EP's for astigmatism sufferers.

[GaryM]

Hi Eastridge, yes will let you know. Nice part of the world you live in too. Was there this summer on the Tarka Trail. Steve I did not think about the coating even though I have it on my varifocals. Quick call to Opticians tomorrow I think.

[Steven_J]

Hi all.

I'm in this boat as well, and while I find using a telescope to be relatively easy and joyous, binoculars are a fresh hell.

I bought a pair of 10x50 Helios Fieldmasters a while back to help me learn the sky and observe more often as I wasn't getting my scope out more than twice a quarter. While I find I can focus with my stronger(left) eye, my right doesn't focus with the adjustment and no matter how I change the pupilary distance, the image never merges to make a solid, clean sight. Everything is in double vision.

Has anyone else had this experience with bins? And if so, do contacts help because I still use glasses and have been considering contacts ever since getting the bins.

[Moonshane]

I use contacts exclusively now. I don't have astigmatism (well maybe <0.25) but am quite short sighted these days without them.

they are the aquagel ones which I literally put in for a month; I sleep in them and never take them out all month and then throw them away. they are great and about £18 pm from Specsavers. at certain angles or when very tired, I get a bit of flare but that's a small price to pay for the convenience.

[Eastridge]

Thanks Gary. Yes it's lovely down here I walk a bit of the Tarka everyday and always something to look at with changing tides etc. Frosty mornings right now as lovely as sunny summer days. Downsides too like some of the lowest average wages in the country, but thankfully as our working days are over not an issue for us.

Anti reflective coating good idea thanks Steve.

[GaryM]

Hello Visofsar, this may be a daft question but as you wear glasses do you fold down the rubber eye-cups so that you can get your specs / eyes closer to the lense. You may find some answers on the "Discussions - Binoculars" and or "Observing with Binoculars" forums, have you tried these? Also the link for BinocularSky that you will find there.

[Steven_J]

I have given that a go, and when the stray light is addressed, does help with the clarity of the image. It does not however fix the separate images merge to one whole.

Also the Binocular Sky is brilliant, but there is something mighty sad about missing out on a major point of using them. I'll send this question that way next then.

Thank you Gary.

[GaryM]

Eventually I have finally received the bifocals I ordered weeks ago. Now just need a clear sky to try them out. Could be weeks again at this rate.

[coopman827]

If you have to observe with your glasses on due to severe astigmatism (as I do), you need to get eyepieces that have at least 17mm of eye relief. I mainly use Baader Hyperions and Televue Radians. I haven't bought a Televue Delos yet, but they have replaced the Radian line.

[GaryM]

Well I have tried out my bi-focals and at the moment I cannot say if there is much of an improvement. In the fitting the "demarcation" line between the distance / near sight was set at my lower eye-lid which is normal. However I think it needs to be lower than that as so as to maximise the distance aspect. Say by another 2 mm. However I am still experiencing some spikiness with my prescription so need to go back to my Optician for a chat. Note that If you google "Astronomy Glasses" lots of links come up for this very topic mainly led by our cousins on the other side of the pond. I am better informed from these. People have tried different approaches which have all probably been mentioned. Contacts, distance only, bifocals, using John Lennon style glasses to get your eye closer to the eye piece etc...

There are a couple of articles which suggested that the astigmatism effect can be removed by utilising a lower exit pupil. Here is one..

http://www.astronomyforum.net/binoculars-forum/142216-astigmatism-eyeglasses-exit-pupil.html

[Eastridge]

Thanks Gary - I'll stick with single vision for observing for the moment I think. Must get round to getting contact lens perscirption updated so can try that out.

It's a catch 22 on Exit Pupil for me - small reduces the effect of the astigmatism but increases the effect from my floaters!

[rwilkey]

Interesting comments there Eastridge. You say you have researched this subject and your findings point to a Televue EP but you are managing with high eye relief EP's

Which EP's are you using please. I am not intending rushing out and buying just yet because of the costs involved, so I need to be sure I make the right decission for me but I want as much info as possible.

I found these http://www.opticalvi...f_ler_eyepieces and they look an interesting option.

Regards, Steve.

Despite negative feedback on this forum, I have found these ep's very good, also known as 'LET' ep's they are often quoted as LER ep's, which was their replacement set, and these are quite different in my view. I don't know about astigmatism so can't advise you here Steve, nor have I tried them at f/5. The LET ep's you refer to are one of the only truly parfocal ep's I have ever come across. The 2mm is totally unuseable, of course, but on the whole I love these ep's and I am sorry they have been discontinued by SW, but I know sales were low. The twist-up eyecups are also a great bonus (very much like the Pentax ones) and essential to use when using these ep's (without spectacles). I bought mine through Ebay and also direct from Phil Burton Photography in Bungay, a jolly decent chap I might add.

[bomberbaz]

Thanks for the heads up rwikey. I ended up getting two celestron lx x-cel ep's and two baader hyperion ep's with tuning rings plus a 2xbarlow. (oh and a BST also) The amount of permutations this gives me is very comprehensive, far more than I am likely to need.

When we eventually get some decent viewing conditions, i aim to try out some of the permutations that cross over such as a barlowed 18 mm celestron compared to a 10mm baader wih 14mm tuning ring. These will be wearing glasses and also maybe without as the exit will be small and I may manage without them. I shall report back, probably in a new thread so others with similar issues can have the feedback.

Steve/Baz