My first experience with Explore Scientific 82 degree eyepieces

[DHEB]

I just thought about giving a brief report on my first experience using my new ES82 eyepieces (18 and 11 mm). I used them last night with rather imperfect seeing (Antoniadi II at best moments) and with the sky not yet dark (sun 11.3 degrees under the horizon at midnight).

The first impression was the huge improvement in image quality compared to my previous eps, which is not suprising at all. The image was sharp a fair way out to the edge on both the 11 and 18 mm with only a minor deterioration and some hint of chromatic aberration (?) in the outermost edge. In the 18 mm this effect was very much reduced when I screwed the Baader MIII coma corrector at the end, so objective must be responsible of a large part of the aberration and not the eyepiece. Both eypieces offer a very pleasant observing experience. The only criticism I can write about right now is that to enjoy the wide field one must really put the eye very close to the lens. This criticism has been made before, here and elsewhere. I am fortunate that I do not need spectacles to observe, but I realize that these eyepieces might not suit observers who need them.

Overall I am very happy with the purchase and think that these two eyepieces were a good investment and a huge improvment from my previousset of cheap Plössls.

Cheers

[Knighty2112]

Yeah, I got a 10mm 70 degree ES EP yesterday. Not had first light with it yet due to cloud cover, but tested it during daytime and had to have my eye close to the EP and move it around to get the whole 70 degrees in view. No big issue as it will be mostly used for the moon & planets (maybe some globular clusters too), so livable with. My scope is an f5 scope, so also intend to use it with my f15 scope that I've put in the loft before last Christmas to compare any astigmatism in the EP. Should fare better for this in the f15 scope I believe. 

[DHEB]

4 minutes ago, Knighty2112 said:

Yeah, I got a 10mm 70 degree ES EP yesterday. Not had first light with it yet due to cloud cover, but tested it during daytime and had to have my eye close to the EP and move it around to get the whole 70 degrees in view. No big issue as it will be mostly used for the moon & planets (maybe some globular clusters too), so livable with. My scope is an f5 scope, so also intend to use it with my f15 scope that I've put in the loft before last Christmas to compare any astigmatism in the EP. Should fare better for this in the f15 scope I believe. 

My scope is f/5 and, as described, almost all imperfections at the edges vanished when I plugged the coma corrector. I guess there will be no troubles with your f/15. Cheers and good luck!

[Knighty2112]

Oh, BTW! I have a 20mm ES 68 degree Maxvision EP that copes really well in my main f5 scope. Seems sharp right across the field of view to me.  

[DHEB]

1 minute ago, Knighty2112 said:

Oh, BTW! I have a 20mm ES 68 degree Maxvision EP that copes really well in my main f5 scope. Seems sharp right across the field of view to me.  

Good to know, thanks. I can not rule out some miscollimation too, as the seeing was bad and I could not do perfect collimation with a defocused star. I will come back after a session with better seeing.

[Davesellars]

Nice to hear a positive review on these eyepieces many thanks for the write-up!  I've been using the 24mm ES68 in my f/5 refractor and I have say that I see very little aberration even right at the edge.   I just received yesterday the ES82 6.7mm and 11mm which are now awaiting first light.  I had a quick look through them last night on terrestrial objects and they seem very comfortable to use.  I actually like getting my eye fairly close anyway.

[Louis D]

4 hours ago, Cinco Sauces said:

I am fortunate that I do not need spectacles to observe, but I realize that these eyepieces might not suit observers who need them.

Ahh, if only to have no astigmatism.  Unfortunately, I have 2.00 diopters of cylinder needing correction in my dominant eye.  Thus, I'm relegated to buying Pentax XWs, TV Delos and Nagler T4s, and possibly Baader Morpheus and ES-92 eyepieces if I want a well corrected, wide field usable with eyeglasses.  Consider yourself lucky.

[DHEB]

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

Ahh, if only to have no astigmatism.  Unfortunately, I have 2.00 diopters of cylinder needing correction in my dominant eye.  Thus, I'm relegated to buying Pentax XWs, TV Delos and Nagler T4s, and possibly Baader Morpheus and ES-92 eyepieces if I want a well corrected, wide field usable with eyeglasses.  Consider yourself lucky.

I do! Poor wallet, but you will at least rejoice in enjoying good optics. Cheers.

[DHEB]

1 hour ago, Davesellars said:

Nice to hear a positive review on these eyepieces many thanks for the write-up!  I've been using the 24mm ES68 in my f/5 refractor and I have say that I see very little aberration even right at the edge.   I just received yesterday the ES82 6.7mm and 11mm which are now awaiting first light.  I had a quick look through them last night on terrestrial objects and they seem very comfortable to use.  I actually like getting my eye fairly close anyway.

I hope those eyepieces work as well for you as they do for me. Would be nice to read a report about their first light. Cheers and good luck!

[F15Rules]

19 hours ago, Davesellars said:

Nice to hear a positive review on these eyepieces many thanks for the write-up!  I've been using the 24mm ES68 in my f/5 refractor and I have say that I see very little aberration even right at the edge.   I just received yesterday the ES82 6.7mm and 11mm which are now awaiting first light.  I had a quick look through them last night on terrestrial objects and they seem very comfortable to use.  I actually like getting my eye fairly close anyway.

I had the ES 6.7mm last year and sold it. I think I paid £107 new for it, which is great value. I wish I'd kept it as it was a very good EP and I've since bought a shorter apo with which I would have used it more. I thought mine compared well to a Nagler, but that was in a longer scope.

Even so, the ES68's I still have are sharp very close to the edge so hopefully your 6.7mm 82mm will be too:-)

Dave

[rwilkey]

Hi Cinco, I love these eyepieces and agree with you, you have to get close to enjoy the full field of view, but great sharp image.