You are looking through a LOT of atmosphere which distorts the image. Celestron's 4-element Plossl eyepiece features include blackened lens edges to minimize internal reflection and maximize contrast, fully multi-coated optics for maximum light transmission. Many compare these favorably to eyepieces that are much higher priced. Comparing to Plossl, the Expanse eyepiece is a lot more expensive. Perhaps you have read about planetary eyepieces, DSO eyepieces, and other types of specific eyepieces. To estimate the highest practical magnification for your telescope, you take the aperture in millimeters, mm, and multiply it by two. However, sometimes i am at the end of the range of the binocular focus adjustment. These will eventually be used in an 8in dob whenever it arrives. As we go up in price range, we gain capabilities that may not be immediately obvious. I also just bought the Celestron Starsense 102mm refractor (650mm focal length, f/6.5) as a first scope for me and my kids. Plossl eyepieces are very good and fairly inexpensive, typically between $25 and $50 each. Soft rubber eye guard that's custom fitted . While eyepieces with relatively complex, proprietary, or bespoke designs are becoming more commonly available in the beginner price bracket, there is often good reason to choose a much simpler design. Hi Ed, No results, please adjust your filters. If you look up transparency and seeing in the context of telescopes you can learn more about how atmospheric conditions will affect what magnifications you will choose on any given night. If you plan to go longer than that you can get an AC adapter or a power tank. They have a pop-up eye guard and they are threaded to accept filters. I recommend it often to beginners on a tight budget. They are also really sharp. Lets illustrate with an example using a 1200 mm FL telescope. So, even if you have a Maksutov-Cassegrain scope, you should get a good experience from this eyepiece. 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. Depending on how fussy you are about having a completely clean image across the visual field, if you have a lower focal ratio scope you will want to look for eyepieces with a reputation for being better corrected in low focal ratio scopes. Best Telescopes For 10 Year Old Kids: Reviews and Buying Guide, The Complete Guide to the Planets You Can See With a Telescope, The Best Barlow Lenses: Reviews and Buying Guide. 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. If I had to give them all up and keep only one eyepiece, It would be the BH Zoom. Thanks. While it covers the same range as the Celestron zoom, it offers better optics, better mechanical operation, and a wider field of view. Hi, I have recently bought a Orion XT8 and am trying to work out which eyepieces to add to what is provided with the scope. However, because they have more glass elements than other designs, like Kellners, their manufacturing becomes extremely important to get high-quality optics. Now you can get good eyepieces for under or around $50. Have Any Astronauts Been Lost in Space Forever. Magnification or power = focal length telescope / focal length eyepiece, Focal ratio = focal length telescope / aperture telescope, maximum practical aperture = aperture X 2, Edges of the optics are blackened for increased contrast, which prevents internal reflections, Anti-reflection, fully multi-coated optics provide enhanced light transmission for bright and clear images. They have a narrow AFOV but have a reputation for being very sharp.. In the 1990s Meade instruments came up with a new design for the Meade 4000 line similar to Plossl that added a fifth glass element on top of the two pairs (4 total). Youll find yourself adjusting these type of factors less than. There is the 56mm Meade Plossl which magically turns my short FL refractors into their own finder scopes. Required fields are marked *. Some include: Parks Gold Series, Celestron Ultima's, Meade Series 4000 Super Plssls (depending on year / origin / style) and a few others that I don't remember. For modern eyepieces, the differences between Plossl and Super Plossl is going to depend on the manufacturer. Gold Line eyepieces also offer better eye relief than Plossl eyepieces, especially at the shorter focal lengths. Visual astronomy is all about aperture, the more the better. A standard Plossl eyepiece is typically between 20mm to 25mm but can range anywhere from 15mm up to about 40mm in diameter. I see that there are some optical limits to how wide an FOV a 1.25 EP can manage at bigger (like 32mm) focal lengths. The Big Bang Optics also participates in affiliate programs with Clickbank and other sites. Learn more about our story and the team behind the scene. or a Baader Classic Ortho 18mm with both a 1.5/2x Barlow and 3x Barlow. Great article on eyepieces but I am still undecided exactly what eyepiece & Barlow to buy and from where since some buying sites dont provide all the info you cite in your article. The stock 9 and 15mm Omnis were very good. I have used these in my F6 and F5 Dobs and find them a good value for the price. That is a really interesting picture. There are inexpensive adapters that will let you use standard 1.25 eyepieces in a .965 focuser/diagonal. So, for your 30 mm, 82/60 = 1.36 degrees. short answer: yes. You noted eye relief is important for those wearing glasses. It's one of the best choices you have when it comes to budget stargazing. The view being presented to your eye in a low power eyepiece minimizes everything from optical aberrations in the telescope, to distortions from thermals or atmospheric conditions. You can accomplish a longer eye relief by barlowing a longer f/l plossl, so that is something to think about as well. That's hard to beat IMO. I have seen wider-field Plossls. Worth it is a tough question to answer. 75-225X, 1.5X Barlow This may be enough for many eyeglass wearers. Now we just divide it up and fill in some sample focal lengths. With your glasses on, you simply cant get your eye close enough to an eyepiece that only has 10 mm of eye relief. It also gives the widest possible exit pupil in my dob and SCT, very handy when using nebula filters. The TFOV of the Hyperion will be greater than the TFOV of the Plssl, but the magnification will be about the same. now it all makes sense, you did a great job explaining all this information it was a lot to take in but i have it now. . 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? Gold line eyepieces are available in 6mm, 9mm, 15mm, and 20mm focal lengths. Plossl telescope eyepieces are the most popular type of eyepiece on the market. The "sharpness" you are seeing may well be better explained by the focal length of the ep than the quality of Plossls in general. 8.5-ish mm (75x & 150x) For what it's worth: I believe the Omni 1.25 inch 2x Barlow is one of the Shorty Barlows manufactured by GSO. This is a good thing, because normally the shorter the focal length of the eyepiece, the less eye relief you have. Again thank you very much for all the information in the page, excellent notes. Below 20 however, the eye relief makes it difficult for me and my glasses so Ive been replacing my 5-15 EPs with 82 degree EPs with more relief. Goldline series of eyepieces provides the best value in this price range, better than Plossls. This SVBONY eyepiece review should get you up to speed with the budget stargazing options. They have good center sharpness but exhibit some field curvature and astigmatism. PayPal, cash, bank transfer are all acceptable. The price can run to over $1000 per eyepiece. - 32mm plossl. However, i can read very well without my glasses with almost microscopic vision and can use my binoculars without glasses. i didnt have all this simply-put information when i bought my orion st-80 as my christmas present to myself in 2020. i started out with several pair of binoculars i bought used off ebay, then bought the scope. You can do that by using this long focal length eyepiece. Like going from a 32 TV to a 65? But some people demand the very best, and it is available, at a price. When you add eyepieces to your collection, you will want to consider what field of view you want and how much you are willing to pay for it. I am considering buying another eyepiece, maybe 6mm, and a Barlow, maybe 2x, to give me a wider and higher range of magnification. 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. Both solutions offer somewhat similar mag-fov-er-price. I started with the Celestron zoom. This is why many telescopes come standard with at least one Plossl eyepiece. PS. . One learns by observing. Tele Vue has eyepieces that approach $1000. Note that the full moon appears to be approximately .5 degrees across, so use that as a mental reference when looking at the numbers. None of my fancy EPs have enough contrast for this application. (Focal ratio is a term that refers to the telescopes focal length divided by its aperture. I still use my 30mm Celestron Ultima fairly often with some of my telescopes. You can build a full set of these with good results, but be aware of eye relief, especially if you wear glasses. The longer FL Plossls (>15mm) have some distinct advantages over more complex designs without the major disadvantage of Plossls which is short ER. By having a range of magnifications, you can optimize the image, which means you need more eyepieces. eyepiece shows signs of use with caps and bolt case, 32 mm Plossl very good cond. I believe the 5000 UWA's are good as well. A decent barlow might cost as much or even more. (Svbonys Plossls, for example, are optically identical to Orions Sirius Plossls). There are some very good choices in this range. A Barlow lens is an optical device that goes between the eyepiece and the focuser. To achieve six magnifications, you can have six eyepieces. I want these as possible as wide, magnification and astrophotography purpose. 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. Lower power almost always looks better than higher power. We also joined our local Astronomy Club and look forward to joining others under the night sky when the opportunity presents itself again. Outstanding job Jack. I have the 38 mm and recommend it often. Then set your maximum based on your aperture and split it up. I loved my Baader Mark-IV 8mm-24mm Zoom+Barlow combo in my 8" EdgeHD. Omni 9mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. These eyepieces are technically called Symmetrics, since Plossls can have different focal lengths for each doublet, but they are always marketed as Plossl. 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. Videos for related products. If youre still wondering between a Kellner vs Plossl, my advice to you would be invest a little extra cash and go for a good quality Plossl. Note that we also gained a 16 mm magnification at no additional cost. I have since moved up to a 12 Dob but I use the same eyepieces and the BH Zoom continues to be my most used. I am looking for as much as best I can buy. As of the past couple years, it seems possible that the choice between Kellners and Plossls has been made for usyou either get what you get with your beginner telescope, or you will have to find a Plossl. In the case of the Celestron, you get all the focal lengths from 24 to 8mm in one eyepiece that costs $100. You can buy eyepieces specifically focused on a particular scope or you can buy eyepieces that you expect to use with this and all future scopes. You see the object in a wider expanse of space with more stars. They can be recognized by a thin gold line just below the eye cup. So its best for use during duller times when there isnt much brightness visible. Eyepieces under $100 each are generally considered budget or low-cost eyepieces. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-telescope-mounts-for-astrophotography/, Then you look at the optical tubes. SV207 30mm Super Plossl Eyepiece. Typically a Barlow does not add or subtract from this, but there again we have bad Barlows and Good Barlows. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Since 2011, we've published astronomy related content and reviews to help guide the community better. I possess an embarrassing array of fine eyepieces with names like Ethos and Nagler and Delos. This determines how much light the telescope will gather. As the clear cut worlds best eyepiece manufacturer, their name should at least be mentioned in an article like this. You can buy a range of these from Modern Astronomy. Kellner vs Plossl - Comparison table. Plossl eyepieces have wider fields of view than Kellners. Using your example: We will use a 100 mm telescope with a 600 mm focal length and Another way to look at it is that a 30 mm eyepiece in a 3X Barlow works like a 10 mm eyepiece.. Many thanks. About Us | Privacy Policy | ContactLittle Astronomy 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 advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I tested out my BH zoom yesterday for the first time and it is a great eyepiece so thank you for the recommendation! Nice, thank you again for the additional inputs. Ive added comments on where you may find and use them. If you are very demanding and must have the very best, this is where you want to be. 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. The combination of high-quality optics and accessible prices have made them the favorite design for amateur astronomers and even professionals. Some will offer longer eye relief which can be important to eyeglass wearers. This is not a hard and fast rule, just a cautionary note. thanks for all your help. Those that still come with Huygens and Ramsdens are generally cheap and low quality, since practically the only reason to use those designs in modern times is that they are extremely cheap to manufacture. A Plossl eyepiece has a field of view thats very wide, so if youre looking at the full moon or some other object in space with it, chances are youll see the entire thing. Low focal ratio scopes deliver the light rays to the eyepiece at an ever-increasing angle as the focal ratio number goes down. Again, for no other reason than to compare it to the 17mm Hyperion and draw your own conclusions about Plssls. Hi Ed, This makes them a bit more complex and expensive than other designs, but also gives them a wider field of view, reasonable eye relief, and reduces optic aberrations. A common problem are eyepiece kits, which are big boxes that some telescope suppliers will sell you with half a dozen eyepieces, most of which include annoyingly short focal length Plossl eyepieces. Other than the limited AFOV, which you are apparently fine with, and limited eye relief in the shorter focal lengths there is certainly no reason not to choose Plssls. I've got a one-off plossl like that in my kit that I'll probably never sell, (aside from my 5 element ones) and it's one that is rarely seen. By correcting for aberrations, the field of view of these eyepieces could be much larger than the soda-straw field of view in a Ramsden or Huygens, around 40 or perhaps up to 50 degrees. Your email address will not be published. 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. No surprise there. 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. This was very useful, I got a meade infinity 90mm ( after read the review here -. The Plossl eyepiece is a four-element design consisting of two doublets. The Celestron Omni Plossl eyepiece range offers a nice entry-level range into the higher quality 4-element Plossl design. NEW. Customer reviews Average Rating (16 Reviews): Write a Review and share your opinions! If you upgrade the telescope or add a second one, the eyepieces will work on that telescope too. We often end up spending more on eyepieces than we did on the telescope. Was $38.99 - $99.99 Now $31.19 - $84.99 Compare Orion Edge-On Planetary 1.25" Eyepieces If you read the article you know how to calculate the magnification and field of view. Divide that by the magnification of that eyepiece in that scope. They are usable, but your eye will be extremely close to the top lens glass. Plossl eyepieces have an eye relief equal to about 80% of their focal length. 1200 mm FL scope / 10 mm FL eyepiece = 120X, 40 degree AFOV / 120X = .33 degrees (less than 1 full moon wide), 60 degree AFOV / 120X = .5 degree FOV (about one full moon with no space around it), 82 degree AFOV / 120X = .68 degree FOV (about one full moon with a star field around it to frame it). 11 = 163 = .5 The Wiki article(s) were very good if anyone else is confused. A super Plossl eyepiece is a top-performing eyepiece that can be used for a variety of tasks, from viewing objects in the distance to looking at microscopic things. This is a fairly inexpensive zoom that I wanted to try. These sport a 60-degree apparent field of view, about a 20% wider apparent field of view than Plossl eyepieces. Perhaps another review would be helpful. Orion Sirius Plossl 1.25" eyepieces are ideal for all types of telescopes: reflector, refractor, and catadioptrics such as Maksutov-Cassegrains. Plossl eyepieces have 4 lenses that are paired in two doublets. We will use 10 mm as the eyepiece focal length, but we will look at three different 10 mm eyepieces, each with a different apparent field of view, AFOV. I would recommend the Baader Hyperion Zoom for any telescope. Compared with a zoomable telescope eyepiece, they are pretty much the same in terms of the quality of the image. My friend has one and he really likes it, and it is his third telescope. At shorter focal lengths they have less eye relief, and at all focal lengths they have a narrower field of view, than newer types. We are a team of active amateur astronomers, here to help you with all your astronomy and science related needs this is anything, from reviewing the latest telescopes to be released to talking about gravity and neurons. Gosky Plossl 40 mm Telescope Eyepiece - 1.25inch This is probably the worst eyepiece I can recommend. If that surface is wobbly the scope will be almost useless. As for Barlow Lenses, take a look at this article. Or is this overkill and am I better off saving money and going forward something like the Celestron Zoom? There is no shortage of accessories for the Nexstar series. Plossl eyepieces are often included in better telescope packages as the starter eyepieces. However, Orion has managed to make one that is quite compatible with most styles of telescope. A Televue Plssl may be better than a generic one, but the difference is probably not worth the additional cost. This can be debated 100 ways, but that is my advice. Yes, Plossl eyepieces are some of the most popular with amateurs and professionals alike. There is one aspect in which a Kellner can actually outperform a Plossl: eye relief. Come join the newest, most engaging and inclusive astronomy forum geared for beginners and advanced telescope users, astrophotography devotees, plus check out our "Astro" goods vendors. 14 = 128 = .6 Stargazing Help is a participant in Amazon Associates program. Unless you are a professional astronomer or extremely demanding, you can select your eyepieces based on magnification, the apparent field of view, eye relief, and price. A Plssl is probably as good as any 32mm eyepiece in a 1.25 inch focuser. This is the link to the one I plan to buy as I know some others come with add ons: https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/baader-hyperion-mark-iv-8-24mm-universal-zoom-eyepiece.html, Thats great you had an XT8i that makes me feel confident I got a good telescope . But those EPs mentioned were all great too! It uses two symmetrical pairs of glass elements (one convex and one concave) to pass the light. Stargazinghelp.com is a knowledge hub for professional and amateur astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. This would definitely matter to observers who wear eyglasses when viewing. These will normally be higher priced and may be outside the price range we show here. I have personally tested a few Super Plossl and compared them to their regular counterparts by the same brand. Good 32mm Plssls run around $30-$40. When you use a Barlow lens with an eyepiece, you get the magnification, but the eye relief is not affected. Also, atmospheric conditions can limit how much magnification you can use on a given night. Newer multi-coatings are better, I suppose, but newer does not always mean better in the ocular game. I think you will change your mind. I have four telescopes, but I use the same eyepieces in all of them. No other type can compare with it when it comes to that quality. Excellent, thank you for the breakdown, very much appreciated. 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. Another useful aspect of a wider field of view is that, assuming the entire eyepiece is sharp enough to show good images right to the edge, you dont have to nudge the telescope to track the rotation of the Earth as often with a Plossl (50 degrees) compared to a Kellner (40 degrees). If we combine a Barlow with an 8-24 mm zoom eyepiece, we have an amazing range. Le migliori offerte per Celestron 1,25 pollici Omni Plossl telescopio astronomico britannico 32 mm J8R6 sono su eBay Confronta prezzi e caratteristiche di prodotti nuovi e usati Molti articoli con consegna gratis! If you are looking at eyepieces that are wider than 55 degrees AFOV, you will again need to consider looking at the better corrected, and typically more expensive, eyepieces. All registered. 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. And since this article is intended as an aid to beginners rather than a rigorous optics lesson, I think the context I provided works well enough. 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. On the inside, they are exactly the same design. For your application and the eyepieces you have or are going to get, you really dont need anything else. Thanks, Angelo M. You picked a great first scope. These are effectively simple designs like Plossls, Kellners, Konigs, and RKEs, with long focal lengths, that have a lens included to increase their focal length. I agree. Another way to look at it is that a 30 mm eyepiece in a 3X Barlow works like a 10 mm eyepiece. Also, note that the pricing is based on 1.25 eyepieces. Orion SkyQuest XT8 Intelliscope Review Then there is the rule of thumb to avoid duplicating focal lengths when acquiring eyepieces. I also have a 25mm plossl and am happy with that. Do you have any additional comments to help me? I also like to have my face physically in contact with the eyepiece (or the eyepiece cup) so the tight eye relief of the shorter focal lengths actually works really well for me. Required fields are marked *. Other brands have joined and have used the Super Plossl label, but they all keep the original 4-piece design. Orion 12 mm Sirius Super Wide Angle Correct Image Eyepiece has a rubber eyecup that holds in light, which enables you to enjoy this powerful telescope eyepiece at night without glare or reflections from any external sources. But the conventional way of expressing it is in terms of eyepiece focal lengths. The first group is made up of a convex lens and concave lens, while the second one has four small cylindrical lenses that work together to magnify what you see through them for your viewing pleasure. How Good Are Super Plossl Eyepieces for Astronomy? Omni 56mm Eyepiece - 2" Learn More. From planetary viewing to deep sky watching. Would a higher magnification eyepiece help do you think or am I already pushing my telescope (XT8) to highest sensible magnification I can with BH zoom on setting 8mm and 2x Barlow? So your 600 mm example (f/6) becomes, in effect, an 1800 mm focal length, f/18 but it does not change the focal length of the eyepiece. The field of view of the eyepiece has a few effects when it comes to actually using it in the telescope. https://telescopicwatch.com/?s=barlow, Best of luck with your new telescope. As to a more immersive experience, yes, I would say a wider FOV does provide a more immersive experience. It also gives the widest possible exit pupil in my dob and SCT, very handy when using nebula filters. Again, I only do this for my low power wide views. My understanding of eyepieces was very limited until I read this article, you explain things in a clear and understandable way which made my understanding so much clearer. Thanks so much. They have a 60deg apparent field, long eye relief, adjustable eye shield and extremely well corrected. Tele Vue offers several series with apparent fields of view from 50 degrees to 120 degrees. The Big Bang Optics is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. So perhaps you do your line up like this. OHHH, now i get it! 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.