Which zoom

[starwonder]

Hi all, just picked up my new Orion Optics VX10 Dob on Friday. It comes with stock 26mm EP which I used Friday night with reasonably good seeing to see M31, gosh that is an awesome size even with light polution you get a much bigger perspective of how big it is compared to bino's can't wait to try it in the Lakes soon.

Anyway back to Which Zoom? After posting a topic a few months ago regarding which EP I am coming to think that a zoom might be a better option for the 6 or 8mm to 22 or 24mm range. I've read about the Pentax XL and Baader Hyperion zoom's and won't be able to afford a Leica, so can anyone recommend a pretty good zoom for an f4.8?

Many thanks

[brantuk]

I use the Hyperion zoom. It's very flexible having several uses and dslr attachment facility. A little narrow at the low power end - but then it is a zoom not a wide field eyepiece. I use it primarily for setting up - but often it remains in the scope all night cos it does produce a crystal clear view with little or no internal reflection. Certainly worth trying one out if you can find a chum who has one to lend you for a session.

[Kirscovitch]

I was also thinking about getting a zoom. I'll be spying on this post! 

[wxsatuser]

I use the Baader Zoom with my SW 80ED Pro, gives nice crisp views and easily takes my Canon 60Da perched on top.

I have the matching Zoom Barlow but have not used that yet but it's just the same nice construction as the EP.

[John]

I've tried a few zooms including the Hyperion but, personally, I prefer fixed focal length eyepieces. I found the Hyperion great for solar viewing in a PST but found the restrictive field of view at the longer focal lengths (just where you want it wider !) annoying and the fixed focal length Hyperions all slightly out performed the zoom in optical terms. I made an exception for the Nagler 3-6 zoom a couple of times in the past but even with that the 50 degree FoV was not really enough in my dobs and alt-az mounted scopes. I looked long and hard at getting a Leica zoom very recently but the feedback I had from owners suggested that it's ultimate performance comes in refractors rather than faster newtonians.

I guess I'm just not a zoom person ! 

[Peter Drew]

The Hyperion is probably your best bet overall. I use inexpensive zooms at F10 for solar viewing and a Leica on my C8 in Tenerife. At F10 there isn't a remarkable difference in performance considering the price differential.     

[starwonder]

Thanks for the comments guys. Yes I heard at the lower mag the FOV is not brill and as I plan to study galaxies as well as planets I think I may be better off with a wider dedicated EP for galaxies and use the zoom for planets and other DSO's. After all if the Baader gives 68 degrees up to 20mm can't complain about that really.

With the Baader barlow I guess it'd also extend the range from about 4mm to 12mm, would it maintain 68 degree FOV in that configuration?

[Oily]

You may want to consider a Seben Zoom,don't be put off the cheap price tag!

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/199738-cheap-but-good-zoom-eyepiece/?hl=%2Bseben+%2Bzoom#entry2114221

[Luke]

I'm tempted to get a zoom for solar. I had a Baader Mk2 zoom before getting into solar and sold it. I agree with John that the fixed focal length Hyperions are a touch better, it was a very nice zoom.

[starwonder]

Can the Seben Zoom really be a contender at only £50 compared to the Baader at almost 4 times the price?  Especially when used in conjunction with my 1/10 PV OOUK ? 

[John]

Can the Seben Zoom really be a contender at only £50 compared to the Baader at almost 4 times the price?  Especially when used in conjunction with my 1/10 PV OOUK ? 

It's not. The Seben is not bad for it's price but the Hyperion is better. You never get performance improvements that match the price ratios though but the differences are there in this case, having owned and used both zooms.

If your OOUK scope is a fast one (ie: F/4.8) then you need eyepieces that are reasonably well corrected for such fast focal ratios. Even the fixed focal length Hyperions stuggle with that.

Also, in your earlier post you said "...After all if the Baader gives 68 degrees up to 20mm can't complain about that really..." Just for clarity, the Hyperion zoom gives 68 degrees at 8mm but this drops to 50 degrees at 20mm. Hence my earlier comment that the wider field of view is not where you really want it.

This is my opinion and you can feel free to ignore it  but you have invested in a scope with superb optics and I feel it's a shame to compromise them with a zoom, even the Hyperion zoom. Give the scope some Tele Vue plossls and / or good orthoscopics and it will show you what it can do more often 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I must say I have been intrigued by the Vixen LV zoom. The long eye relief (19mm) appeals, and my experience with the fixed LVs I used to have gives me some hope the zoom might be pretty decent. Might be nice "single EP solution" for solar work or travel. Does anybody have any experience with it?

[timetraveler3]

I want to get a zoom as well. I don't yet have one but the Zhumell 8-24 gets stellar reviews. They are very affordable too. $60 USA.

[impactcrater]

thanks brantuk for your comments...

I bought the 'hyperion baader 8-24 zoom' and sadly only earthly views so far as the sky is just one rainball at the moment. I did get some amazing views of birds through it ! as seems usual , the net site photos do not give the buyer a good idea of what a largish piece of kit it is...

[Luke]

I must say I have been intrigued by the Vixen LV zoom. The long eye relief (19mm) appeals, and my experience with the fixed LVs I used to have gives me some hope the zoom might be pretty decent. Might be nice "single EP solution" for solar work or travel. Does anybody have any experience with it?

I was thinking about the Vixen one too, Micheal, for solar. Are there two versions of Vixen zoom?

It looks a bit smaller/lighter than the Baader? I'd love a compact, light, decent zoom for solar, for travel and easy balance on a mini giro mount.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I was thinking about the Vixen one too, Micheal, for solar. Are there two versions of Vixen zoom?

It looks a bit smaller/lighter than the Baader? I'd love a compact, light, decent zoom for solar, for travel and easy balance on a mini giro mount.

I have seen the Hyperion gets a better press, but its eye relief is prohibitive for me. I think I will now settle for this one:

http://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/product.html?info=3810

Not as much range but the 66 deg AFOV and eye relief seem excellent. The alternative from Zeiss seems a bit too expensive:

http://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/Eyepieces/Zoom-Eyepieces/Zeiss-Zoom-Eyepiece-6.7-25.1-mm-1.25.html

[starwonder]

It's not. The Seben is not bad for it's price but the Hyperion is better. You never get performance improvements that match the price ratios though but the differences are there in this case, having owned and used both zooms.

If your OOUK scope is a fast one (ie: F/4.8) then you need eyepieces that are reasonably well corrected for such fast focal ratios. Even the fixed focal length Hyperions stuggle with that.

Also, in your earlier post you said "...After all if the Baader gives 68 degrees up to 20mm can't complain about that really..." Just for clarity, the Hyperion zoom gives 68 degrees at 8mm but this drops to 50 degrees at 20mm. Hence my earlier comment that the wider field of view is not where you really want it.

This is my opinion and you can feel free to ignore it  but you have invested in a scope with superb optics and I feel it's a shame to compromise them with a zoom, even the Hyperion zoom. Give the scope some Tele Vue plossls and / or good orthoscopics and it will show you what it can do more often 

Thanks for your opinion John, on the contrary I won't be ignoring it, in fact I really appreciate it and want to use EP's that get the best out of the scope.  As I have concentrated on getting the best scope I can afford I was hoping I could get away with a zoom to begin with that would still give me pretty good views, hence the idea of the Baader zoom, however it appears from what you're saying I wouldn't be doing the scope's optics justice.  Which means I'm going to have to look at just a couple of fixed EP's with a barlow to double up?