Long Relief - Does it make a difference

[hayju01]

Hvaing got frustrated on too many occasions with having to remove my glasses to look in my scope and then replace to check the finder/pc image and then at some point (many times during a session) finding my self running out of hands to hold EPs, SPC, and specs being able to focus the scope then becomes a problem.

Do these type of EP's really work and woudl the enble me to keep my specs on?

William Optics - William Optics SPL eyepiece

[Darren B]

A short answer, yes.

I too wear glasses and keep them on when viewing. The eyepieces I use are Baader Hyperions, TMB/BO & TS-HR Planetaries and the WO SPLs. So much easier to use.

[dweller25]

Yes they do work. I have moved 100% onto long ER eyepieces that allow me to observe and draw whilst keeping my glasses on.

[hayju01]

Thanks Darren and David, I'll see what the kids have in their piggybanks ;-)

[bish]

I don't wear glasses but still prefer long eye relief as I find it more comfortable and so can spend longer observing.

[Jarvo]

Yep agree With everything said here.

I've got a televue 8mm radian with 20mm of eye relief. Transforms the viewing experience.

Jarvo

[bish]

Yep agree With everything said here.

I've got a televue 8mm radian with 20mm of eye relief. Transforms the viewing experience.

Jarvo

Great ep - I use it all the time.

[hayju01]

Thanks for all your comments.

So if i had say £70 to spend on a small (3mm approx) EP which Long Eye Relief would you recommend?

I see FLO have both Celestron X-Cel or the WO SPLs or am I just wasting my money and better off saving to get a Vixen?

I only have EPs that came with my scope(s) and hear that these are OK but not briliant. My 10mm/17mm Plossl are great as is the 25mm that came with my Celestron but the other 25mm and more importantly my 6.5mm is not so good its useable but judging my the cheapy scope it came with and the narrow entry I'm sure its not giving me the best views possible.

Any advice or recommendations most welcome?

Justin

[Luke]

I don't wear glasses but still prefer long eye relief as I find it more comfortable and so can spend longer observing.

Same here, I find the Radian with its 20mm eye relief very comfy though I don't wear glasses.

[Darren B]

Thanks for all your comments.

So if i had say £70 to spend on a small (3mm approx) EP which Long Eye Relief would you recommend?

I see FLO have both Celestron X-Cel or the WO SPLs or am I just wasting my money and better off saving to get a Vixen?

I only have EPs that came with my scope(s) and hear that these are OK but not briliant. My 10mm/17mm Plossl are great as is the 25mm that came with my Celestron but the other 25mm and more importantly my 6.5mm is not so good its useable but judging my the cheapy scope it came with and the narrow entry I'm sure its not giving me the best views possible.

Any advice or recommendations most welcome?

Justin

I have the WO 3mm SPL and the 12.5mm version as well. They are very well made with good optics. I'm happy with mine and have no plans to upgrade to a more expensive model.

I cannot comment on the Celestron X-Cels as I have never used them.

[part timer]

I would stay well, well, well clear of the exel eyepieces. even for glasses wearers there is just tooooooooo much eyerelief.

the WO eyepieces are much better.

I like the TMB designed planetary eyepieces which are avialable from several supliers under different names (al containing the word planetary).

Radians are cool, but carry Televue prices i'm afraid!

Some say you lose on details when moving to better eyerelief eyepieces but I've not seen that at all. the extra comfort means I see far more than I did with plossls and orthos.

[Orion_the_Hunter]

I like the TMB designed planetary eyepieces which are avialable from several supliers under different names (al containing the word planetary).

As a glasses wearer, I find my 6mm TMB great.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I now never touch anything with less than 17mm eye relief (which is why at some point the 14mm UWA will have to be replaced by Nagler T4s). Makes all the difference. The TMB Planetaries and clones have a good reputation.

[Gina]

In my ignorance I bought a 4mm Plossl EP with practically zero eye relief - big mistake, I know better now. I am short sighted and wear glasses but can use EPs without them. My trouble is I put them down and then can't see to find them! I've tried a chain round my neck but then they catch in everything.

Like has been said, a Barlow increases eye relief and I use 10mm EP and x2 Barlow in preference to the 4mm Plossl.

[hayju01]

Thanks to everyone for their comments and advice. I have placed an order for the WO SPL 3mm and it should be here tomorrow/Wed :-)

I decided to go with this as the it doesnt appear that FLO have the TMBs and I wanted to test run their new website :-D

That gets top marks and i'll let you know how the 3mm goes.

Justin

[thommo10]

I to wear glasses, I purchased a 12.5 wo planetary ep from FLO and I find it very comfortable to use, I would recomend these ep's for spectical wearers.

[chemtom24]

Thanks Darren and David, I'll see what the kids have in their piggybanks ;-)

PMSL

[keithmrris]

If you wear glasses, YES. But be careful. Last year after much foot dragging and getting tired of removing mine when looking at things like the LCD screen on the back of my camera, I gave in and had some bifocals made up. BIG mistake was they made the bifocal part a bit on the big side so I wouldn't have problems with PC monitors. Now when I look through an eyepiece I get half a blurred view and I can see the diving line of my glasses.

As a result as soon as I can afford a new pair I am going back to single vision lenses when using a telescope.

Keith

[Gina]

I tried bifocals some while ago and just couldn't get used to them.

[hayju01]

I have considered digging out a pair of my old specs and removing the righthand lense, not sure that will help me with the finderscope though:-)

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have varifocals, and use an old pair of single focal glasses for astronomy. When I need to consult a star atlas, I just take them off, and hang the astigmatism. When I got my latest varifocals, I also had the frame of my previous pair of (varifocal) glasses refitted with single focus glasses corrected for a comfortable distance behind the computer, because varifocals gave me a crick in the neck, when working behind the computer.

[banner001]

someone needs to invent a lense that you can put on your eye, so its like looking through a lense in your glasses but they are in contact with your eye.

until that happens, and this might be as i have prominant eyebrows, but i can rest my glases on top of my eyebrows, lok through the EP, then quick pantene shake of the head and they are back on my nose

[hayju01]

I might have to try and encourage my eyebrows to grow, wondering if you can that smaller mesh lije they use for topiary!

[Astro Imp]

I wear varifocals and never take them off, don't have any problems.

[hayju01]

The problem I find is that my perripheral (?) vision keeps 'annoying' me :-)