Which barlow lens to get???

[mpeniak]

Hello

I got Celestron C8, which has 1000mm focal length and if I am right it is f/5. I am buying toucam and would like to try some astro-imaging. How powerful should a barlow lens be to bring reasonably close images of eg. moon, Saturn and jupiter?

Thanks for your help

Martin

[John]

Hello

I got Celestron C8, which has 1000mm focal length and if I am right it is f/5. I am buying toucam and would like to try some astro-imaging. How powerful should a barlow lens be to bring reasonably close images of eg. moon, Saturn and jupiter?

Thanks for your help

Martin

My C8 (a Schmidt Cassegrain) has a focal length of just over 2000mm and gives very nice imagesof the Moon and Saturn at high power (haven't tried it on Jupiter yet). A 2x barlow lens you give you the same equivilent focal length. My recommendation would be the Celestron Ultima 2x Barlow or a Tele Vue 2x Barlow. These are not the cheapest (£70 and £95 respectively, new) but are generally thought to be the best of their type.

John

[Akyra]

My recommendation would be the Celestron Ultima 2x Barlow

I second that, picked mine up from rus and am very happy with it

[jcm]

I have an Antares 2X APO barlow ( similar spec to Ultima) for sale in the members buy/sell if your interested.

John

[centroid]

I have both a standard Celestron x2 achromat Barlow, and the Celestron x2 Ultima apochromat.

The Ultima is in a 'different league' to the standard unit, both physically and optically. Its very much a case of, 'you get what you pay for', so if you can afford to do so, go for Ultima and you won't be disappointed.

I also have a TeleVue x5 Power Mate, which is around twice the price of the Ultima. Again excellent optical and build quality, but IMO, not as good a value for money, as the Celestron. The TeleVue, IMO, being somewhat overpriced.

The X2 is probably the best 'all rounder', as the times when the 'seeing' is good enough to use the x5 Power Mate, is all to infrequent.

Hope this helps your thinking.

Dave

[nodavinci]

I am a firm believer in get what you pay for -but I've seen Barlows on EBAY from 99p! Are they really not worth wasting time on. I am a complete newby and have just bought a Skywatcher 130P. THe weather being what it is in Scotland, I've hardly seen the sky, let alone objects IN the sky!! Thanks for your advice.

[bomberbaz]

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/167228-barlow-lens/

Revived an old thread here nodavinci. Try reading the thread above, some good answers on there.

My experience for whats its worth, which I will admit is limited is the very cheap ones are to be avoided. Someone mentions the revalation there is also celestron omni barlows.

Also depends on what you want it for and how much you are prepared to pay.

[RT65CB-SWL]

I have a Klee 2.8x It's great on visual.

[nodavinci]

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/167228-barlow-lens/

Revived an old thread here nodavinci. Try reading the thread above, some good answers on there.

My experience for whats its worth, which I will admit is limited is the very cheap ones are to be avoided. Someone mentions the revalation there is also celestron omni barlows.

Also depends on what you want it for and how much you are prepared to pay.

Cheers! I've read that now. What I really need is to SEE! Then I can decide how much is worth spending! I got interested in this at the wrong time. I'm going to go to the local astronomy club once it restarts in the New Year. Maybe I'll get a chance to test some equipment there. This further reading has also raised another issue for me - namely, should I be looking at eyepieces first? Having got a couple with the Skywatcher Explorer 130P I just bought, I assumed a simple and flexible addition to my kit would be a barlow, but maybe this is not where I should be spending my next money. Any views on what would be best?  THanks again 

[bomberbaz]

Cheers! I've read that now. What I really need is to SEE! Then I can decide how much is worth spending! I got interested in this at the wrong time. I'm going to go to the local astronomy club once it restarts in the New Year. Maybe I'll get a chance to test some equipment there. This further reading has also raised another issue for me - namely, should I be looking at eyepieces first? Having got a couple with the Skywatcher Explorer 130P I just bought, I assumed a simple and flexible addition to my kit would be a barlow, but maybe this is not where I should be spending my next money. Any views on what would be best?  THanks again

I think u got it spot on tbh, go to your locel club. Take your scope, try things out and talk to poeple, then start to form a decission on whats best. For now, I would do nothing.