Which Delos

[Stargazer_00]

Hey all,

I'm going round in circles trying to decide which Delos to get and wanted to throw my situation out for comment.

I have a broad range of ES82s 4.7mm, 6.7mm, 8.8mm, 11mm, 14mm, 18mm and a Meade 24mm 82 degree on the end.

I also have a token 6mm BGO I used for double stars, planetary & lunar.

My scopes are all reflectors:

F5, 6" 750mm FL

F4.7 10" 1200mm FL (although this one is likely to move on in the winter)

F4.6 14" 1650mm FL

I love the natural tone of the BGO in comparison to the ES which show a yellow tint on bright objects like the moon and planets, some people might call this 'warm'

Now I want to get a Delos to see what the view is like and see if slowly swapping out the ES82s for Delos is something I want to do.

My primary question is really which is the best one to slot into my collection whilst not immediatly doubling up on an existing eyepiece but at the same time filling a slot should I want to sell the ESs and replace with Delos. You can see the conundrum.

I essentially see 3 choices:

The 8mm fits nicely inbetween 6.7mm and 8.8mm. It'll provide 206x in my main scope and 93x in my grab and go.

The 10mm fits between the 8.8mm and 11mm. It provides 165x in my main scope and 75x in my grab and go.

The 12mm fits between the 11mm and the 14mm providing 137x in my main scope and 62x in my grab and go.

Now logic tells me to buy at the shorter end. A fixed 206x eyepiece sounds alot but to be honest I've been quite comforatble using my 4.7mm in my main scope regularily and that gives 350x. I'm not scared of high mags really.

I don't think the 12mm will see as much use as a 10mm.

I also didn't state that I currently have a brand new 11mm ES 82 sitting in customs (some of you might recall when I bought my ES eyepieces that I was given a very old model 11mm 82 degree and this is about to get replaced).

All in I think the 10mm is probably the best punt. Sitting between a 8.8mm and 11mm I get the following mags in my scopes 187x (8.8), 165x (10mm), 150x (11mm) and in grab and go (not such a massive consideration in reality) 85x, 75x, 68x

Looks sensible? Any other considerations?

[GavStar]

I agree with a 10mm. I've got the 8 and 10 and like them both, but feel you would use the 10 more often. There was a problem reported on US sites with the 10, something to do with a plastic ring falling out of the bottom of the eyepiece. But I've never had a problem and haven't seen any more on this recently so maybe it was just a problem with one or two early ones.

[Damo636]

The issue with the 10mm is a fibre washer fitted over the field len, something to do with preventing light scatter iirc. I've owned this eyepiece & have witnessed it flexing under nothing more than a puff of a bulb blower. I was always nervous of it falling out & have since went back to the 10mm XW. As far as I am aware, the 10mm is the only fl in the range that uses it, but imo it cheapened an otherwise excellent eyepiece!

Edit: In answer to your question, I'd go with the 8mm :-)

[Stargazer_00]

Cheers for the heads up on the 10mm. Is this ring able to be fixed in place at all? with perhaps a tiny spot of superglue or something?

[Pig]

Graham,

I have both the 8mm & 10mm and have had no issues whatsoever with either

I would not recommend superglue as a fix, I would return any unit back as per the warranty agreement for repair, should you experience this failure.

As your intention is to replace existing eyepieces and considering your varying focal length of scopes, either would be brill.

[Scooot]

Same here Graham, Up to now I've only had 2 eyepieces so I use my 10mm a lot and haven't had the reported problem either.

[jetstream]

I would buy the 10mm.Perfect fit in your collection,with a great exit pupil in all your scopes and very useful magnifications for a broad range of sky conditions.Let us know....!

[alan potts]

Graham,

I would be drawn by the 8mm or maybe the 6mm which would fit nicely into top end on your main scope, these eyepieces are really good at high magnification, I have both the short ones and they are better than excellent.

I don't know about this washer lark on the 10mm, I had one from the day they came out and sold it mailed it on to a site member and he loves it, so looks as if this one has not had a problem. If I am honest I never saw this washer and didn't go looking for it either.

In truth what ever one you pick and I know that can be hard, will deliver the goods, it maybe why I bought two at first.

Alan.

[Stargazer_00]

cheers guys.

I think I'm going to go 10mm first as a site member has offered me one at a good price.

If that's good ill no doubt get an 8mm then a 6mm in short order. I believe the ES82s fair well at the lower magnifications but I've found them a little wanting in the mid range and more so in the high range. I believe the orthoscopic quality paired with a more comfortable eye relief will make medium and high magnification observation much more pleasing

[alan potts]

Good choice Graham.

10mm the eyepiece for every scope, well just about anyway.

Alan

[Stargazer_00]

got the 10mm today. Thanks to Andrew*

looks clear outside tonight so will put out my scopes to give it a whirl on a full moon night!

Really excited for my first Green and Black

[Scooot]

Have fun. My scopes out and I'm staring up at Arcturus twinkling so as well as a full moon I don't think the seeings a that good, but I don't care, nice to be out

[Stargazer_00]

Just been out and now back in. That moon is so bright it was like sitting under a security light! Still learning what my 14" limit are and it shows alot even under a full moon the delos is lovely puts the es eyepieces into perspective for me. They're perhaps better than I have them credit for now I have a top grade bench mark for comparison. Need a better dark night to see for sure.

[Andrew*]

I'm sure you'll enjoy it, Graham

[Stargazer_00]

OK so Ive had a couple of ventures out under dark skies with the Delos now and I'm in a bit of a pickle...

Simply put it's better than the ES eyepieces. No surprise there I guess.

The thing is I now want a full set of Delos eyepieces but I'm wondering if it's really worth the grand or so I'd have to pony up! I wouldn't get lower than a 6mm as I'd never use them, so I'm looking at getting a 6, 8, 12, 14 and 17.3. A 1250 new, maybe 900-1000 second hand.

I'm wondering if it's really worth it as the performance is not so much better than the ES82s that it's an easy decision. I like the ES eyepiecs. They are smaller, certainly. But they are also not as comfortable to use as the Delos.

I guess in reality there is no harm me slowly building a set of Delos alongside the ES eyepieces but isn't that a bit greedy?

I actually much prefer the 72 degree field of the Delos compared to the 82 degree field of the ES, maybe it's just because the eye relief is so much more comfortable on the Delos.

I think in the end it really is just the comfort that is the most appealing to me.

What would you do?

[jetstream]

I think Pig had the right idea....! I am pondering the same thing myself,with maybe a 13mm Ethos slid in there too!& they are all on sale !

[John]

The problem is, once you have experienced a performance / comfort difference for yourself, it's really quite hard to be satisfied with a little less, even if the difference is quite small / subtle

I've tried having a couple of "lines" of eyepieces in parallel with each other from time to time but you just find yourself reaching for the ones you enjoy best each time - I mean why wouldn't you ?.

If you can build the set you really want then it will last you a lifetimes observing and will suit practically any scopes you might own in the future.

[Andrew*]

Oh dear, what have I done?

I know what you mean about enjoying the 72° more... I get that with tight ER UWAs. That's why I sold my 8.5-12mm Speers WALER zoom. It was ideal in so many ways, but I could not get on with the tight eye relief and the field that was difficult to access. The Delos and XWs (and Celestron LX) are just so "useable"!

Maybe try the Nagler T4 series once.....They manage to give FOV and sharpness AND comfort. Sorry, I'm doing it again!

[Stargazer_00]

I can recall from personal experience that when I upgraded my entire eyepiece collection almost in one swoop to ES82s I was blown away by the step up however having all eyepieces at a fixed AFOV quickly loses the novelty and for me I found I quickly took them for granted.

I'm wondering if I'd get the same having a full line of Delos and maybe I should mix it up a bit. I must admit the eye relief comfort of the ES has always been a bit annoying, and the false colour (sublte but there) on bright objects, and a sort of lighter halo around the outer ring edge of the view (I believe this is internal reflections inside the EP). All of this is corrected in the Delos and contrast and sharpness is improved a little to boot (and it'd be honest and say it is only a little , maybe 10% which is how much I believe is required to see any difference at all).

Like you say, it's something to work towards. I needn't do what I did with the ES eyepieces and buy them all in a batch. I can save up and get the Delos as I go and sell off the ES when I crowd them out. I think the only other eyepiece I'd get outside of the Delos range would be the 24mm Pan everyone raves about.. or maybe a 21mm Ethos

[Pig]

I was observing the moon last night with the Nagler 3 - 6mm Zoom

The performance was brilliant to say the least, even at 3mm I could still focus to a reasonable level of sharpness ,that is a whopping 783 x magnification.

5mm or 470 x was as clear as if I where stood next to the craters.

I am pleased that I bought the zoom as apposed to the 6mm Delos as I now have 4 eyepieces instead of one for only £50 more.

I guess that is a kind of mix but I am the type of person that likes just one make / type of eyepiece, I also think I will go for the 24mm Panoptic and replace the Maxi.

[Stargazer_00]

I'm tempted to get a 3-6 zoom myself in actual fact. In my main scope it'd be 275x - 550x. So could actually see a reasonable amount of use. In my grab and go it'd give 125x - 250x which you could argue is almost essential and perfectly suits the grab and go nature of the scope having a single versatile eyepiece covering such a useful range of magnifications.

Been after a second hand 3-6 zoom for a while but they dont seem to come up often. I'm aware the eye relief is quite tight on them which contradicts the point of the reason for buying Delos over ES.. but hey, who needs rational thinking!

[John]

I think a mix is quite fun

I used to have all Naglers from 3.5mm to 31mm. I've now got the mix in my signature that varies from 42 degrees to 100 degrees. It's interesting getting different perspectives on things and some eyepiece designs are better on certain object types than others.

I do sometimes get frustrated by the large differences that there are between the position of the focal plane in a number of eyepieces though.

[Pig]

I'm tempted to get a 3-6 zoom myself in actual fact. In my main scope it'd be 275x - 550x. So could actually see a reasonable amount of use. In my grab and go it'd give 125x - 250x which you could argue is almost essential and perfectly suits the grab and go nature of the scope having a single versatile eyepiece covering such a useful range of magnifications.

Been after a second hand 3-6 zoom for a while but they dont seem to come up often. I'm aware the eye relief is quite tight on them which contradicts the point of the reason for buying Delos over ES.. but hey, who needs rational thinking!

I was concerned with eye relief as normally I find the more the better. However, for some reason ( probably the cost) the zoom seems fine, maybe because I don't have to wear spectacles.

[Damo636]

Been after a second hand 3-6 zoom for a while but they dont seem to come up often.

Might be worth a punt......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tele-Vue-Nagler-6-3-mm-Planetary-Zoom-Eyepiece-for-Astronomical-Telescope-/300955894253?pt=UK_Telescope_Eyepieces&hash=item46125e81ed

[jetstream]

I'm tempted to get a 3-6 zoom myself in actual fact. In my main scope it'd be 275x - 550x. So could actually see a reasonable amount of use. In my grab and go it'd give 125x - 250x which you could argue is almost essential and perfectly suits the grab and go nature of the scope having a single versatile eyepiece covering such a useful range of magnifications.

Been after a second hand 3-6 zoom for a while but they dont seem to come up often. I'm aware the eye relief is quite tight on them which contradicts the point of the reason for buying Delos over ES.. but hey, who needs rational thinking!

I love my zoom,to me it is a very desirable eyepiece and I over look the tightish eye relief.I have found I like different types of eyepieces and the views they provide.The Zoom,Delos,Nagler t5 are all keepers for their own reasons as are all my other 82 deg eyepieces.I'm looking at a 12mm Nagler t4 or a 13mm Ethos to round out the set & if I find the 23mm Luminos not good for the Dob,I'll check out a higher quality widefield too....All in due time of course !This is just a personal thing,liking differing types of eyepieces,but it can complicate balancing issues a bit.Can't wait to here your next pic of the bunch Graham