Baader Hyperion Fine Tuning Rings vs 2x ED Barlow

[keithc]

I have just bought the Baader Hyperion Starter Set consisting of 5, 10, 17 and 24mm eyepices. The 5, 10 and 17mm can be fitted with Baader Fine Tuning Rings to reduce the focal length of each of those eyepieces effectively giving me eyepices in the range 2.6mm - 24mm. Question is how do these rings compare to using a good quality 2x ED Barlow? If anyone has any experience of using these with the Hyperions and an ED Barlow I would be very interested in your opinion.

[red eye]

keithc

When I used Hyperion eyepieces, I always used the rings over a barlow,

my reasoning being that the barlow added unnecessary  glass.

This is still my practice, as I will always use a higher power eyepiece

over barlowed if I have the focal length desired.

David

[John]

I tried using the fine tuning rings when I had a set of Hyperions to test a few years back. I seem to recall that they did what they say on the tin but I thought the process of unscrewing the 1.25" barrel section and installing the ring was rather a fiddle and could allow dust / dew to get into the eyepiece.

I use the FT rings as barrel extenders for non-Hyperion eyepieces now !