Orion Epic ED-2 7.5mm

4.0 Orion Epic ED-2 7.5mm

Good price; Long eye relief; ED elements to help light transmission; Nice FOV.

Build quality; Maybe better suited for slow scopes.

I was disappointed to see Orion eliminate the Lanthanum series from its catalog, and replace it with the new, Chinese made, Orion Epic ED series. In comparison, the Vixen and Orion Lanthanums are pretty sharp across the entire field, and the detail and contrast are superior to that of the Epic ED-2.

I would point out also that the build quality of the Epic 7.5 is lacking in some respects. The housing and barrel of the eyepiece feel as though its made of some plastic composite material, with a very shiny chrome finish at the base of the ocular. However, I did like the rubber grip that circles the upper top third of the eyepiece.

Eye relief is around 20mm, and FOV is 55 degrees. This is a 6 element hybrid design, and is fully multi-coated. Two of these elements are made of extra-low dispersion glass, hence the ED moniker, that does help render brighter views in my opinion.

When used with my Celestron C80ED and a William Optics diagonal, the View of Jupiter and four of it's moons was sharp with good contrast and detail. I thought I detected a little flaring, but that could have been due to extraneous light coming into the scope from outside my backyard. I will have to try a darker site to be sure.

For the money this is not a bad eyepiece. You could do worse. For the price, FOV, and the long eye relief, I would take it over a standard plossl any day.