Eyepiece choices: Words of wisdom ?

[John]

I came across an interesting post on another forum by Bill Paolini, the author of "Choosing and Using Astronomical Eyepieces" and an occasional poster here. I thought it was worth re-posting a paragraph from it as it seems very sound advice to me. The topic of the thread on the other forum was on choosing an Ethos eyepiece to use with a Takahashi 100mm refractor but I think the final sentance is very apposite when discussing eyepieces generally and probably scopes as well:

"...Now one can always make an argument for other eyepieces as no single model is best at everything.  But the OP is asking for Ethos advice for their scope so want to help them rather than dissuade them.  And truth be told, every eyepiece brand and model has some shortcomings.  The trick is to learn to use the equipment you have along the lines of its strengths.  When one does that, then their optical chain can perform miracles..."

 

[Pig]

Very true paragraph John, but I think the real trick is being able to restrain yourself in the first place ? Something I cannot do. 

[Alan White]

Very true John, but in any equipment heavy hobby the 'blame it on the kit' is too easy to say and 'the shiny new kit is very accessible'

These two are the devil of a combination for many to resist, myself included at times. 

[Piero]

Interesting comment which to me prompts the question "how do you learn to use the equipment you have along the lines of its strengths?"

 

As it stands it seems difficult to answer to me, so I prefer to break the question in two parts: targets and personal tastes.

I would say that learning how to observe the different target classes helps a lot in the deciding focal lengths, aperture, f-ratio, etc. I partially choose the specs by target class, certainly not by brand.

Then there are tastes and these can be rather different between two persons. I would say that it helps understand what one likes the most and expects from a certain equipment.

 

I like having and keeping a small number of tools because doing so their use is maximised and this lets me focus on the targets, rather than thinking which eyepiece is the best every time. Again this is personal, but having more than the necessary gear kind of distracts me.

[John]

1 hour ago, Piero said:

Interesting comment which to me prompts the question "how do you learn to use the equipment you have along the lines of its strengths?"...

 

 

To me that means i) accept that all equipment has both strengths and weaknesses, ii) learn as much as you can about these both by reading others experiences and getting some of your own.

I think your point about having too much gear is valid and to some extent it was behind this thread that I started:

 https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/296822-2-eyepieces-plus-barlow-all-i-need/

I often wonder if I would be a better astronomer by having just a single scope and a small set of eyepieces which I had got to know really, really well. Trouble is, I'm also afflicted by the issue that Pig highlights in his post above

 

 

[Alan White]

8 minutes ago, John said:

I often wonder if I would be a better astronomer by having just a single scope and a small set of eyepieces which I had got to know really, really well. Trouble is, I'm also afflicted by the issue that Pig highlights in his post above

and therein lies the problem for many.
Full agree with your sentiment, but how do you or I actually make it happen.
I am at the one scope with an ST80 and my eyepieces at present and I alreaday know its weaknesses and strengths.

[scarp15]

2 hours ago, John said:

  The trick is to learn to use the equipment you have along the lines of its strengths.  When one does that, then their optical chain can perform miracles..."

 

Perhaps it will depend upon the clarity of circumstances in which the equipment is intended to be used. For example, the dob mob are very clear, a 'take no prisoners' approach, to gain access to darkest potential skies with largest manageable aperture and pitch a tent alongside. Those users of small refractors, who 'cut loose' to cycle out of Town to a dark field, go camping, travel some place abroad or pitch up on their allotment, push the boundaries in what their equipment maybe capable of and perhaps stretch the realms of observational skills and experience. Then there is everything else in-between, conjuring up a plan or plans to excel the potential of your own equipment is a fruitful pursuit, resisting some purchase temptations for gaining new items though is not always so easy.

[alan potts]

John,

As much as I agree with Bills' wise words here and in many other pieces he has penned, once you have dreadful TeleVue virus, there is rarely a cure until Ethos is injected into the system.

Alan

[Moonshane]

I think the problem is that different people see different things when they look. Personally if someone who was a keen lunar observer or observed birds in the daytime asked me if they should get an Ethos or Delos  I'd say not as personally I found them very irritating on the moon due to off axis CA. My panoptics and plossls are far superior on the moon to my eyes but there are many that will disagree. I agree with the general principles that Bill is referencing though, although you might need deep pockets to only use eyepieces for narrow duties to maximise their qualities. 

[YKSE]

Yes, that's word of wisdom.

 The trick is to learn to use the equipment you have along the lines of its strengths.  When one does that, then their optical chain can perform miracles..."

The red-marked words means (to my ears) that we need to understand both strength and weakness of what we have (a scope or an EP or something else), so that we can make best out of it.

A SCT, e.g. is not a wide field scope, it is f10, but it's not a f10 newt, meaning that a standard SCT has its field curvature and coma, that wanting a wide field , sharp to the edge view of an standard SCT is looking for a hens teeth.

UWA and XWA EPs, have their great wide AFOV well-corrected for shorter focal length scopes, but tehy do weigh quite a lot, and more CA than SWA or narrow AFOV EPs, it's better to know these so that one can handle it (counter-balance system, know your CA tolerance, etc).

[Richard Hather]

I thinks eps are so personal to the user at the telescope no one can really say which ep is best for who.

Optically of course some eps are head and shoulders over others but that doesn't mean to say it's right for everyone.

So many variables have to be taken into account, the only way to figure it out is trial and error.

I do believe if you go for quality eps you can't go wrong then it's just a case of which FOV and how much ER you like.

[JsMurf]

i currently just have 4 ep's and 2 came with telescope.  I chose to add a televue 8mm  and a meade 32mm.  And im sure just being at the beginning of this, I'll certainly over time add more. Im still learning what i like best so far with what i have. Havent experienced alot of other ep's yet.  Sure i will in time.