Eyepieces for DSO

[Ady Alex]

Happy New Year to All

Last year I bought my telescope a SW Dob 200/1200 go-to it was around 1000 euro.It came with 2 cheap eyepieces 10,26mm plossl and I bought a 32mm GSO super plossl.

I want to buy 1 eyepiece for DSO. In time i think I should buy a 40mm, 32mm, 20/19mm, 15/14mm, 8mm,6mm.

My budget is 300 euro so i was thinking about:

http://www.astroshop.eu/televue-panoptic-1-25-19mm-eyepiece/p,14242#tab_bar_0_select

or

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/baader-planetarium/baader-morpheus-76-degree-wide-field-eyepieces.html

or this set looks nice to me: 

http://agenaastro.com/baader-classic-q-eyepiece-set-2957000.html

I never used other eyepieces so I don't know what is the difference between a cheap one and a expensive one like the on above. I googled some tutorials and this came out ,Is TV a good eyepieces ,better then Morpheus ....? Can i find other eyepieces with the same attributes cheaper cheaper?

Please make some recommendations if you think other eyepieces are good for me.Please don't put eyepieces that costs more then my scope :))

[Moonshane]

I have tried other brands and always regret not getting the Televue offering when I have done.

I'd recommend you do more research before committing

This is a good read.

Consider things like eye relief, observer comfort,  weight / balance,  true field and exit pupil.

I tend to buy used and this saves a lot of money and you can sell almost for the same price.

Both eyepieces linked are great but if I had to choose one it would would be the Panoptic every time.

[Bart]

Hello

is your scope F6? If so, you probably won't need very expensive eyepieces. 

[alanjgreen]

Ady,

Do you wear glasses when observing? if so, this will affect what you choose as "eye relief" needs to come into your thoughts and a minimum of 15mm eye relief is recommended for glasses wearers.

If I were buying eyepieces for a Dob then I would think about field of view size. The Dob can show a lot of sky and choosing eyepieces below 70degree FOV may mean you are sacrificing some of the Dobs real benefits.

Televue are great eyepieces (I have a lot of them) but if you only have the two free eyepieces then I would recommed you consider buying two cheaper (but still good!) eyepieces for the price you would pay for one TV eyepiece.

The panoptic is quite an old eyepiece now (I own the 19mm & 24mm by the way) and with its 68 degree FOV may not be best suited to the dob. They are lightweight for sure if weight is an issue for you. 19mm is a big tight on eye relief for glasses wearers.

I also have Ethos and once you see 100 degree FOV in a dob then there is no going back!

I recommend that you do some research into ES 82 degree eyepieces, they have good reviews & are nice and wide to excel in your Dob.

Probably something around 100 - 150 magnification would be best for DSO

I would probably go for the 18mm (low power), this would be great for large nebula and you could "televue 2x 2inch powermate" to a 9mm

Then I would go for the 11mm (mid power), great for galaxies. you could "televue 2x 2inch powermate" to a 5.5mm

You would be under budget and I would put what was left towards a down payment on a "televue 2x 2inch powermate", they are exceptional and the best way to get good use from your eyepieces.

 

Alan

 

[Ady Alex]

My scope is F6 and i don't wear glasses.

[Ady Alex]

I have found this :

 

Are they good?

 

1. Meade Series 5000 21mm Mega Wide Angle Eyepiece (2")

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1107595-REG/meade_607018_series_5000_21mm_mega.html

it 100 fov and in my budget at 200$

 

2.Meade Series 5000 15mm Mega Wide Angle Eyepiece (2")

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1107594-REG/meade_607017_series_5000_15mm_mega.html

 

3.Meade Series 5000 10mm Mega Wide Angle Eyepiece (1.25")

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1107593-REG/meade_607016_series_5000_10mm_mega.html

 

4.Meade 20mm Series 5000 Ultra Wide Angle Eyepiece (2")

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/815028-REG/Meade_07743_20mm_Series_5000_Ultra.html

 

5.Meade Series 5000 Ultra Wide Angle 14mm Eyepiece (1.25")

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/815861-REG/Meade_07742_Series_5000_Ultra_Wide.html

 

I can only buy 1 so which one do I pick?

[Timebandit]

 

Hello. And welcome to SGL

Out of the eyepieces listed by yourself then I would go for the televues panoptic. Why? It is quality and an eyepiece IMO you will not regret buying.

I will add my own opinion if you do not mind with my personal choice of eyepieces in or around your budget.

The televues nagler 20mm this eyepiece has great eye relief, an 82d fov and tack sharp optics. This eyepiece is just pure quality IMO. I own one and it's just great on DSO. You may need to buy a used one to get it within budget  

The second eyepiece I would recommend is the Pentax XW 10mm again great for DSO and planetary also. These eyepieces have around 20mm eye relief and a 70d fov and are just tack sharp, like using a quality Ortho but with the added eye relief and fov. The Pentax are again just quality. I own one of these also and it is around your budget 

I hope the above helps☺

[alanjgreen]

Doesn't look promising, find some more reviews before you jump in

http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/538128-meade-10mm-mega-wide-angle-100°-eyepiece/

http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/551639-meade-mega-wide-angle-100-degree-eyepieces/

http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/485277-meade-series-5000-mwa-has-arrived/page-6#entry6359656

[F15Rules]

For DSOs I prefer a middle magnification: the lower mags show a brighter sky background, higher ones show a narrow field. In your DOB a 14mm Morpheus would give x85 with a nice 76degree field. I have this eyepiece and it's a cracker. It should be sharp at F6 almost to the edge and contrast, eye relief and sharpness are excellent.

I also have the Baader Classic Ortho 18mm and this would give you x66..Although only a 50degree field this too delivers superb sharpness and contrast and is amazing value for money. M42 in either of the above eyepieces is a wonderful sight.

Dave

[Dude_with_the_tube]

Ady,

i will NOT recommend you any eye pieces as it is your money to spend and your mind to make up.But i would suggest to go and read up reviews about any eye piece you choose and in general,do a bit of reading and research before you splash out your hard earned cash.

People will suggest you all weird and wonderfull things starting from Televue Ethos finishing with some cheap plossls,but at the end you will be the one who will be using them.Most will only suggest you eye pieces they ever used and have knowledge off but one lid does not fit all pots.

Also get Stellarium downloaded to your PC or device you have and you can play with different eye pieces there for free before deciding what to buy.

[Timebandit]

1 hour ago, Dude_with_the_tube said:

Ady,

i will NOT recommend you any eye pieces as it is your money to spend and your mind to make up.But i would suggest to go and read up reviews about any eye piece you choose and in general,do a bit of reading and research before you splash out your hard earned cash.

People will suggest you all weird and wonderfull things starting from Televue Ethos finishing with some cheap plossls,but at the end you will be the one who will be using them.Most will only suggest you eye pieces they ever used and have knowledge off but one lid does not fit all pots.

Also get Stellarium downloaded to your PC or device you have and you can play with different eye pieces there for free before deciding what to buy.

 

Hello . And i agree it is up to the OP to decide ultimately on which eyepieces to buy" you pays your money and takes your choice"

But the OP has posted a question on this site for help and advice on which eyepieces to buy. And therefore the OP wishes people's views and opinions on what they regard as an eyepiece worth the merit of being purchase. In my opinion the OP is asking for the opinions on this forum due to the neutrality of the members. To my knowledge nobody works for one of the eyepiece manufacturers (do they?) and nobody is paid to recommend a certain brand. Therefore SGL is a great place for " real world views" . There are so many eyepieces for a newbie when they first start ,hundreds of choices,and if members can narrow this choice down for the OP from the "requirements" then surely this puts the OP on the correct path to either ask more questions on a certain eyepiece on the forum, or doing a bit more research away from the forum.

I know from my own experience on questions and recommendation then the advice is usually first class , especially if someone uses or has owned a particular piece of kit or eyepiece. This forum has saved me a lot of time and money in buying eyepieces that would not meet my requirements in eye relief, fov and quality of optics. And sometimes the eyepiece you go for may cost a bit more but IMO can be worth it as this way you only buy once. In stead of possibly buying a number of eyepieces just to realise you should of spent that extra in the beginning and that way only buy once ,the one you should of brought in the beginning. A great forum full of advice, information to help the members  

[Bart]

I like the 82" and 100" EPs. I've owned the Explore Scientific 82" range and a number of Televue Nagler range. I have not been able to discern any noticeable difference between the two at equal or very similar focal lengths. There is a difference of cost however. It's generally put forward that televue would/might be better at f ratios less than F5, but at F6, as you are, I'm not sure if the extra expense would be worth it. Again, at 100", men far more experienced than I have stated there is little difference between the ES and TV, so again, at F6, there may be no need for the significant extra cost. 

Good luck picking, it's half the fun!

[Louis D]

You might want to try and find an astronomy club in Romania, even if it is a bit distant.  Observing through others' collections of eyepieces can quickly give you an idea of your likes and dislikes in eyepiece design.

[Nyctimene]

How do you think about a quality zoom eyepiece?

I've found that I am using my Baader Hyperion Zoom 24-8 mmf for almost 75% of my observing time. It works really well with my fast Newtonians of f/4.5 and even f/4. Very good build quality, always gets good reviews (look it up here in the forum "Member Equipment Reviews").

Being (together with the 2,25x Barlow) in your price range, it could be well suited for your 8" f/6. Later on, you could add a low-power wide field eyepiece to compensate the Baaders only flaw - the narrow field of view with the 24 mm setting (it's only about 40° TFOV).

Hope this helps (and does not add too much to the confusion).

Stephan

[Ady Alex]

Searching the web i found that some people uses orthos for DSO for their good contrasts.

http://www.baader-planetarium.com/en/accessories/optical-accessories/eyepieces/baader-q-turret-eyepiece-set-(eyepiece-revolver-4x-classic-ortho-1x-q-barlow-2.25x).html

"

• consisting of: Eyepieces Classic Ortho 6,10,18 mm / Plössl 32mm (incl. 4 pc winged rubber eyecups), 2.25x Q-Barlow, Q-turret quad eyepiece revolver, Baader Astro Box #1 (M31)
• These eyepieces deliver a pure-white image with outstanding sharpness and contrast, 50° field of view, sharp field-stops, and true High-Transmission- (HT) and Multi-Coating on all glass-air-surfaces. The eyepieces are parfocal
• highest comfort and (in combination with the Barlow-lens) many focal lengths with just one set of eyepieces: 2,7mm, 4,6mm, 6mm, 8mm, 14mm, 18mm, 32mm
• Baader Q-Turret eyepiece-revolver set - selected as Hot Product in 2014 by Sky&Telescope

"

I'm a beginner (6 months) i think this set will be good for me .It will replace the cheap 10mm and 26mm  gso that came with my 200/1200 dob and the cheap x2 barlow .

Next puchhase will be

 http://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/apm-ultra-flat-field-15mm-eyepiece-65-fov

http://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/apm-ultra-flat-field-18mm-eyepiece-65-fov.html

I see that they have very good reviews.

In time when i will have more experience i will buy TV Ethos.

I think now i'm losing money on TV Ethos  being a beginner and not appreciate a premium eyepiece. 

What do you think of my decisions?

[John]

I have not used the eyepieces that you provide links to so I can't comment on those.

I have used the Baader Classic Orthos though and I do think that they are outstanding deep sky eyepieces, especially the 10m and 18mm

 

[Nyctimene]

Ady Alex,

I think this would be a very good solution and for an excellent price. The Baader orthos get consistently good reviews; I can't comment on them, having never looked through one of these . But I can do this for the 2,25x  Baader Barlow, which I'm using now for half a year. When I compare it side-to-side to my Zeiss Abbe 2x Barlow, I cannot make out a real difference! Clear, bright, neutral colour, sharp and lightweight; well suited for a travel scope or grab-and-go setup later.

I'd guess that even later, with some TV eyepieces in your eyepiece case, you'll return often to orthos because of their quality.

Stephan

[alanjgreen]

Ady Alex,

Looks like you will do fine with your choices

The Baader eyepieces are very good and I see that the APM eyepieces seem to review well over on cloudynights.

Best of luck with your new eyepieces and do please post your impressions of them when you get to use them.

Clear skies,

Alan

 

[Highburymark]

Ady - it can be very confusing deciding what to buy when you're starting out, and there are so many different EPs on the market. You should be aware that the Baader Classic Orthos - while very clear and sharp - also give a narrow view of the sky, which means you may not be able to see some of the wider galaxies and star clusters in their entirety, and also have limited eye relief, which some people find uncomfortable. 

[Ady Alex]

I know they have 50 degrees.

But i found them in Romania ( Baader Q-Turret Eyepiece Set (eyepiece revolver, 4x Classic Ortho, 1x Q-Barlow 2.25x) )

at 222 euro or 273 $

[Timebandit]

 

Hello. I consider the Baader Classic Ortho a great first step up in class from the type of stock eyepieces that are usually supplied with the scope. These eyepieces not only have great sharp optics but are also sensible prices . Obviously the fov is restricted to around 50d and the eye relief is not particularly great. But as a step up in eyepiece I think a great choice. I have the predecessor the Baader Genuine Ortho. And despite me having some televues and some Pentax, the Baader Ortho are still used on a regular basis and why ? Because optically they are great , nice to handle and quick to swap in and out if I need to change magnification. I think you will be pleased with the Baader Classic Ortho☺

[John]

My eyepieces currently comprise of Tele Vues and Pentax. Their reputation is well known and deserved in my opinion. I have found though that the Baader Classic Orthos, accepting their characteristics of eye relief which is around 80% of their focal length and a 50 degree apparent field of view, perform at least as well as the Tele Vue Ethos / Pentax XW's on both deep sky and planetary viewing.

Now if you want a wider field of view, don't go for the Baader Classic orthos. If you want long eye relief, don't go for the Baader Classic orthos. But for their price (just under £50 apiece new in the UK) I can't think of an eyepiece that performs better in optical terms

 

[Aikidoamigo]

Reading these cost Vs quality comparisons  I find them really helpful as a newbie.

my question on this same thread is, how to buy second hand lenses and know they are OK?

i have read a lot about not cleaning lenses or problems that can come about through incorrect handling, therefore I would be very wary of lenses for sale that have been used by someone I know nothing about.

not wanting to hijack the thread, how to buy second hand lenses without problem, in line with the OP question?

[Moonshane]

you'd have to try pretty hard to damage an eyepiece to the point where it's performance was affected noticeably. most stronomers care for their kit so as long as you buy from e.g. a member on here or a regular seller on ukastrobuyandsell then you are unlikely to have major issues. most damage is purely cosmetic and whilst it might affect resale value (and the price you should pay) it won't affect performance.

[Louis D]

3 hours ago, Aikidoamigo said:

i have read a lot about not cleaning lenses or problems that can come about through incorrect handling, therefore I would be very wary of lenses for sale that have been used by someone I know nothing about.

Ask for photos of the lenses.  Older eyepieces can have coating issues that look bad in reflections, but don't really affect the view very much in the end.  Just adjust the price accordingly.  I've never had any issues with US sellers on CN classifieds, and I've bought all sorts of astro items on there.  I'm sure UK sellers here are good as well.