Anyone else truly happy with there EP collection?

[Daniel-K]

i feel that we will always want more but i can completely see why some people choose to have just 3 or 4 and a high quality barlow. for now im happy with the range i have with that x2 barlow so unless something nice comes up 2nd hand it will be a while before i buy another EP

[faulksy]

Mines done... Daren't look through a 31mm nag!

you can look through mine at dobfest 2

[AlexB67]

i feel that we will always want more but i can completely see why some people choose to have just 3 or 4 and a high quality barlow. for now im happy with the range i have with that x2 barlow so unless something nice comes up 2nd hand it will be a while before i buy another EP

I guess if you have aperture fever there is no room for ocularitis   We tend to catch different bugs at different times. No doubt at some point in the future I'll get that aperture fever again. Of late ocularitis has been more my thing 

Buying astronomy equipment is like smoking, much harder to give up habits than to start them.

[spaceboy]

At the start of last year I was in the unfortunate position of having to sell off 90% of my astro gear to raise some money, I had a pretty good selection of Delos and Naglers but they all went.

Its taken me a while to get back on my feet but I've eventually got what I think is my perfect EP collection back.

Put it this way I went from these

and several swaps and changes later I ended up with these....

There is no denying the Naglers were superb eyepieces but I could no longer justify having ££££ of EP's often sat gathering dust while clouds covered the skies. I now feel I have finally met a balance between performance and price that I am happy with.

[scarp15]

Very content with my collection, yet I have just placed an order for replacement pluck foam for my eyepiece case. It has been ravaged recently with re-configuring eyepieces and selling off a few mainly accessories that were stored in it. Most recent addition is a 25mm TV Plossl bought off Stu, which I hope will be the 'magic' eyepiece this winter, besides other uses, to grasp the Horsehead (just over 5mm exit pupil amongst other attributes).

However Jazz musicians have a saying that they apply when attempting to create that ultimate improvised chord exchange, 'chasing the tail'. Evaluating eyepieces can be a bit like that,,, there is always room for one more maybe (delos in my case). 

[John]

I'm not really happy with my eyepiece collection because I set out with all intentions of reducing it to a set of 5 or 6 but I've ended up with 12 now not including the 2x Powermate which doubles all those 

I know it's peanuts compared with Joves but it's still twice as many as I actually need. For many recent nights I've been quite happy using just 3 and those have been loaned to be my First Light Optics and are not even from my own collection !

When they bring out a 3mm - 31mm zoom which maintains 70 degree field of view sharp right across at F/5 and 20mm of eye relief across the range and the transmission of a Pentax XW or Baader Classic Ortho then I'll gladly pay £1,500 for it and save some money 

The Leica ASPH zoom is halfway there ....

[YKSE]

When they bring out a 3mm - 31mm zoom which maintains 70 degree field of view sharp right across at F/5 and 20mm of eye relief across the range and the transmission of a Pentax XW or Baader Classic Ortho then I'll gladly pay £1,500 for it and save some money 

What happens if therecomes a new zoom as above the specification with ZAO II performance for £2.000?

[AlexB67]

What happens if therecomes a new zoom as above the specification with ZAO II performance for £2.000?

... and the version with 100 degrees FOV after that for £3000, John likes the wide FOVs    As long as they make better updated models we are doomed in a perpetual cycle of buying every so many years. 

[YKSE]

Alex, that's my point, we can be very/extremely happy with the EPs we have, but if we are content with those and not buying new ones, that's not exactly the same thing.

[John]

What happens if therecomes a new zoom as above the specification with ZAO II performance for £2.000?

I still have all my organs to sell 

[RikM]

I am actually quite happy with my EP collection and have no burning desire to change anything at the moment. It would be nice to have an XW 3.5 rather than the Hyperion that I have in that focal length but it is way down the priority list, and at some point I would like to add a 2" Astronomik Oiii but again, it is far down my wish list.

I currently have ES28/68, XW20, XW14, XW10, XW7, XW5, Hyperion 3.5, Televue 2.5x Barlow, Astronomik UHC, Skywatcher Oiii and LPR, Baader Solar continuum filter.

I also have a set for use at public observing events Vixen LV30, Televue 21 and 13mm Plossls, Meade 4000 8.8mm UWA.

[bingevader]

Anyone else got to a point of buying EP's when they can actually say 'right thats it no more!'?

Yes. 

My "problem" is that I can't afford the next step up, so I am obliged to relax into blissful contentment with what I have or be eternally dissatisfied. I'll settle for the blissful contentment. 

[Caldwell14]

Me, yeah absolutely, I wouldn't spend another penny.

[Mark in Macc]

I thought I was until tonight. Just been to my Astro club for a lecture and a mate of mine had a Pentax XW 20 mm with him that he was selling to another member. It oozed quality. Oh dear, I should never have looked at it!

[Rustysplit]

Good on yer Mike. Find out what works for you and stick to it. Feels good don't it

I am very content with my set now and have no regrets about sticking to a narrower fov.

[alan potts]

I still have all my organs to sell 

Gone,  I live on  life support.

Alan

[dweller25]

Mike - you don't have a Binoviewer ?? !!

[cutepetgroomer]

I have three different sized eyepieces but a total of four plus a Barlow, I'm in no way done with eye piece collection I have just gotten started .

[lardy]

I seem to have the same problem .... but with OTA's, get too the point of "yes covered for every occasion" then go and buy some more? ? Or swop .... (got a large Mak comming and a14" Ota for my Sct) Really do think I have a problem!

[Mike73]

Mike - you don't have a Binoviewer ?? !!

No the binoviewer went a while ago.

I may well be losing the 17.3mm Delos aswell, just need a couple outings with the Leica and the 16" from a dark site to help make my mind up but I'm pretty sure it will be going.

[YKSE]

Mike, it'll be great to read your report about Leica in your fast Dobs, not so much info on that front.

[Mark at Beaufort]

I spent many years sorting out my eyepiece collection. I now have a 8mm, 13mm and 21mm Ethos and a 10mm Delos which are my main EPs when I use my 4" APO frac, 6" f5 Newt, 180mm Mak/Cass and my 10" Dob. I have a 38mm Panaview which is only used in my Mak/Cass and a Baader Hyperion zoom which is used on my PST.

If I change anything it will be my binoviewers EPs. I have 25mm Antares plossls, 15mm Skywatcher wide field plossls and the William Optics 12.5mm Planetary. I may replace these 6 (3 pairs) of EPs and buy a pair of Lunt zoom EPs. The Lunt zoom appears smaller than some zooms and would be ideal on the f15 Mak/Cass and also in my 4" APO frac when using the Herschel Wedge on solar white light viewing.

[Merlin66]

Hmmm,

My "box" has been pretty static over the last twenty years, now the eyepieces I have out perform the eye's I have.

A full set (starting in the 1980's) of the TV smooth sided plossls, a 6mm Zeiss Monocentric, and a Pentax SMC WX 8-24 Zoom.

What more could you ask for?

[nightfisher]

I would say im pretty happy with my EP`s, seeing as i am more luna and planetary based, i have full set of circle T ortoscopics, a couple of BST starguiders and a very nice 16mm maxvision to cover the tiny bit of DSO i might do, plus a few mixed possl`s for A-focal and other such stuff

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Personally, I am very happy with the fact that many people sell EPs regularly. That means there are many good second-hand deals to be had

Selfish, ain't I