Saturn and Mars with a Baader zoom

[kerrylewis]

Trying out my new Baader zoom (courtesy of the classifieds) on Mars and Saturn - bit light for much else at the mo. Saturn quite sharp with the Cassini visible. Can't see much detail on Mars but it is showing a distinct gibbous phase now. Favourable first impression of the eyepiece - first time I've owned a zoom

[kerrylewis]

No sooner posted this and it clouded over! 'Time for bed' said Zebedee

[cotterless45]

After being told for many years that zoom optics are no good, I now use a very cheap 8-24mm . It's a great grab'n go and useful for alignment and pulling out double stars.

There's not much doing with Mars, but Saturn continues to please. We had a lovely x300 view last time out with clear and

Clear skies !

Nick.

[kerrylewis]

After being told for many years that zoom optics are no good, I now use a very cheap 8-24mm . It's a great grab'n go and useful for alignment and pulling out double stars.

There's not much doing with Mars, but Saturn continues to please. We had a lovely x300 view last time out with clear and

Clear skies !

Nick.

Agreed Nick which is why I've never had one before, but having read recent reviews I thought I'd gIve one a go. It used to be said that zoom lenses had too many glass elements but if you look at modern single focal length eps, they have multi- elements too.

Saturn looked good but I need to give it more of a test.

Btw - good to see Wurzel back!

Kerry

[chiltonstar]

After being told for many years that zoom optics are no good, I now use a very cheap 8-24mm . It's a great grab'n go and useful for alignment and pulling out double stars.

There's not much doing with Mars, but Saturn continues to please. We had a lovely x300 view last time out with clear and

Clear skies !

Nick.

Which cheap ep is that Nick? I've been tempted, but would really prefer 6 - 18 rather than the 7 or 8 to 21 mm which seems to be the norm.

Saturn was so good last light, I got my vintage 102mm achro long focus frac out and enjoyed the very crisp Cassini view! It can still give very pleasing views on the planets, even on tight doubles.

Chris

[Mark at Beaufort]

Kerry I think the Baader zoom is very good and if you buy the matching barlow it will allow the zoom to be 3.5mm - 10.5mm. This arrangement is great for double stars.

A few weeks ago I bought the Pentax 6.5mm - 19.5mm zoom mainly for my PST. However, the other night I had great views of a number of DSOs (M4, M19, M12, M10, M57 and M51) using my Skywatcher 150 PDS. I also put into my 4" APO and had a lovely split of the double double.

So I think zoom EPs once had a bad press but my experience of a Baader and now Pentax proves that wrong.

[John]

I've been impressed with the Baader 8-24 zoom too - I feel the Mk III is a bit better optically than the Mk II that I had a couple of years back. I don't enjoy the 24mm spot though as the field is markedly narrower than the spec says and the field stop becomes a bit ill defined.

I still don't feel it's fully a match for my fixed focal length eyepieces though as I found when I was viewing M82 and the Supernova a couple of months back. I felt the 20mm setting on the zoom was giving me great views of the galaxy until I tried the 18mm Baader Classic ortho and found the brightness and contrast of the galaxy, it's dark rifts etc, were noticeably increased. I was rather surprised by this so I repeated the exercise at 10mm (swapping in the Baader CO 10mm this time)  and found the same effect.

I still think the Baader MkIII zoom is an excellent zoom eyepiece though but it's an alternative too, rather than a replacement for, my fixed eyepieces. 

[kerrylewis]

Mark - I have the Barlow too as part of the purchase - looking forward to trying them out over the whole range.

And I agree John, I see it as an addition to my collection rather than replacing anything.