Lunt eyepieces

[bomberbaz]

Hiya all. Just wondered if anyone has come across these before and what the verdict is on them please

http://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/eyepieces/more-74-ultra-wide-angle/other/lunt-engineering-xwa-20-mm-100-eyepiece.html

steve

[John]

These have been discussed quite a bit on the Cloudynights forum Steve. I believe they are the same eyepieces as the Skywatcher Myriad / William Optics XWA but Lunt commissioned a different design to the top piece and eye cup.

[alan potts]

I agree with John, same eyepiece different T shirt. I would love to be in a position to have all the various eyepieces there are and just find out how many are the same. I see that we could end up with situation where one set of elements has 5 or 6 different names, now we can't say that about Delos can we.

I would actually try one of these lesser eyepieces, say the 5.5mm 100 degree if I thought they performed to the same levels as Ethos in a very fast scope but so far no one has convinced me this is the case. I just don't see the point of paying 2 grand for a mirror, then 400 quid for a Paracorr and then settle for less than sharp edges for the sake of saving about 200 quid, I fully understand that not everyone can throw this type of money at a hobby though but it would be nice if they could.

Alan

[bingevader]

I thought John had suggested they were sharp all the way across?

Unless I'm reading the wrong review!

Still WAY out of my league though.

[alan potts]

Ben,

Maybe they are at F5.3 but F4.3 is a different ball game. My biggest trouble is if I buy one and don't like it I have to take a 25 quid hit to resell it living where i do and often have to pay more to get it here in the first place.

The other trouble is eyepieces I maybe able to use never seem to come up S/H, I have never seen a 5.5mm ExSc for sale, I don't really think they sell many down that end, most big Dob user seem to happy to stop at 8mm which I fully understand though I have a 6mm myself as well.

[bomberbaz]

I had a look at the WO and SW versions of the eyepiece and they do seem very similar. I have the say that the Lunt looks more pleasing to the eye. However, (there is always an however with glasses wearers) There appears to be a little bit of subjecture over the actual ER of these and I think I will leave them, nice as they look on the shop shelf.

The reason I asked about the Lunt is I am looking for 1 other wide field eyepiece but thinking about it, the Lunt 20mm would have not complimented that well with my existing set of glass. 

Now I have read a little bit about the Morpheus and a 14mm would fit nicely into my current set up and allow me to thin things down a little at the same time (18mm celestron and 15mm SLV). End result, not a lot of cost to put this into my box. I await the first reviews from UK members as I have already read some overseas reports which do look very promising. I could end up being tempted into buying more of them if they are as good as claimed.

Steve

[alan potts]

Steve,

I think the thing that you have to bear in mind is TeleVue state the Ethos have 15mm of ER I feel that it is very unlikely that anyone would better this even if it was stating a higher figure. I know from one or two members 15mm is a bit close to the wind if you have to keep the glasses on.

I know one eyepiece the 16mm SWA Meade is very tight on ER even though the figures suggest otherwise, it is only when you see the eye lens is recessed about 4mm that the reason becomes clear.

Alan

[bomberbaz]

Steve,

I think the thing that you have to bear in mind is TeleVue state the Ethos have 15mm of ER I feel that it is very unlikely that anyone would better this even if it was stating a higher figure. I know from one or two members 15mm is a bit close to the wind if you have to keep the glasses on.

I know one eyepiece the 16mm SWA Meade is very tight on ER even though the figures suggest otherwise, it is only when you see the eye lens is recessed about 4mm that the reason becomes clear.

Alan

I found that out when I purchased a celestron ultima I think it was. ER was appaling, nothing like that claimed. Thats why if I do decide (and I am only pondering atm) to get something in the middle of the range with a bigger FOV I will do a lot more research on people reviews rather than reading and believing manufacturer blurb.

Thanks all the same though Alan.

Steve

[John]

Eye relief is measured from the centre surface of the eye lens of the eyepiece. If that lens is concave, which many are, especially in ultra wide designs, then the actual usuable eye relief will seem less than the quoted amount. Some eyepiece designs make that a little worse by recessing the eye lens in the eyepiece top and by using stiff and unyielding eyecups.

15mm should be quite a comfortable amount of eye relief for those who don't wear glasses when observing. It does not allways seem to work out that way in practice though

The Myriads were not too bad in this respect but the soft rubber eyecup that ES, Lunt and Tele Vue use might prove prefferable for some over the adjustable but rather hard Myriad / XWA one.