Because of this setup, you might also hear a Plossl eyepiece referred to as a symmetrical eyepiece. Lets give an example. But your point is well taken. When you use a Barlow lens with an eyepiece, you get the magnification, but the eye relief is not affected. By having a range of magnifications, you can optimize the image, which means you need more eyepieces. In this article, we will only focus on the differences between Plossl and Kellner eyepieces. And certainly, if you are getting into AP you are going to need that big budget. https://telescopicwatch.com/?s=barlow, Best of luck with your new telescope. No other type can compare with it when it comes to that quality. Sometimes you want to see a wider field of view to locate an astronomical object like a nebula by using nearby stars. Now we have a maximum established. The Big Bang Optics also participates in affiliate programs with Clickbank and other sites. In addition, the eyepiece would be a Huygens or Ramsden design, where two lenses made of the same type of glass could be combined to yield minimal false color fringing, as long as the focal length of the telescope remained fairly long. No surprise there. Orion Sirius Plossl 10mm telescope eyepiece 1.25" in very good to excellent 185794462395 Even if you did need a 4mm focal length (for high powers in an f/4 telescope, of course), neither a Kellner nor a Plossl would have long enough eye relief for that to be comfortably usable! The result in magnification is the same and the eye relief associated with the eyepiece is retained or, in some cases, actually lengthened a bit. The big problem with Plssls is that the eye relief is about 0.75 times the focal length. As you saw in the article, they eyepieces that would be best for you, or your child, is based on your budget and what your goals are. Also, as the apparent field of view gets wider, the image will require more correction. As a result, this can cause aberrations in the image as you move from the center of the view toward the edges. Now looking for a couple of decent eyepieces. If you are a glasses wearer and plan to keep your glasses on while you are observing, then you will likely want eyepieces with at least 17 mm of eye relief, and some glasses wearers prefer at least 20 mm. Apparent Field of View: This is a measure of how wide a view the eyepiece will provide as compared to alternate eyepieces. The design uses a planoconvex, two cemented-element eye lens and a large convex field lens. Thanks, Angelo M. You picked a great first scope. . The larger barrel allows them to create an eyepiece with a higher AFOV. They provide a range of magnifications with one eyepiece. Lower power almost always looks better than higher power. The field of view of the eyepiece has a few effects when it comes to actually using it in the telescope. Omni 32mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. i did buy an astro-tech 3.2 paradigm ed from a cloudynights.com forum member. A very good quality eyepiece for a reasonable sum. If you are going to wear your glasses when you observe, you want at least 18 mm of eye relief and 20 mm is better. This eyepiece was even better at correcting false color fringing, but because of internal reflections, the glare was even worse. This gives us more flexibility at the low end of the magnification range. Its made up of four lenses in two groups. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As to a more immersive experience, yes, I would say a wider FOV does provide a more immersive experience. Gosky Plossl 40 mm Telescope Eyepiece - 1.25inch This is probably the worst eyepiece I can recommend. Plossls are extremely versatile and can be used for all use cases. We often end up spending more on eyepieces than we did on the telescope. I do not miss beating my eyelashes against a 9.7mm Meade Plossl that I used to own. I think you will love it! They have a pop-up eye guard and they are threaded to accept filters. Do you need a 10 mm planetary and a 10 mm DSO eyepiece? That is up to you and your budget. 1:10 . EP-mm = magnification = afov So save yourself this future unnecessary expense and just buy a Plossl. With modern multi-coated optics that thwart internal reflections, Plossls and Kellners have little difference in glare or transmission/opacity. Not really. I have personally tested a few Super Plossl and compared them to their regular counterparts by the same brand. Combining a cheap eyepiece with a cheap barlow isn't a elegant solution. They can also be found as Orion Expanse sporting a blue line rather than gold. The category is over $300 and some of these are way over $300. Choosing the most appropriate can completely change your experience in using telescopes. The 26 and 32 are usually the first ones I reach for. Excellent, thank you for the breakdown, very much appreciated. 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. You have a very wide choice of brands and styles to choose from. Question: would it perform well with 1.5/2x and 3x Barlows? For your application and the eyepieces you have or are going to get, you really dont need anything else. Achromatic vs Apochromatic refracting telescopes. ES 82 degree series plus 1 meade uwa @20 mm with 1800 focal length optical tube lowest mag 51 x / highest mag 300. Modified vs Unmodified DSLR Astrophotography: The Ultimate Showdown! 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our team of experts has reviewed and ranked 180+ telescopes based on price and quality. The stock 9 and 15mm Omnis were very good. Imagine you are looking at the moon with each of these eyepieces and consider what you would see. I had a newer - purchased in 2016 Meade 32mm (white lettering) that was no better than the older 32mm 4000. A 10mm or shorter Plssl is probably not worth it unless you want to see how you personally cope with short eye relief. A Barlow lens can save you money and add flexibility. Whether it is cars or telescope eyepieces, there are inexpensive ones, upgraded models, and very expensive ones. . Some reviews also suggest replacing the diagonal. I consider the Plossl to be the minimum standard for a good eyepiece. You will get varying opinions on this but I would not worry too much about this. In general terms, the higher the AFOV number, the more the eyepiece will cost. There is the 56mm Meade Plossl which magically turns my short FL refractors into their own finder scopes. AP is all about the mount and accurate tracking. They also offer more eye relief than Plossls at the shorter focal lengths. If you are completely new to stargazing, Kellner eyepieces are absolutely fine. Kellner eyepieces, on the other hand, are generally pretty close to each other in terms of quality so theres little chance you will get much variance in image definition between brands. I havent been into the hobby for long but my experience is in line with whats been said. If you want a very good eyepiece with a bit wider field of view but are on a budget, these are very good choices. Plus the FOV expands as you zoom to the higher powers. In this article, were going to talk about what is a Plossl eyepiece, what are its components, how do they work, how many types are there and how youd buy a good Plossl eyepiece. With the XT8i I usually used the zoom configured with a 1.5X Barlow giving me a 75X to 225X which I found to be nearly perfect for that scope. I was looking on a OPT website and they have celestron 32mm and 15mm plossl. You can do that by using this long focal length eyepiece. Plossls provide very good eye relief for eyeglass wearers in focal lengths of about 25mm and longer. I had one and sold it. Then there is the rule of thumb to avoid duplicating focal lengths when acquiring eyepieces. But are they really? I found an ES 70 degree AFOV 35mm eyepiece and am wondering whether I should get this or the Orion 38 70. Offering a wide 52 apparent field of view, these 10mm, 17mm, and 25mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepieces provide extremely sharp images of impressively high contrast. The bottom line is that it is best to have several magnification choices so you can optimize the view. 130 mm scope will have a max of 260X for planning purposes. 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. Within the budget-friendly realm are the 6mm and 9mm Goldlines/Redlines (66-degree Ultra-Wide-Angle) for telescopes with a focal ratio of f/8 or longer, and the excellent 58-degree Planetary eyepieces, sold by a variety of sellers on Amazon and by Agena Astro, which come in a wide variety of focal lengths and are optically superb for their price. For that purpose it is probably easier to find one to borrow. See if you will observe with or without your glasses. Focal length telescope / focal length eyepiece = magnification or power. You can build a full set of these with good results, but be aware of eye relief, especially if you wear glasses. Type above and press Enter to search. Take a look at your manual or users guide. Sorry but I am not offering a configuration and pricing service. The sharp/crisp view you get from your 40mm Plossl comes down to the relatively low magnification it provides. This is why we recommend you try to locate the object first at low power, then use a higher magnification if you likethe wider field of view on the sky provides more context in terms of asterisms and reference stars and makes it more likely that youll catch the object you are looking for. They have a 50-56 degrees field of view, better eye relief, and cost more than Kellners. The BHZ 2 Adapter has threads on it so you can attach filters to it allowing you to use 2 filters with the zoom. Plossl eyepieces are great. I currently own a Mak127 ( that can't use 2"eyepieces) and a 80ED ( that one can hold 2"eyepieces). As for tabletop scopes, dont forget that you need a table, stool, or bench to place them. I also just bought the Celestron Starsense 102mm refractor (650mm focal length, f/6.5) as a first scope for me and my kids. 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 . The Plossl optical design is very good for long and medium focal length eyepieces, delivering a sharp, flat field and an apochromatic image. I often recommend it. For planetary viewing, comfort is essential in helping to increase viewing time . A wide range of focal lengths are available, all in 1.25-inch size. Kellner and Plossl- both are two different types of eyepieces for telescopes. Just give yourself some time to learn the app and to understand the scope. Youd have to look into more complex designs which include a barlow lens, or simply use a longer focal length eyepiece with a quality barlow. Im also uncertain about what to expect from an additional investment? This is my all-time favorite eyepiece and the one I use more than all the others put together. Since it's such a popular eyepiece and allows for quality, planet-viewing, that makes it a great instrument for attracting newcomers to the hobby, especially children. Orion Sirius Plossl 1.25" eyepieces are ideal for all types of telescopes: reflector, refractor, and catadioptrics such as Maksutov-Cassegrains. While I also have the Baader Hyperion Zoom, mentioned later, I continue to make use of the Celestron, especially in my smaller scopes. The difference in TFOV will be significant at this focal length. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Most telescopes come with one or two eyepieces, which gives you one or two magnification options. Perhaps you have read about planetary eyepieces, DSO eyepieces, and other types of specific eyepieces. This is why many telescopes come standard with at least one Plossl eyepiece. A long eye relief is also important for those who wear eyeglasses at the eyepiece, whether thats a member of the general public at a star party or an astronomer with astigmatism, which, unlike near- or far-sightedness, cannot be corrected with the telescopes own focuser. A Plossl eyepiece lens provides more eye relief than anything else out there! This is the link to the eyepiece I am looking at potentially buying, would you recommend this over the Orion one or vice versa do you think? 3. For what it's worth: I believe the Omni 1.25 inch 2x Barlow is one of the Shorty Barlows manufactured by GSO. https://telescopicwatch.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-102-130-reviewed/, If I was to upgrade these lenses, I was planning on working toward something like this: All registered. I usually recommend a 32 mm Plossl type eyepiece as that provides about the widest view you can achieve with a 1.25 focuser. 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. They also have good eye relief, making them comfortable to use for extended periods. A rubber safety cap protects the lens when not in use while also providing additional grip on this 35 mm Plossl eyepiece. If money is not a concern, you cant go wrong with Tele Vue eyepieces, any Tele Vue eyepieces. Brilliant article and I thank you for it, I was literally really confused prior to reading it. 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. 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. But you may only be able to achieve that rarely. Look those up, seeing and transparency in the context of astronomy. As said, they are cheap to compare. Theres a reason Plossls are usually kept at 52 degrees. Despite this, I also have some Plossls which are indispensable. In the next section, we will talk about the AFOV of an eyepiece. You can email me also. The Expanse is a lens that provides an extra sharp image, and it also has a wider field of view compared to the Plossl eyepiece. I often had to drop back to about 180X because of poor seeing and transparency. Another really helpful article, Ed. This saves money and helps you shop in an organized manner. I agree with your comment on zooms for kids. For the price, I think the eyepiece is still a good pick. If you want to observe the fine details of a specimen, Plossl eyepiece has a higher magnification than an ocular with lower lenses. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Well-made lenses are expensive though, so in general the more lenses, the higher the price of the eyepiece. What I can say is that, in general, eyepiece characteristics are inherent to the eyepiece. Each eyepiece gives you a unique magnification based on the formula listed at the start: Why do you need more than two eyepieces? 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! So yeah, they are good.. and some are even better than others, and more collectible. So we say that an F5 scope benefits from better corrected eyepieces more than the F10 scope. 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. Free shipping for many products! If you want to buy him $200 eyepieces so he can grow into them, that works. This Super Plossl design was better than regular Plossl eyepieces, but not by much. Also, children do not often have highly developed motor skillsso I would avoid the frustration of switching out eyepieces, and consider a zoom lens. When I was getting my start in the hobby, I bought an ultra-cheap ($15?) The magnification range that is appropriate to your scope. However the package includes a 1.25 to 2 adapter so if you have a 2 focuser you can treat this like a 2 eyepiece leaving the adapter normally included with the scope for use with other 1.25 eyepieces. You can buy a range of these from Modern Astronomy. One of the TMB Planetary eyepieces are extremely nice for 50. I can recommend these with confidence. Edited April 23, 2010 by russ teh_orph Members 28 198 Author 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.. Most likely it will be used as a loaner eyepiece to go with one of my two loaner telescopes. As I mentioned earlier in the article, not all Plossls are created equal, which simply means that there are good Plossls and then there are bad Plossls. What focal length eyepieces should I buy? I would recommend the Orion Q70 series over that. They have a 60deg apparent field, long eye relief, adjustable eye shield and extremely well corrected. I have CPC 925 and I currently own Hyperion 10mm, Hyperion 17mm and Celestron plossl 40mm. Even though there are more sophisticated types of EPs, Plossls hit the right spot between high-quality optics and price. Let us know in the comments if there is anything else you want to ask or share your thoughts on this post, always looking forward to feedback from others who will benefit from it as well! 75-225X, 1.5X Barlow But the one I am recommending here is the Tele Vue Nagler series. This design has some advantages over other designs, such as the Kellner eyepiece or Orthoscopic eyepieces. The zoom can be used with any 1.25 focuser too. Very worth it for me, as I like to use bino-viewers. Every new skill takes time. 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. Think of these as your Ford, Chevy, and Toyota of eyepieces. 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. It also was considerably more expensive. 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. I have an SCT and my eyepiece case only hasPlssls (and one Ortho) in it. Plossl telescope eyepieces are the most popular type of eyepiece on the market. This type of design provides for both total magnifications as well as an erect image with little distortion. It will also make your life easier if youre out observing on windy days that would otherwise blow off the front cover of your telescope. Customer reviews Average Rating (16 Reviews): Write a Review and share your opinions! If you had to choose 1 low-power 2 EP for chasing deep sky objects (again, at 600mm f7.5), what size piece would you go for? In our example, we targeted 200X as the top magnification. Prices can run from $20 to $200 so the field is pretty broad. 6.7 = 268 = .3 While it covers the same range as the Celestron zoom, it offers better optics, better mechanical operation, and a wider field of view. Both will provide the same magnification. 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. I had a bino pair of TV 20mm Plossls, very fine for high power planetary observation with my long focus 8" Mak, then I also bought the older TV 21mm Plossl, after trying the 21mm I sold the more recent 20mm. But dont fear that you will waste your investment as eyepieces are standard sizes. This eye piece provides the maximum true field of view in the 1.25 inch format. The Plossl is a good all-around eyepiece design, is well suited for generic use and is relatively inexpensive to make. I have to say that your questions are answered in the article. The only difference is that they have a different design as well as a shape with their lenses, which affects the magnification of your telescope view. very happy. A Plssl is probably as good as any 32mm eyepiece in a 1.25 inch focuser. Be sure to read the following as you consider your eyepiece purchases. The Orthoscopic Plossl eyepiece is for those who are interested in performing close-up work on specimens up to three inches away from them and still get high magnification. She has been looking at the sky for years and hopes to introduce more people to the wonderful hobby that is astronomy. Age is not part of the equation. 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. Here we focus on becoming a knowledge hub for astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. https://telescopicwatch.com/orion-skyquest-xt8-intelliscope-review/. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-barlow-lens-and-how-to/, Celestron 8-24 Zoom Review Any 1.25 diagonal should work. There is always more to learn but it helps if you go in with a good base understanding, and that was my goal. I am not aware of an ES branded 70 degree series in the USA, but they do have a Bresser branded 70-degree series. Lenses are fully multi-coated for excellent light transmission and reduced internal reflections. To achieve these benefits, they may use special glass and more costly manufacturing. However, if you want to optimize your viewing experience, youll need to invest in a better-quality eyepiece. 6.5-ish mm (100x & 200x) At this point, a Plossl and a Kellner are so close in price and performance that you may as well get the Plossl. 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. Do you have any additional comments to help me? Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Meade 32mm 2" 5-element Super Plossl Wide Field Eyepiece at the best online prices at eBay! For one thing, a wider field of view is almost always more pleasant. I believe the 5000 UWA's are good as well. They are not that expensive I would pay about $100 for both eye pieces. With your glasses on, you simply cant get your eye close enough to an eyepiece that only has 10 mm of eye relief. 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. Although Kellner eyepieces will help you learn a lot in the beginning but soon will realize that youre missing out on something, and eventually you will be tempted to spend money on another good quality eyepiece. Heres the short answer Plossl eyepieces are generally better than Kellner eyepieces, but they also tend to be more expensive. Then there is a pair of 32mm and 20mm TV Plossls which make my binoviewers work well with a Daystar Quark H-alpha solar filter. 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. This may be enough for many eyeglass wearers. The tradeoff was that each lens surface added another internal reflection, reducing contrast and adding glare. The availability of good quality relatively wide field-of-view inexpensive eyepieces has kind of put them in the second tier of eyepieces, but they still hold their own in the longer focal lengths and excel if one does not demand a wide field-of-view. 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. Cheap to try, and if you don't like it, easy enough to sell also. Some brands will add better lens coating, darker edges, or a higher quality case to their Super Plossl products, but strictly for performance, there isnt a difference between the two. It also produces an erect image, meaning you see what youre viewing rather than seeing everything upside down or sideways as some types do. So you would have to test the set to see the actual result. Higher priced eyepieces usually include more elements in the optical path that are there to help reduce or eliminate aberrations that can be seen around the edges of lower cost eyepieces. Plssl eyepieces are good all-around performers, producing sharp images at the center of the field, but they have only four lens elements. They are all made by the same OEM manufacturer. Offered in both 2 and 1.25, these are excellent eyepieces. Plossl eyepieces are typically used for observing and viewing things at long distances, but they can also be useful when using a telescope to provide both magnifying power and erecting the images. Put the zoom on the Barlow for the high range. Best suited for telescopes with f-ratios f6 or slower. Omni 9mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. One learns by observing. I am looking for as much as best I can buy. 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. Ever since, I have been attempting to cram in every fact about the Universe, I can find into my head. Ive added comments on where you may find and use them. Which is Stronger? They are also really sharp. The Plossl eyepiece is a four-element design consisting of two doublets. NEW. If that surface is wobbly the scope will be almost useless. Plossl eyepieces are very good and fairly inexpensive, typically between $25 and $50 each. Then there is a pair of 32mm and 20mm TV Plossls which make my binoviewers work well with a Daystar Quark H-alpha solar filter. Theres a wide range of quality when it comes to Plossls and trusting the brand you are getting one from matters a lot if you dont want to get an eyepiece with lots of reflection or optical issues. Plossl eyepieces have an eye relief equal to about 80% of their focal length. I just ordered Hyperion 13mm and 21mm but I really like how sharp and crisp view is in plossl 40mm. 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. When you are shopping, if you need long eye relief, make sure you are selecting the correct ones. I foolishly destroyed it while experimenting with solar projection, because I hadnt realized the metal-and-glass construction was aided by a plastic retaining ring on the field stop, and I hadnt realized you do not need to change the eyepiece focal length when doing solar projection. the reality is that today's eyepieces are all quite good, particulalarly in an f/10 telescope. Jupiter and Saturn are low in the sky now. The design of a Plossl eyepiece consists of an objective lens with one side that is convex (wider than its length) while the other side is plano-convex or flat in shape. No results, please adjust your filters. So, I am going to organize the guide around five questions and four formulas. The TFOV of the Hyperion will be greater than the TFOV of the Plssl, but the magnification will be about the same. In some cases, the eyepieces are waterproof to protect them from internal contamination caused by heavy dew conditions.
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