GSO 2" Superview 42mm always gets lots of WOWS! whenever I use it at our public observing events. I would recommend these eyepieces for anyone with a slower telescope such as an F10 - Lx90. They are excellent value at a great price! The wide flat FOV is terrific!

      Joe Lalumia
      Public Observing Coordinator
      Texas Astronomical Society

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    27. AstroGuy1

      AstroGuy1 New Member

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      Review by Calastro of CA.
      1243036800
      May 22, 2009

      5.0 Great eyepiece for the price!

      Pros:

      Nice wide views,Excellent,Great Price

      Cons:

      None

      Comments:

      This is now my favorite eyepiece for my 100mm f/6 achromatic refractor. Absolutely tack sharp across the entire field with a bright but contrasty image!

      It is definitely a little heaver than my other eyepieces, so I have to rebalance my GEM when I use it. But it is well worth the effort! I have had the opportunity to use this same eyepiece in a couple of other scopes (Dobs) and was also impressed. But it seems to just be the right combination of everything coming together for my refractor.

      At first I was a little concerned about the long eye relief and finding the best eye position that I had read about in other reviews. But on my scope (and for my eyes), I have absolutely no problem. My eye just naturally goes to the right place and it is quite comfortable. I couldn't ask for more!

      I am quite impressed and enthustically recommend this eyepiece! And the price can't be beat either!

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    28. stargazertony

      stargazertony New Member

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      Review by StargazerTony of California.
      1237852800
      Mar 23, 2009

      4.0 GSO Super View 42mm

      Pros:

      Light weight,Nice glass and coatings,Nice wide FOV

      Cons:

      A little blackout effect

      Comments:

      I have had this eyepiece for a while and have really enjoyed it. It is a decent 5 element 2" eyepiece, and it has a very nice feel. The construction of the eyepiece is good and rugged, yet it is light for an eyepiece of its size. The optics are quite good and the coatings look very good with no flaws. I use it in my Discovery 12.5" f/5 dob and it performs pretty well. Eye relief was comfortable enough to use with my glasses on. Amazingly I get good pinpoint star images across the entire FOV except at the very edge. When using this eyepiece I have to hold my eye back farther than I am used to or I get a little blackout, but it is not bad. I mainly use it at star parties and it is just fine for that. The FOV is nice and I can get M31, M32 & M110 all in the same view. I recommend this as a good all around wide FOV eyepiece.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    29. AstroGuy1

      AstroGuy1 New Member

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      Review by scottjan of Tennessee.
      1233619200
      Feb 2, 2009

      5.0 GSO 42mm superview

      Pros:

      Great Eye Relief,Great FOV

      Cons:

      None

      Comments:

      This is my first 2" eyepiece and I love it. It provides a very nice, clear field of view and no noticeable distortion in my f/5 scope even at the edge. The cost and quality have caused me to buy more GSO products, all great. This eyepiece works great on Orion, Pleiades, etc. It is very well built, has nice rubber grips, and the eye relief is very good even with my glasses on.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    30. AstroGuy1

      AstroGuy1 New Member

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      Review by viperbob of New Jersey.
      1227830400
      Nov 27, 2008

      4.0 GSO SuperView 42mm

      Pros:

      No distortion,Works well in slow scopes,Not expensive,Excellent Views

      Cons:

      Slight edge sea-gulling

      Comments:

      I won this eyepiece during the summer this year and did not have a chance to use it until last night. I must tell you I was very pleasantly surprised in the quality of views that I saw. What a bargain this eyepiece is on today's market - an outright steal!

      This eyepiece works wonderfully in my f/10 SCT, a slow scope. There is no edge distortion at all and I was impressed with the very flat field. The construction is excellent, with an anodized aluminum body, rubber grip, rubber eyeguard, and a set-screw channel. The optics are fully multi coated and the 5 element glass shows a light green tint. With the 65 degree FOV the stars were pinpoint out to about 80%, with the balance being just all right. Eye relief is 15mm which is ok with me as I don't use glasses, but would not be a problem if you do. This eyepiece will stay in my case for sometime to come. At the price you owe it to yourself to purchase this wide view - you'll be nicely surprised.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    31. AstroGuy1

      AstroGuy1 New Member

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      Review by cosmic109 of Georgia.
      1226966400
      Nov 17, 2008

      4.0 GSO SuperView 42mm

      Pros:

      Fantastic FOV,Quality Construction,Good value,Good contrast,Very sharp

      Cons:

      Large size

      Comments:

      Let's face it, there are times when you just want to get the widest possible FOV you can from your favorite scope. In my case this was an Orion 100mm f/6 achromat.

      The low cost candidate for this mission was the GSO SuperView 42mm 2" eyepiece. Built by Guan Sheng Optical, known for many quality products, this wide angle, 5 element, 65 degree, 2" eyepiece was surprisingly sharp with pinpoint stars across the entire field of view. Because of the long focal length and moderate light pollution from lights near my backyard, there was a lot of sky glow that washed away some of the precious contrast, but none-the-less, the views were spectacular!

      At my age, there was probably some light spill over my smaller exit pupil, but this eyepiece continued to amaze me with its sharp, contrasty views. The SuperView has about 15mm worth of eye relief and is said to be fully coated with blackened lens edges. There is still some debate as to its claimed 65 degree FOV status, but the views I was looking at made this somewhat of a moot point

      The 42mm SuperView is an exceptional value, and will amaze you at how good a low cost, mass produced ocular can be. I don't use the 42mm that often, but when I do, it's always a memorable experience.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    32. DigitalDon

      DigitalDon New Member

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      1223248440
      Oct 5, 2008

      4.0 GSO SuperView 42mm eyepiece

      Pros:

      Price, weight, performance

      Cons:

      Edge correction

      Comments:

      If you are looking for Panoptic performance for sixty-five bucks... please let me know if you find it!

      Views through the 42mm GSO Superview remind me of an "impressionist painting" - When you step back, you see that the artist is portraying a boat, a flower, or whatever. If you look closely, the subject 'disappears' and you notice the individual dots and dashes of the brush strokes.

      My GSO 42mm Superview was purchased from Agena AstroProducts. The price was fair, shipping was free, and the eyepiece arrived quickly and in excellent condition.

      The 42mm GSO is nicely made. The upper portion is anodized black and has a knurled rubber grip ring. There is a rubber eyecup which may be folded back if preferred. The lower portion is chromed and contains a safety cut. The finish is very good as are the coatings. Two caps plus a 'bolt case' are included. At 13 ounces, the 42mm is very light for it's size. Based on the specifications given, the 42mm GSO provides 67x at .98° in my CPC 1100.

      Here's what I wanted to accomplish with the 42mm: My CPC 1100 will never be confused with a 'Rich Field Telescope', but once in a while I'd like to use low power for M-31, M-42, and similar sized objects. I was hoping for a 'nice' view of these objects but didn't want to spend too much for an eyepiece that would see limited use.

      Did the 42mm GSO SuperView meet my expectations?

      I used the Double Cluster as the first test object with the CPC 1100. When I just "looked", I saw a pleasant view of both clusters. When I "examined" the view, I could see that distortion is present in the outer 25-30% of the field. M-31 and M-42 looked even better than the Double Cluster!

      Bear in mind that for my test I used a CPC 1100 which operates at f/10. At that focal ratio, almost any eyepiece will give satisfactory performance. Using this eyepiece with faster ratio telescopes will most likely give less performance.

      If you have a 'slow' telescope and want a 'casual' eyepiece for wide views, you can hardly do better than the 42mm GSO SuperView for the price.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No
    33. calastro

      calastro New Member

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      1209404700
      Apr 28, 2008

      5.0 Great eyepiece for the price!

      Pros:

      Excellent!!! Nice wide views! Great price!

      Cons:

      None!

      Comments:

      This is now my favorite eyepiece for my 100mm f/6 achromatic refractor. Absolutely tack sharp across the entire field with a bright but contrasty image!

      It is definitely a little heaver than my other eyepieces, so I have to rebalance my GEM when I use it. But it is well worth the effort! I have had the opportunity to use this same eyepiece in a couple of other scopes (Dobs) and was also impressed. But it seems to just be the right combination of everything coming together for my refractor.

      At first I was a little concerned about the long eye relief and finding the best eye position that I had read about in other reviews. But on my scope (and for my eyes), I have absolutely no problem. My eye just naturally goes to the right place and it is quite comfortable. I couldn't ask for more!

      I am quite impressed and enthustiacally recommend this eyepiece! And the price can't be beat either!

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No
    34. stargazertony

      stargazertony New Member

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      User Notes:
      1203091380
      Feb 15, 2008

      4.0 GSO Super View 42mm

      Pros:

      Nice wide FOV, light weight, nice glass and coatings.

      Cons:

      Just a little blackout effect.

      Comments:

      I have had this eyepiece for a while and have really enjoyed it. It is a decent 5 element 2" eyepiece, and it has a very nice feel. The construction of the eyepiece is good and rugged, yet it is light for an eyepiece of its size. The optics are quite good and the coatings look very good with no flaws. I use it in my Discovery 12.5" f/5 dob and it performs pretty well. Eye relief was comfortable enough to use with my glasses on. Amazingly I get good pinpoint star images across the entire FOV except at the very edge. When using this eyepiece I have to hold my eye back farther than I am used to or I get a little blackout, but it is not bad. I paid about $70 for it back in 2004. I mainly use it at star parties and it is just fine for that. The FOV is nice and I can get M31, M32 & M110 all in the same view. I recommend this as a good all around wide FOV eyepiece.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No
    35. scottjan

      scottjan New Member

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      User Notes:
      1201623660
      Jan 29, 2008

      5.0 GSO 42mm superview

      Pros:

      Great FOV and eye relief

      Cons:

      None

      Comments:

      This is my first 2" eyepiece and I love it. It provides a very nice, clear field of view and no noticeable distortion in my f/5 scope even at the edge.

      The cost and quality have caused me to buy more GSO products, all great. This eyepiece works great on Orion, Pleiades. It is very well built, has nice rubber grips, and the eye relief is very good even with my glasses on.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No
    36. viperbob

      viperbob New Member

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      User Notes:
      1197187080
      Dec 8, 2007

      4.0 GSO SuperView 42mm

      Pros:

      No distortion, works well in slow scopes, excellent views, not expensive

      Cons:

      Very slight sea-gulling at the edge

      Comments:

      I won this eyepiece during the summer this year and did not have a chance to use it until last night. I must tell you I was very pleasantly surprised in the quality of views that I saw. What a bargain this eyepiece is on today's market at $59 - an outright steal!

      This eyepiece works wonderfully in my f/10 SCT, a slow scope. There is no edge distortion at all and I was impressed with the very flat field. The construction is excellent, with an anodized aluminum body, rubber grip, rubber eyeguard, and a set-screw channel. The optics are fully multi coated and the 5 element glass shows a light green tint. With the 65 degree FOV the stars were pinpoint out to about 80%, with the balance being just all right. Eye relief is 15mm which is ok with me as I don't use glasses, but would not be a problem if you do. This eyepiece will stay in my case for sometime to come. At only $59 you owe it to yourself to purchase this wide view - you'll be nicely surprised.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No
    37. cosmic109

      cosmic109 New Member

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      User Notes:
      1190831160
      Sep 26, 2007

      4.0 GSO SuperView 42mm

      Pros:

      Fantastic FOV; Quality construction; Good value; Very sharp; Good contrast

      Cons:

      Large size.

      Comments:

      Let's face it, there are times when you just want to get the widest possible FOV you can from your favorite scope. In my case this was an Orion 100mm f/6 achromat.

      The low cost candidate for this mission was the GSO SuperView 42mm 2" eyepiece. Built by Guan Shen Optical, known for many quality products, this wide angle, 5 element, 65 degree, 2" eyepiece was surprisingly sharp with pinpoint stars across the entire field of view. Because of the long focal length and moderate light pollution from lights near my backyard, there was a lot of sky glow that washed away some of the precious contrast, but none-the-less, the views were spectacular!

      At my age, there was probably some light spill over my smaller exit pupil, but this eyepiece continued to amaze me with its sharp, contrasty views. The SuperView has about 15mm worth of eye relief and is said to be fully coated with blackened lens edges. There is still some debate as to its claimed 65 degree FOV status, but the views I was looking at made this somewhat of a moot point

      The 42mm SuperView is an exceptional value, and will amaze you at how good a low cost, mass produced ocular can be. I don't use the 42mm that often, but when I do, it's always a memorable experience.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No
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      Specifications

      Apparent Field of View 65°
      Barrel Size 2" (50.8mm)
      Bolt Case Included Yes - Free Agena Eyepiece Container
      Bolt Case Size Agena 65x120mm
      Coatings Fully Multi-Coated
      Height (with Eye Guard) 135mm
      End Caps 2
      Eye Relief by Design 30mm
      Filter Threads Standard 2" Filter Thread (M48 x 0.75)
      Focal Length 42mm
      Lens Elements 5
      Lens Groups 3
      Rubber Eye Guard Yes
      Blackened Lens Edges Yes
      Manufacturer GSO
      Eyepiece Focal Length 40.1mm and Higher
      Eyepiece Field of View 61 - 70 degrees
      Eyepiece Series GSO SuperView
      Barrel Type Smooth sided
      Eyepiece Weight 13oz (368.54g)