10mm Delos Versus 9mm BGO

[faulksy]

I hope it isn't duff   cost me £50 , It is in mint condition ( that may be a concern )

Its simple to me, its just not as good

shaun don't be upset by your review everything you said is spot on from your side, don't beat yourself up about it. maybe your bgo is duff maybe that's why it was for sale, or maybe its fine and you didn't get on with the tight eyerelief after using the delos. don't worry buddy

[John]

shaun don't be upset by your review everything you said is spot on from your side, don't beat yourself up about it. maybe your bgo is duff maybe that's why it was for sale, or maybe its fine and you didn't get on with the tight eyerelief after using the delos. don't worry buddy

Quite right. You called it how you saw it Shaun 

[Qualia]

It's great to read what you found, Shaun, of your working conclusions and it's nice to hear other people's reports in response.

As you know, although using different scopes offering different magnifications, I also work with the 9mm BGO and 10mm Delos but the problem with any review of these two eyepieces is that I feel we're comparing two very different beasts.

The Delos, for example, simply exudes luxuriousness. It has amble eye-relief, a very generous field of view, the image remains clear and sharp throughout, the blackness of the background is outstanding and its comfort of use, ergonomics and performance in the superlative makes it the obvious winner. Indeed, from what I've experienced and read there surely are very few eyepieces on the market which could compete.

But then we've also got to look at that little 9mm Ortho and see what it can do.

Even when brand new and being marketed it was already about 200% cheaper than the Delos but with that said, the relatively weighty, solidly constructed little gem puts up an unbelieveable fight. Sure, it has a very narrow field of view and very short eye relief but It amazes me how sharp and clear the views remain and that the only eyepiece in my experience which can come close and then surpass it's abilities is the mighty Delos. Indeed, on the back of how these little orthos performed I sold up my few X-Cels LXs and Hyperions to buy a working horse, widefield ortho (the Delos).

In my own case, then, both eyepieces perform wonderfully in the f/5 10" and give the observer different experiences of the same object being viewed. In terms of contrast, sharpness and clarity the BGOs surrender a performance that perhaps only something like the Delos or Ethos could better, which says an awful lot.

Just my tuppence

[Luke]

Hmmm. I am a bit surprised after all. I was confusing BGO with BST

[Pig]

shaun don't be upset by your review everything you said is spot on from your side, don't beat yourself up about it. maybe your bgo is duff maybe that's why it was for sale, or maybe its fine and you didn't get on with the tight eyerelief after using the delos. don't worry buddy

Cheers Mike, I am not beating myself up lol   it may not have been the most popular outcome but the review states exactly what I found, it may be the fact that I am used to eating fillet steak and just tried some sirloin and it wasn't as tender on the eye.

Thank you for you caring about me    Its not true what they say about the Welsh

Quite right. You called it how you saw it Shaun 

Thank you John, I always strive in life to say what I find and this may help other folk when choosing an eyepiece. I really was hoping the BGO was going to be great, it jut wasn't on this occasion

[Pig]

Qualia,

I couldn't agree more, the BGO is in a eyepiece case full of Titans and even for it to be in the same line up says something. There are reasons why something costs 200% more and Luxury and build quality are but 2, It just may be that 40deg FOV is not for me.

I just hope it performs better next time otherwise it will be exiled

[Pig]

Hmmm. I am a bit surprised after all. I was confusing BGO with BST

Me too Luke   Surprised that is.

I do find though eyepieces are very individual and what works for some will not work for others

I have read a review from 2011 and the guy was comparing a 9mm X-cel and a 9mm BGO, he also states he was disappointed in its performance on stars. However, he did state on Jupiter he could not tell them apart. I have owned a set of X-cels and they are very good.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have just remembered that I did once look through a BGO, either an 18 or 25 mm in a Meade 10" SCT. I had my C8 next to it with a Nagler T4 of a very similar magnification. In my view the Nagler had a distinct edge over the BGO. This may in part be the extra comfort offered by the T4. It is easier to spot fine detail when you are relaxed.

[Pig]

I have just remembered that I did once look through a BGO, either an 18 or 25 mm in a Meade 10" SCT. I had my C8 next to it with a Nagler T4 of a very similar magnification. In my view the Nagler had a distinct edge over the BGO. This may in part be the extra comfort offered by the T4. It is easier to spot fine detail when you are relaxed.

 I found this too Michael I guess it is down to " each to their own" 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

 I found this too Michael I guess it is down to " each to their own" 

Absolutely. At the time I did not tell the owner of the BGO, partly because that would be rude, but more because the group he belonged to seemed to be a kind of purist "The One True Eyepiece is the Orthoscopic" community (I just commented that the image of Saturn was very nice (which it was)). He did have a look through my scope, and was rather silent afterwards. I sensed a slight cooling of the atmosphere towards me, which baffled me a bit, I must say.

[Pig]

Absolutely. At the time I did not tell the owner of the BGO, partly because that would be rude, but more because the group he belonged to seemed to be a kind of purist "The One True Eyepiece is the Orthoscopic" community (I just commented that the image of Saturn was very nice (which it was)). He did have a look through my scope, and was rather silent afterwards. I sensed a slight cooling of the atmosphere towards me, which baffled me a bit, I must say.

Lol, you do have to be very careful at times as some people get very protective about their belongings, which is understandable to a degree as they have probably spent their hard earned cash on them

No excuse for the cold shoulder treatment though, look on the bright side, one chromosome different and that could be you 

[AlexB67]

 This may in part be the extra comfort offered by the T4. It is easier to spot fine detail when you are relaxed.

I  get the impression the comfort/ease factor is easy to underestimate and something I value in my short time so far, and may also be a factor that can easily affect the overall opinion of an eyepiece. I had that thought a few days ago deciding on short eyerelief plossls as a no go for me. It is not as if I can't use them without glasses, but one of my reasons, the smaller FOV aside which would not be a deal breaker, it is uncomfortable for me even without glasses compared to my BST to use for a length of time. On the other hand, BST, plant your eye, full FOV edge to edge at the price of very little effort.

When you sit at an eyepiece for a half an hour, even taking the eye away intermittently to have a little break for a few seconds, I find it takes quite a bit of effort and concentration. Anything to make that easier helps, it adds immersion too and I find I just take in more information as it were.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

It is not justthe eye relief of course. A 25mm ortho has a very good eye relief of 20mm. I used to have a Circle-T 25mmwhich was very nice indeed. Even an 18 is quite passable at 15mm eye relief (borderline with glasses, however). The shape of the top of the EP has a big impact in how easy it is to put your eye in the right place. EPs also vary in their degree of kidney-beaning. One other factor may simply have been the fact that I was used to the Nagler, but not to the ortho in question.

[AlexB67]

A BST has 13mm eyerelief ( I think )  contrary to some reports, it depends where you measure it from I gather. Anyway, I find that very comfy to use with glasses. I'd only find it an issue in the short focal lengths I should say, a 15mm or longer focal length I'd have no issue with I reckon, the 25mm SW plossl I find is easy to use.   The twist up eyecup helps too for comfortable use to get that right spot and avoid blackouts for me, another feature I like and something for example my stock SW 10mm plossl does not have. the 10mm you have to plant the eye close, it fogs up quickly if you are warm, long eyelashes get in there too on occasion, eyepiece gets covered in muck quite quickly too, all in all, not so much  for me I think :0).

In the end of the day I know nothing about the BGO eyepieces how easy or comfortable they are to use from experience, but if I am not mistaken they not amongst the easier ones on the eye, though I could be wrong. 

[Pig]

I have only used one BST and it was excellent

[Stu]

I'm interested to know whether the BGO was new or used? Sometime ago, I had a BGO which I was going to sell (not a 9mm) and during cleaning managed to spill some cleaning fluid on the lens, which found its way in between the elements of the ep. I let it dry out in a warm room and the fluid completely disappeared.

I duly sold the ep, and I subsequently heard that the buyer had not been impressed with it and sold it on again quite quickly to someone I know (names withheld to protect the innocent). They contacted me and asked if I knew of any issues with it, so I told the story, and offered to buy it back at the same price. This was not taken up, and the new owner dismantled the ep, cleaned the residue off and as far as I am aware it now performs as it should.

I, of course, felt bad for selling a dodgy ep, but my point is that there was no visible evidence from looking at it that there was anything wrong. It is just possible that something similar happened to the 9mm you have?

Cheers,

Stu

[faulksy]

I'm interested to know whether the BGO was new or used? Sometime ago, I had a BGO which I was going to sell (not a 9mm) and during cleaning managed to spill some cleaning fluid on the lens, which found its way in between the elements of the ep. I let it dry out in a warm room and the fluid completely disappeared.

I duly sold the ep, and I subsequently heard that the buyer had not been impressed with it and sold it on again quite quickly to someone I know (names withheld to protect the innocent). They contacted me and asked if I knew of any issues with it, so I told the story, and offered to buy it back at the same price. This was not taken up, and the new owner dismantled the ep, cleaned the residue off and as far as I am aware it now performs as it should.

I, of course, felt bad for selling a dodgy ep, but my point is that there was no visible evidence from looking at it that there was anything wrong. It is just possible that something similar happened to the 9mm you have?

Cheers,

Stu

that could well be the case, never thought of that

[Pig]

I'm interested to know whether the BGO was new or used? Sometime ago, I had a BGO which I was going to sell (not a 9mm) and during cleaning managed to spill some cleaning fluid on the lens, which found its way in between the elements of the ep. I let it dry out in a warm room and the fluid completely disappeared.

I duly sold the ep, and I subsequently heard that the buyer had not been impressed with it and sold it on again quite quickly to someone I know (names withheld to protect the innocent). They contacted me and asked if I knew of any issues with it, so I told the story, and offered to buy it back at the same price. This was not taken up, and the new owner dismantled the ep, cleaned the residue off and as far as I am aware it now performs as it should.

I, of course, felt bad for selling a dodgy ep, but my point is that there was no visible evidence from looking at it that there was anything wrong. It is just possible that something similar happened to the 9mm you have?

Cheers,

Stu

Thank you Stu that's very interesting.

That would be fantastic if it was something that simple, are they straightforward  to take apart etc?

I did not buy the eyepiece new but it in very good condition.

[nightfisher]

I'm interested to know whether the BGO was new or used? Sometime ago, I had a BGO which I was going to sell (not a 9mm) and during cleaning managed to spill some cleaning fluid on the lens, which found its way in between the elements of the ep. I let it dry out in a warm room and the fluid completely disappeared.

I duly sold the ep, and I subsequently heard that the buyer had not been impressed with it and sold it on again quite quickly to someone I know (names withheld to protect the innocent). They contacted me and asked if I knew of any issues with it, so I told the story, and offered to buy it back at the same price. This was not taken up, and the new owner dismantled the ep, cleaned the residue off and as far as I am aware it now performs as it should.

I, of course, felt bad for selling a dodgy ep, but my point is that there was no visible evidence from looking at it that there was anything wrong. It is just possible that something similar happened to the 9mm you have?

Cheers,

Stu

I was the purchaser of this 18mm BGO, and still own it, and no i wont part with it, i really felt i had bought a bit of a dodgy ep, especially considering the reputation of these BDO`s, i struggled to get the field stop out to dismantle it but i persevered and after giving it a decent and careful clean, its now my most used ep  Happy days

Thank you Stu that's very interesting.

That would be fantastic if it was something that simple, are they straightforward  to take apart etc?

I did not buy the eyepiece new but it in very good condition.

If you choose to dismantle this ep, go carefully as they are a pig to get apart

[Pig]

LOL @" pig" to get apart