Vixen SLVs now available

[AlexB67]

Sound promising John.  After having looked through a BGO 5mm quite a bit since last Saturday, there is so much I like about it,  the thought of exactly that doing it with a luxurious eyerelief would be nicer still though, that 5mm is tight, though usable.  I was using it for a good hour earlier in the 10 inch on Jupiter and some more time on the moon.

The narrow FOV does not actual bother me, as long as the Dob is above about 45 degrees, which it is for Jupiter and moon such narrow tracking I find very doable, and that is with a skywatcher mount, just need to get that tension just right, which works best over about 45 degree angles I find, without counter weights with the flexi I own anyway.

Any initial feeling on off axis performance on these ? it is supposedly very good on the NLVs too, The BGO does have a bit of off axis drop I noted coming close to the outer edges, in my 10 inch scope anyway. I don't think it is coma smearing out details which should not be that significant I believe,  since the Radians with much wider FOV still march on happily at 40 degrees off-axis.  The BGO display some sort of distortion possibly barrel or something else, I'd need an artificial target to be more certain,  could do a chimney breast during the day, but Jupiter stretches a little near the edges and detail is not quite as good near the edges. I find it really nice on axis though and for a good chunk off axis as well, and light scatter control is super

Sounds like the SLV could be a winner with the eyerelief and ortho like views across the FOV or as close as it gets,  and great off axis performance to boot potentially, it could be a great one to have with a 50 degree FOV as well. A lot cheaper than a pentax XW 5mm  if it is close to that as well, FOV aside.

[John]

.....Any initial feeling on off axis performance on these ? it is supposedly very good on the NLVs too, The BGO does have a bit of off axis drop I noted coming close to the outer edges, in my 10 inch scope anyway. I don't think it is coma smearing out details which should not be that significant I believe,  since the Radians with much wider FOV still march on happily at 40 degrees off-axis.  The BGO display some sort of distortion possibly barrel or something else, I'd need an artificial target to be more certain,  could do a chimney breast during the day, but Jupiter stretches a little near the edges. ....

The 6mm SLV's performance was consistently excellent with the F/5.3 newtonian until just before the target slipped behind the field stop when there was a slight blurring of the detail. So I guess I'd say 95% at least flat and sharp at that focal ratio. Neutral colour tone too - I noticed this when I put the Nagler zoom back in which has a slight tint to it.

[AlexB67]

Thanks for the heads up and initial little report, no doubt you get some more impressions of it in time. 

[John]

Thanks for the heads up and initial little report, no doubt you get some more impressions of it in time. 

No problem and yes, I'll be using them as much as I can 

[alan potts]

Sounds very good though sadly another brand that is difficult to get from here,

Alan

[Pig]

I have just purchased the 9mm for Solar and Lunar viewing   Maybe the 20mm eye relief on this eyepiece will suit me better than the 9mm BGO I tried.

[John]

I have just purchased the 9mm for Solar and Lunar viewing   Maybe the 20mm eye relief on this eyepiece will suit me better than the 9mm BGO I tried.

The eye cup adjusts with the SLV's and has 3 twist up, click stop positions so you should be able to find something that suits you Shaun.

[Pig]

The eye cup adjusts with the SLV's and has 3 twist up, click stop positions so you should be able to find something that suits you Shaun.

Yes John I thought the same, the Japanese are very good at replicating good ideas.

I changed jobs today and as a leaving present I received a £100 voucher to spend at FLO. (I was very pleased about this )

I bought the 9mm SLV last night before I knew about the voucher and today I used the voucher to get the 25mm  

 A bit of a gamble after my experience with the BGO but I am sure the extra eyerelief and twist up cap will make all the difference, The 9mm should work well in all 3 of my scopes and the 25mm in the Pronto & the 9.25

[AlexB67]

I don't know if you still got that BGO Shaun and recall your post being not so happy with it , and if you got it second hand or not. One thing I found with mine, it had tiny bits of dirt on it, easy to check with an out of focus airy disk. Not something you would really see easily by just looking at it from the outside.  With the very tight eye relief it is easy to get deposits like tiny droplets from eye glands building up on the small eye lens. What I did with mine after using it after 10 minutes noticing this, I cleaned it carefully, it made a true very noticeable difference, and that's not overstating, but it went from what appeared just like something ordinary before cleaning to something special after cleaning.  

[Pig]

Alex,

I had similar thoughts and I did clean it very carefully, they are obviously excellent eyepieces, unfortunately for me it just wasn't suitable to my eyes. 

I had the X-CEL's before the Delos and I think that I am just used to the comfort of adjustable eyecups now

Apologies to the OP

[John]

Apologies to the OP

As the OP was Alex I reckon he will let you off !!! 

[Laurie61]

Quick bit of feedback on the 6mm Vixen SLV .......

Wow !!!!!! 

Back to back with the 6mm Baader GO and the 3-6mm Nagler Zoom on the Moon and Jupiter tonight. The Vixen was just outstanding on these targets. Light scatter control, contrast and sharpness are really excellent. Subtle details on Jupiter really stood out and remained sharply defined virtually all the way across the field of view. Basically the Vixen SLV tied with the Baader GO leaving the Nagler zoom just a little behind. So orthoscopic levels of performance with 20mm of eye relief, a 50 degree field of view, a large and welcoming eye lens and great build quality.

I don't normally give knee jerk feedback on eyepieces I'm trying out but on this occasion I felt the Vixen 6mm SLV warranted a special mention 

I also have the 20mm and 12mm to try and quick glimpses though those seem very promising too. 

For £109 each I have a feeling that Vixen might have a real winner here 

PS: I ought to mention that the scope used tonight was my 12" F/5.3 dobsonian.

I did wonder how these might perform. I have been looking for new planetary eyepieces at the 5 -7 mm size   will be interested in your findings as they would be used in the 12" 

[Pig]

As the OP was Alex I reckon he will let you off !!! 

LoL I guess so

Apologies or my apology

[AlexB67]

 Giggity.  No worries Shaun, after all I was the one that brought up the offtopic in the topic as well as being the topic starter.  It is not the first time I would caused a bit of offtopic discussion   , so it never bothers me.

[Pig]

I am the same and I don't mind where my post's lead to

[AndyWB]

Hmm. Damn. That makes it tricky

… Basically the Vixen SLV tied with the Baader GO leaving the Nagler zoom just a little behind. So orthoscopic levels of performance with 20mm of eye relief, a 50 degree field of view, a large and welcoming eye lens and great build quality.

...I felt the Vixen 6mm SLV warranted a special mention 

Hmm. Tricky. Until I read this I was literally minutes from ordering a 6mm BCO, but I do have concerns about eye relief - the BSTs have, I gather, about 13mm, but the BCO would have about 5. But if I could get the same x200 with the same sharpness and easier to look through…  tempting. I suppose I wonder how they'd perform at f/4.7, I guess nobody knows that yet?

[John]

I am the same and I don't mind where my post's lead to

Makes it difficult for others to join in though. If a thread is titled one thing and then spends much of it's time on entirely different subjects many folks could miss out on either contributing or learning from it simply by having no idea whats actually being discussed.

[Pig]

Totally agree John, It is just something that would not over concern me with my threads.   I have noticed when someone asks for advice or asks for an experienced opinion the vast majority of responses are excellent, you guys have done a good job of ensuring this is sustained.

[great_bear]

Are the field stops sharp in the SLVs?

[Pig]

I don't take delivery of mine until tomorrow Jeremy, so until then I am in the dark, so to speak

[John]

Are the field stops sharp in the SLVs?

In the 3 examples I have, the 6, 12 and 20mm, the field stops are sharply defined.

[AlexB67]

Hmm. Damn. That makes it tricky

Hmm. Tricky. Until I read this I was literally minutes from ordering a 6mm BCO, but I do have concerns about eye relief - the BSTs have, I gather, about 13mm, but the BCO would have about 5. But if I could get the same x200 with the same sharpness and easier to look through…  tempting. I suppose I wonder how they'd perform at f/4.7, I guess nobody knows that yet?

There is no denying that the 5mm BGO I have the eyerelief is tight, the 6mm would be a tiny bit better.  If I were to tell you is it comfort territory I'd have to say no. You need to be very steady, sitting comfortably, and if you even move a tiny bit, a bit of the field stop  will vanish from time to time. The one upshot no blackouts at all, by the time you have conquered seeing all of  the view, with the tiny peep hole the eyepiece is telling you

You are in the right spot mate, stay there and don't move !

If you are one of the can I keep my head still types for long periods it is workable.  I did long sessions with recently and survived and getting more used to it. Suffice it to say when I switch back to my  TV Radian with 20mm eye relief it is like bathing in luxury and a lot more relaxing, that's for sure. 

As for the off axis performance I would have thought at a guess they would be the same as the NLVs, as far as I recall a discussion on CN revealed the same optical design and number of elements anyway, though for the shorter focal length they added a 5 degrees, so the SLVs are 50, the NLVs 45 for some of them.