15 mm (ish) EPs for use in a Binoviewer

[Mark in Macc]

I'm looking for a pair of 15 mm (ish) EPs that would be suitable for use in a binoviewer. I have a pair of 25mm TV plossls that are excellent and a pair of 20mm Williams Optics 66deg EPs that come with the binos that are also very good. Both have decent eye-relief and a large eye lens which I find easy to use with a bino. Can anyone recommend any 15mm EPs with similar features? BST Explorer 15 mm? Vixen NLV 15 mm?

Thanks,

Mark.

[Naemeth]

I've have two Vixen LVs (optically the same as the NLVs, they just have a rubber eyecup rather than a twist up one). They perform well at F/5, but bear in mind they have quite a narrow FOV, in some respects they are like an ortho with a long eye relief. In terms of optical quality, I've read that they are only slightly behind orthos and Radians, which are in turn slightly behind the XF 8.5mm and XWs.

The good news is, that if you can get one second hand, they usually sell quite cheaply as newer eyepieces have come with slightly better and more modern coatings (I paid ~£35 for my 2.5mm and 7mm).

[alan potts]

The eye-relief is not fantastic but what about a pair of the Maxvision 16mm SWA recently talked about on another thread.

Alan

[Mark in Macc]

The main reason I posted on the ES 68 deg 16 mm EPs was to check their suitability for binos. Reading the replies, I suspect eye relief may be an issue. One of the main reasons I have switched to binos is comfort, so that is paramount in selecting EPs for me. That post does, however, seem to have helped highlight some real bargains though, but unfortunately nothing that I can take advantage of.

[Stargazer_00]

15mm BST would be good in my opinion. very comfortable and a pretty good field of view.

[bingevader]

You have one 15mm TV Plossl, but I'm guessing the eye relief is too tight for you to consider another to make a matching pair?

Cheers

[Mark in Macc]

It's my last remaining small TV Plossl and the next to be sold. I bought the 8 mm a couple of years ago and won't be making that mistake again! All purchased from the US, so I haven't lost on them. The 25 and 32 mm are very easy on the eye to me, but not the smaller ones.

[bingevader]

I like my 11mm, but I know what you mean, I wouldn't go any lower!

How about two 14mm ES 82^o EPs (15mm eye relief), would they fit in a binoviewer?!

Cheers

[Mark in Macc]

I have the 30 mm ES 80 deg which is really very good, but I do need to move my head and immerse my eyeball to see the whole FOV. You can't really do that with binos. There would be a fair amount of the available FOV unavailable, if you know what I mean. It had crossed my mind though.

[great_bear]

In my Mak 180, the 14mm Meade Series 5000 Plossl* eyepieces work astonishingly well, and are my main eyepiece. I rarely use anything else and found they beat the much-vaunted 16mm Brandons by a big margin in this scope.

(*they are not actually "Plossls")

[Mark in Macc]

Thanks for the feedback, a few good ideas as usual. I would love to stretch to Delos or XW, but a pair might cause some trouble at home. I'll post separately on the Vixen's and see what people think. I do like my Japanese glass it's fair to say. Cheers, Mark.