High Mag EP

[boyfromlincs]

Hi.. i have 12 mm and 6mm delos eps i use in my 4 " frac..f7.4...it makes easy work of the 6mm and i can use it  regularly...  i was thinking about  4.5mm.. or is this to  close to the 6mm... a 3.5mm is also in the range but im not sure id get the use from it on a regular basis... i cant get out to try any as i have been laid up for over a year so its back garden viewing  only for  now..

Keith

[John]

As the focal length gets shorter you do tend to have eyepiece selections where the increments are quite small. This gives you a range of magnfication options at higher powers which is useful.

From my experience with the Tal FC-100DL (F/9) I'd say that you would get lots of use from the 4.5mm Delos (164x) and the 3.5mm (211x). The 6mm will hardly have the objective lens of the scope breaking sweat - it's almost medium power !

 

 

 

[boyfromlincs]

Thats exactly what the 6mm feels like john..very easy...think i will get the 4.5mm then can get the 3.5mm later... want to stick to the delos as they suit my need to wear glasses at the scope...and the great views of course..wish they did a delite in a 4mm..that would be perfect..same eye relief to..

Keith

[spaceboy]

I went with a 3-6 nagler zoom in my 4.75" f7.5 as it was allowing higher magnifications than my current 6mm ortho was allowing for. I'd had chance on a night of good seeing to x2.5 barlow my ES4.7mm giving me a quite stupid x478 @ 0.25mm exit pupil. As you can imagine the views were far from perfect but I actually enjoyed splitting some of the brighter doubles so the thought of a 3mm eyepiece x300 @ 0.4mm didn't seem such a bad idea. I though didn't want to fork out on an eyepiece that wasn't going to see much use due to poor seeing but neither did I want to miss out on those good nights. As I'd need a 5mm to up the mag over the 6mm and no doubt in time feel the 4mm to at x225 the nagler zoom seemed the most cost effective choice in the long run and has the proven track record of Televue, not to mention I'd already owned one years ago and knew I'd be happy with it.

Scrub my post only just seen you wear glasses. The nag zoom is superb but a little eye lens and short ER makes it less than ideal for spectacle wearers

[boyfromlincs]

Tried an ethos and that was to tight for eye relief spaceboy... views were stunning but was hard work getting comfortable... got a pair of single lense glasses to help but its 18mm eye relief plus for me..

Keith

[John]

The Delos or Pentax XW's are ideal for glasses wearers although not inexpensive of course. They are also rather good for non-glasses wearers like myself

If you can manage with a smaller field of view the Vixen SLV eyepieces provide excellent peformance and long eye relief as well.

[Timebandit]

6 minutes ago, spaceboy said:

I went with a 3-6 nagler zoom in my 4.75" f7.5 as it was allowing higher magnifications than my current 6mm ortho was allowing for. I'd had chance on a night of good seeing to x2.5 barlow my ES4.7mm giving me a quite stupid x478 @ 0.25mm exit pupil. As you can imagine the views were far from perfect but I actually enjoyed splitting some of the brighter doubles so the thought of a 3mm eyepiece x300 @ 0.4mm didn't seem such a bad idea. I though didn't want to fork out on an eyepiece that wasn't going to see much use due to poor seeing but neither did I want to miss out on those good nights. As I'd need a 5mm to up the mag over the 6mm and no doubt in time feel the 4mm to at x225 the nagler zoom seemed the most cost effective choice in the long run and has the proven track record of Televue, not to mention I'd already owned one years ago and knew I'd be happy with it.

Scrub my post only just seen you wear glasses. The nag zoom is superb but a little eye lens and short ER makes it less than ideal for spectacle wearers

 

And as the Nagler Zoom on has a 50d field of view as I understand it this will quite narrow if your used to your Delos and like the wider field of views. And at the prices the Nagler Zoom are may as well go for some quality Orthos (but no good as you wear glasses)

Another option is the Pentax at 3.5 or 5 xw. The Pentax have a field of view of around 70d and 20mm eye relief. They are very good. But I am biased as I have some?

[boyfromlincs]

Think i have Televueitis... i love the things... plus the sizes i have and want or need are parfocal so no need to swap about with extensions...thats my excuse to the misses anyway..and being all the same colour she wont notice another one or two so easy...dream on eh

Keith

[Charic]

keith,  if your not sure, could  you Barlow the  6mm,  maybe  giving  you some indication of how  close the 3.5mm  might fare.
If satisfactory, then  the  4.5mm should work too.

Also,  are you aware of the the Dioptrx system, they will fit the Delos range , and may negate your need to wear prescription glasses?

[boyfromlincs]

I dont own a barlow charic... and i havent been able to get out for a while.. its a very good idea though.. may wait until i can get to my astro  club so i can try one before i take the plunge... wish i wasnt so impatient..

Keith

[John]

Not all Tele Vue eyepieces are par-focal. The Delos are apart from the 14mm and the 17.3mm.

I've been a huge Tele Vue fan for the past couple of decades but the Pentax XW's are right up there with the Delos

XW's are around £80 apiece less expensive too.

But par-focality is nice to have - the XW's reach focus around 8mm further in than the Delos do, with the exception of the 14mm and 17.3mm Delos which reaches focus much closer to the point where the XW's do. This is why I bought the 17.3mm Delos to go with my 3.5, 5, 7 and 10mm Pentax XW's.

 

[boyfromlincs]

Yes i saw that the 14 and 17 arent parfocal with the rest of the range.. pleased i got the 17 nagler......lucky for me all my 2" eps are all about parfocal within a few mm...as are my 1.25".. televue have a page on their website that tells us whats parfocal and not... very handy..be even better if they were all parfocal... dont know if thats possible or not as im no expert..

Keith

[John]

21 minutes ago, boyfromlincs said:

.. very handy..be even better if they were all parfocal... dont know if thats possible or not as im no expert..

Keith

If it was possible, they would have done it.

There is a lot of variation in focus points through the Ethos range but it's not a major issue I find, once you get used to it.

 

 

[Charic]

.......If I had known that the 17.3mm was up for sale, I may have been the new owner instead of John?  @Moonshane sold me his 10mm and well pleased with the cost. 
You mention impatient?  The Stars will still be there when your time comes, and as for the Delos line, their out there, its just finding them at the right price, the cheapest I discovered ( but too late ) was £150, and I was not much more for my 10mm?  and this is where I place my offers ? I would not pay more than 200 for one, especially when there is little difference in performance  (to my eye)  against my cheaper Starguider  eye-pieces, IMHO.

I have  heard good reports on the Pentax XW's, but never tried one, it's not my intention either, I  just wanted to trial a Delos, and three came along? And in all honesty, at present,  I doubt I will buy the whole Delos range! 

[boyfromlincs]

Think im going to try my 6mm barlowed at my astro club when i can get to it as you suggested  charic... then i may find the 3.5 mm will do me fine... i get impatient beacause i have been unable to get out or drive for over a year..must learn to be more patient lol 

 

[Charic]

Have you got Stellarium installed. If not, Why Not!
You could enter the eyepiece details, and it  will display an equivalent view that you may encounter when looking for real.

[boyfromlincs]

Never knew that.... will get that sorted.. thanks for all your help guys... much appreciated..will post what i decide on...

[Timebandit]

 

Hi , With eyepieces like the Pentax XW on the market then I am surprised that more people are not going for this eyepiece over the Delos now. I am a big televues fan but I am afraid they are just over priced compared to comparable eyepieces on the market IMO. The Pentax is a real quality eyepiece and although not cheap, when compared to the Delos IMO I would go with the Pentax for image quality and monetary value every time.

Just to put a fly in the ointment. For anyone who is really looking for a high power eyepiece then the Vixen HR 2.4 really does look like a superb piece of glass. Just managed to have a quick look at the Bill paolini review. And the clarity this eyepiece can seem to give even in a modest 4" frac seems very very good. When Bill is putting it in the same sort of league as the legendary ZAO then this eyepiece must be something special. Maybe worth a look if your not a televues collectionist?. I would love to get hold of a second hand one if I could as if it's like s ZAO then I could certainly make room for such a eyepiece in my glass case, plus I would not have to bankrupt myself buying one? 

[boyfromlincs]

 televues collectionist....lol..i like that..

[John]

9 hours ago, boyfromlincs said:

Think im going to try my 6mm barlowed at my astro club when i can get to it as you suggested  charic... then i may find the 3.5 mm will do me fine... i get impatient beacause i have been unable to get out or drive for over a year..must learn to be more patient lol 

 

You can be confident that scopes with the optical quality of the Takahashi's can handle high magnifications. It will be the seeing conditions that will be the limiting factor rather than the optical quality.