astronoam

I'm considering the PanaView EP as a wide field finder for a Skywatcher 120ST f5 achromat. I read somewhere that it is a little soft on the edges but I hope it will be reasonable for what it costs and a significant upgrade to my 25mm Plossl. I'm aware that there are better options out here but currently don't want to spend more. Which one is the better option, the 26mm or the 32mm? Which one has better optics? Should I choose the 26mm due to its lower weight or smaller exit pupil? My scope is attached to an eq2 mount and I plan to upgrade to a 2inch diagonal. Any thoughts?

Thanks @JTEC , I'll update if I'll find something interesting.

The reason I believe I can push it further to 4mm is the view I got from this little thing that came with the 120ST that I bought 2nd hand: Although nothing to be proud of, it was surprisingly better than the soft image I got the same night with the Zhumell 6mm + Celestron Omni Barlow. This is why I believe a decent EP, let's say the ES 52 4.5mm will still work on this setup. I understand a zoom + Barlow is a nice combination however I want to keep my setup lighter, I have a 6mm that I like very much and believe it is better than a zoom EP with a Barlow (I'm not talking about the expensive TV stuff...).

The 6mm that I have is quite weighty and also didn't work very well with the Barlow. I also have a Meade UWA 8.8 but didn't try with a Barlow yet, I'm afraid that together with the bulky Barlow it will make my scope even less steady, but I'll try it soon. I also find it less comfortable to switch between EPs, which I do quite often. One thing I do consider it to thread the Barlow to the back of the diagonal, this way it might be less noticeable, WDYT? I'm quite surprised no one here recommends the ES 52?! 🙄

Thanks @Philip R , @Louis D I believe the TV zoom is a good solution, however it's *very* expensive! I already have two nice 6mm EPs that I use for this task, I feel that adding just a little more power will be fine. Considering what I read before including @BGazing's comment to limit power to 4mm I will either get the ES 52 4.5mm or the TMB planetary 4mm (they also have a 4.5mm). Which one you think will do better in my humble f/5 scopes? I know that Explore Scientific gained themselves a good reputation and the 52 series is quite affordable but their reviews is a mixed bag... On the other hand the TMB clones are only 20£...

Thanks for the info, currently I'm not looking for another scope... maybe in the future. Any advice on which EP is more appropriate? I can manage with or without the glasses. Thanks

Hi guys, I have two f/5 scopes - a SkyWatcher 120ST (120/600 Achromat) and Orion SpaceProbe 130ST (130/650 Newtonian). I'm looking to get the best possible view for planets, especially for the SkyWatcher which I use more often even though the Newtonian is a better fit for the task but less portable. I'm quite happy with the view of Jupiter and Saturn using my 6mm Zhumell Z EP or 6mm Ortho EP however I want more power without a Barlow. I wear glasses that corrects astigmatism but must take them off to read and lately I found out that it is more comfortable for me to use the scope without them?! (I can't really explain this, maybe the astigmatism is not noticeable on higher magnifications?). I'm currently considering getting one of these: 1. Explore Scientific 52 series, 4.5mm - I know this company has very good products however I read mixed opinions on the 3mm, probably some QC issue. 2. BST StarGuider 3.2mm - this series is highly appraised on the forum but maybe this is too much? (0.64mm exit pupil)? 3. TMB Planetary clone 4mm - probably the best value for money (~20 pounds) I understand that with a 5mm I get 1mm exit pupil which is recommended but this only gives me 120x magnification and I hope for more... Which one will you recommend? I don't have a chance to try before buying. Thanks in advance