Meade 4000 Zoom Eyepiece

[Starpaw]

I just purchased this eyepiece (it's in the post office, waiting for me) and I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with it?  I am currently trying to streamline my setup (I only have a grab and go setup because I do not have a garden!) and this eyepiece was within my budget.  Hopefully your experiences are inline with the reviews...

[Grotemobile]

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/celestron-8-24mm-zoom-eyepiece-125.html

This is the one I have got. It looks similar. I use it quite a bit. I find it great for

getting the right amount  XXX  on something. A bit of kit worth having.

[iPeace]

+1 for streamlining with a zoom. Looking forward to reading about how it works for you.

[Louis D]

Which version did you purchase?  The older version that looked like this was highly regarded.  The newer one that looks like this is rated about the same as the Celestron zoom.

[Highburymark]

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

Which version did you purchase?  The older version that looked like this was highly regarded.  The newer one that looks like this is rated about the same as the Celestron zoom.

Ineeed Louis - I remember the original Meade zoom  commanding a pretty high price tag - in the 1990s it was twice the price of a full set of Meade plossls - somewhere around £200 in the UK. But current one is supposed to be very nice too - though not priced as a premium product.

[Starpaw]

I bought the current version, which I picked up today from the delivery office. First impressions are that it's quite large, at least compared to the orthos and plossls that I'm used to, but, worryingly, it's also quite light given it's size. The zoom mechanism is smooth and it's handy that you can crank up the power in 1mm increments.  It's not parfocal and I couldn't detect aberrations when tested indoors, though I'm sure some will be revealed when tested on the night sky. Hopefully it will turn out to be a winner.