Will an 8mm BST Starguider be better than an 8mm TMB Planetary II Clone?

[JOC]

Exactly wot it says 'on the box' :-

Will an 8mm BST Starguider be better than an 8mm TMB Planetary II Clone please?

The latter I have the former I'm considering.

[Chris]

I've only ever had one TMB Planetary clone and didn't keep it long, did it show ghosting? I can't fully remember why I didn't keep it long if I'm honest, but I'm on my second BST 8mm and happy with it if that helps answer your question  

[John]

I've not used the 8mm TMB planetary clone but I have owned a BST Starguider 8mm. It was a pretty good eyepiece in my scopes including my F/5.3 12" dob

[ronl]

The 8mm Starguider is a really nice eyepiece, so nice I bought them all, very comfortable,

the twist up eyecup makes it easy to find your comfort zone, and the views are really good,

I'm sure you will like it.

 

[spaceboy]

I've owned the TMB clones in the past although I think it was a 5 and 4mm I had. I was very pleased with them at the time. I have had and presently own starguiders which are pretty similar in performance if memory serves the clones correct. The reason why I went with the starguiders is they offer 60° fov over 58° and come up used more often so a set can be compiled relatively cheap. To be fair both are good for the money but they won't offer the performance of a more expensive ep, so expect some compromise.

[ronin]

The BST is the better option. Had a couple of TMB's and BST's, the BST were the better. Think I may have given the TMB's away.

Think the TMB's started out with good intentions, but they didn't come out as good as intended, they were reissued as TMB II's when aspects were fixed but they never quite lived up to expectations. From comments made previously the TS version of the TMB Clone is reported to be one of the better offerings.

By the way I would expect it to be better but do not go expecting vast differences, it is not a case of supplied Kellner to TV Nagler improvement, which is often what is expected. If I recall the price is similar so you are more or less comparing a £45 eyepiece to another £45 eyepiece.

[JOC]

16 minutes ago, ronin said:

By the way I would expect it to be better but do not go expecting vast differences, it is not a case of supplied Kellner to TV Nagler improvement, which is often what is expected. If I recall the price is similar so you are more or less comparing a £45 eyepiece to another £45 eyepiece.

This^^^ is a useful observation.  I was currently wondering whether to stick with the TMB II clone until I could maybe afford something significantly better in the 8mm range.  I like the seeing that I'm getting with my new 15mm Baader Morpheus and think I could easily live with more of those - though they are a push the boat out treat and it will depend on how much I find I use the telescope over the summer, i.e. am I going to become an 'astonomer' or an interested 'looker whenever I know there is something interesting up there'.  The slight issue with try to amass a collection of the Morpheus (apart from the obvious 'Ouch' factor of buying them) is that they go from 9mm to 6.5mm with nothing in between.  I really want an 8mm and I think a 6.5mm is pushing my telescope beyond what it is comfortable with in the UK.  I have just taken a look at the Baader Hyperions, and they might be a decent compromise for an 8mm, but again are a slightly considered purchase compared to the £45-£50 arena.   

At the moment I've no urgent need to buy, I've got the TMB II clone at 8mm and a Barlow to use with some of my higher mm EP's.  If I buy its got to have decent eye-relief as I tend to wear my specs when viewing, I've decided I like a decent field of view and want an EP that doesn't diminish too much of the detail.

[Charic]

I tried a 6mm TMB II and did not like the narrower field of view back then, I think it was 58° and the 8mm BST Starguider was my first official eyepiece upgrade for my Skyliner, and so good was the resulting image, I bought the set. 
I will use the focal ratio to choose my eyepieces. I needed a 6mm, but not available as a BST, went for the William Optic SPL instead, I now have that set too.

I find the Starguiders just right for my scope, I have even tried Delos, but their no better except for a slightly wider field of view, and I have tried some Plossl's, from  Tele Vue, Meade. GSO Revelation, even tried some Orthoscopics, but their all gone now, except what your seeing in my signature.

If you had both the TMB 8mm and BST Starguider 8mm side by side tonight, my bet is that you would favour the Starguider, Its got ED glass, 60°afov, ample eye-relief and a twist-up eye guard.