Takahashi LE Eyepieces

[ardbeg74]

Im going to Japan in February and a quick look at the local optical shops seems quite promising... be bad manners not to bring a souvenir or two back for my scope

The Takahashi LE's have caught my eye coming in at £110.  I quite fancy the 5mm as my dedicated high power EP, so i wouldnt have to use the SW 2x barlow and 10mm. At that price it seems quite a bargain...

Anybody using them or tried them out? Love em, hate em, think Takahashi is over rated... 

Also the Vixen NPL 40mm was about £27. But unsure about the plastic body though.  Would love something around 40mm as the SW 25mm is a bit constricted for more extended objects. Im guessing that the 40mm wouldnt be as demanding on the cheaper NPL optics than say a 4mm NPL would, so it may actually give an acceptable view?

Strangely the NLV's were about the same price as here and the LVW's starting at around £108. The Nikon and Pentax were way over my budget, probably overkill and I'd have to pay import tax on them anyway.

Thanks and Clear Skies

Mark

[baggywrinkle]

In November I was in Tokyo, Akihabara and went to the astro shop there, called Starbase. Limited English and my limited Japanese saw me part with some Yen and I bougght the Takahashi LE5 and LE10 ep's. I also bought the Nano-Tracker for about £70 less than it would be in the UK. The EP's were about £70-100 cheaper as far as I could work out than the UK.

Opens at 11:00 not 10:00 as it says on their website. Will accept credit cards. It is about 10 mins walk from Akihabara station. " very nice guys and a shop packed with scopes...

[ardbeg74]

Hi Baggywrinkle,

Thanks for the info. We will be staying outside Osaka but I think the Mrs wants to visit friends in Tokyo this time, so a trip to akihabara is a must. As i can be a bit otaku at times, probably best if i give the credit card to the Mrs. Else i'll end up using my hand luggage allowance on a small frac 

How do you rate the 5 and 10 you bought?

Cheers

Mark

[John]

I think the LE's are good eyepieces but their specs but nothing really special. If I was going to Japan I'd be looking to bring back Pentax XW's

[Naemeth]

I think the LE's are good eyepieces but their specs but nothing really special. If I was going to Japan I'd be looking to bring back Pentax XW's

So would I, either that or some Nikon eyepieces .

[ardbeg74]

Hi John,

Yea see thats what i was wondering about. Over at cloudy nights there were some posts i saw like "LE's are the best you are going to get" ect ect, which IMHO is probably more "post purchase euphoria" than objective advice.  ( pun intentional   ) 

I dont doubt that they are good ep's ( a little biased here but i find japanese stuff to be generally well made and made with careful thought.. all the way from cigarette packets to expensive electronics ) 

So i guess this is more a question about what is appropriate for me to buy based on average seeing conditions and the scope i have.

I use my barlow alot, but i also fancy a 2.5 or 3x barow / or powermate 4x for imaging. So my thinking is, do away with the sw barlow by getting better EP's then buy a barlow/pm for prime focus ccd work.

I think the pentax might be overkill on my pl though dont you think? Kind of like using a ferrari to pull a caravan

Cheers

Mark

 

[AndyH]

Just had a look at the Yen/Pound rates. Best in many, many years.

Have fun. I've heard it's like an Astro Sweetie shop.

Andy.

[ardbeg74]

Yea the Yen rates are pretty good right now! The only downside is the customs charges. Looks like i have £390 to play with before i get taxed. Given that the wife wants a DSLR thats her allowance gone... ( hehe really happy that its a DSLR and not a handbag.. be getting a t-adapter with that i think )

Naemeth ... yea didnt even know Nikon did EP's till i saw the bic camera website. But again, maybe overkill.

If it wernt for the customs charges i'd buy a box of them and stick em on ebay lol.

Cheers

Mark

[AndyH]

Just found the Starbase website.

Have another page open, UK Tak importer price list.

Am now fantasizing over the small bits n bobs and £ savings.

[ardbeg74]

Just found the Starbase website.

Have another page open, UK Tak importer price list.

Am now fantasizing over the small bits n bobs and £ savings.

Here is the bic camera site i was looking at, works well with google translate

http://search.biccamera.com/pall/search/?sess=&s.h=&s.o=0&s.l=&s.en=&s.b=&s.bo=&s.sb=&referrer=&s.q=%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%83%94%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9&s.t=all&s.an=

Be like a pig in a certain substance when im over there. Fortunately ( unfortunately ?) Mrs Ardbeg will be there to make sure i dont over spend

[AndyH]

Best savings seem to be on the 10, 12.5 & 18mm LE's. Over the years, I've read a lot about these 5 element masayama type(?) 'pieces. Sound very nice, but their price always brought me back to reality .

The Tak Abbe Orthos work out about £10 dearer than what you'd pay for one of the new Japanese HD Orthos over here. I'd be tempted to get one of them.

[ardbeg74]

The Tak Abbe Orthos work out about £10 dearer than what you'd pay for one of the new Japanese HD Orthos over here. I'd be tempted to get one of them.

Sorry mate, not sure what the "HD Orthos" look like. Is that the Kasai orthos here: http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p627_Kasai-HC-Ortho-18mm---Orthoscopic-Eyepiece-from-Kasai---made-in-Japan.html

I must say i like the thin body profile of these EP's. Could use for EP projection where my BST is visual only.

[John]

Sorry mate, not sure what the "HD Orthos" look like. Is that the Kasai orthos here: http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p627_Kasai-HC-Ortho-18mm---Orthoscopic-Eyepiece-from-Kasai---made-in-Japan.html

I must say i like the thin body profile of these EP's. Could use for EP projection where my BST is visual only.

You can get those here under the Astro Hutech and Fujiyama brand names for around £80 each.

I'd also be looking out for a Pentax XO 5mm. One of the finest planetary eyepieces made and really very hard to find over here either new or on the used market. I think they used to retail for around £250 ?.

[ardbeg74]

Thanks John!

I see FLO have the Astro Hutech's for 79 and 84 for the 25mm. 

Eyes peeled for that pentax then. Will get the mrs to check out ebay.jp too. Never know, might get lucky.

Lots of options now!!

[baggywrinkle]

My ep's have yet to see first light. I bought them on spec, my scopes are now in the UK in storage waiting for us to be reunited (  ) that will be in April.

Big Box shop by the entrance to Akihabara station 5th floor has a large range of scopes and accessories too. Still have good prices.

[ardbeg74]

Thanks Baggywrinkle!

Big Box, Thats handy, can check the prices their first, go check out the other shops, then nip in on the way back to the station if need be.

April eh! well just in time for Mars opposition then!! 

All the best

Mark