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Have I got an Eyepiece Obsession going on?

Alan White

By Alan White
in Discussions - Eyepieces

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Highburymark

Highburymark

Posted
Posted
On 25/09/2017 at 17:20, John said:

Those Nagler zooms are fine little eyepieces :smiley:

My 2-4mm showed the moons of Uranus and Neptune more easily than any other of my eyepieces a few nights back. I don't use it at 2mm much but the other click stops certainly earn their keep.

Read a review of the 3-6 Nagler the other day comparing its performance to those of the very best orthos (Zeiss, Pentax, TMB etc). Not sure it's quite that good (tho' I've never experienced a ZAO/XO myself), but it's still a remarkable eyepiece. Problem is getting the conditions here in the UK that will allow it to shine at high mag. All my best views (mainly planetary) with the NgZ have been when travelling abroad.

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Stu

Stu

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Read a review of the 3-6 Nagler the other day comparing its performance to those of the very best orthos (Zeiss, Pentax, TMB etc). Not sure it's quite that good (tho' I've never experienced a ZAO/XO myself), but it's still a remarkable eyepiece. Problem is getting the conditions here in the UK that will allow it to shine at high mag. All my best views (mainly planetary) with the NgZ have been when travelling abroad.

I don't think the Nag Zoom is quite as sharp as dedicated orthos but it is pretty close and does an excellent job in my opinion.

Regarding your last sentence, that kind of says it all, such a compact and flexible eyepiece it is easy to take abroad where the planets are higher and views better.

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iPeace

iPeace

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Read a review of the 3-6 Nagler the other day comparing its performance to those of the very best orthos (Zeiss, Pentax, TMB etc). Not sure it's quite that good (tho' I've never experienced a ZAO/XO myself), but it's still a remarkable eyepiece. Problem is getting the conditions here in the UK that will allow it to shine at high mag. All my best views (mainly planetary) with the NgZ have been when travelling abroad.

It sure is a great tool to have in combination with a short refractor.

:happy11:

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Alan White

Alan White

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Posted
23 hours ago, iPeace said:

It sure is a great tool to have in combination with a short refractor.

STOP right now, you are playing into the Eyepiece Gods hands with my money..........
Oh yeah I have an obsession, looking at Cloud, so that's fine then.

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iPeace

iPeace

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Alan White said:

STOP right now, you are playing into the Eyepiece Gods hands with my money..........
Oh yeah I have an obsession, looking at Cloud, so that's fine then.

So I guess that means that you don't want to hear about how great it is to have the 3-6 Nagler Zoom for use with the TV-85, whilst the 2-4 Nagler Zoom travels around with the TV-60?

Very well, it will be as you wish.

:evil4:

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cloudsweeper

cloudsweeper

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, iPeace said:

So I guess that means that you don't want to hear about how great it is to have the 3-6 Nagler Zoom for use with the TV-85, whilst the 2-4 Nagler Zoom travels around with the TV-60?

Very well, it will be as you wish.

:evil4:

Oh stop it.  My very first TV eyepiece is due to arrive today and now you're tempting me with their 'scopes and zooms.  Enough, enough!

Doug.

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iPeace

iPeace

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

Well just one or two then, maybe of the less costly items!

Doug.

 

 

Ah...less costly...hmm. TeleVue is indeed not the economical option - and this is not the place to rehash that old chestnut.  :rolleyes2:

Notwithstanding, it all holds a certain beauty for me.

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But I have little worry that a single new-to-you Radian - excellent as it is - will corrupt your soul to the point of such madness.

:happy11:

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25585

25585

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, cloudsweeper said:

Update - the postman has just been, the Radian has landed - secondhand, but looks pristine, and, well, oozes quality.  I suppose there's no turning back now.........

Hope it's clear tonight!

Doug.

P1050950.JPG

I have a 6mm and 10mm Radian. Bought from Venturescopes awhile back. Be interested to know how they compare with Delos & Delite equivalents. 

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25585

25585

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, iPeace said:

Ah...less costly...hmm. TeleVue is indeed not the economical option - and this is not the place to rehash that old chestnut.  :rolleyes2:

Notwithstanding, it all holds a certain beauty for me.

tmp_21454-DSC_0237-759827226.thumb.JPG.06d1bdc5e9e773b8f1619262db036da2.JPG

tmp_26134-DSC_02631062397584.thumb.JPG.5ef1689229544702b727c5c49cde5e50.JPG

tmp_11017-DSC_06011143598579.thumb.JPG.c71ba8e716f7cfc692cd8751890008ed.JPG

But I have little worry that a single new-to-you Radian - excellent as it is - will corrupt your soul to the point of such madness.

:happy11:

I am protected from (more) expensive TV eyepieces by their too-short eye relief. If the 31mm Nagler had same er as the 35mm Panoptic, I would own the former instead - what a difference 5mm makes! :hello:

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Louis D

Louis D

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, 25585 said:

I have a 6mm and 10mm Radian. Bought from Venturescopes awhile back. Be interested to know how they compare with Delos & Delite equivalents.

Back in the late 90s when the Radians were first introduced, I tried them in a shop in the daytime and couldn't get past the massive kidney-beaning (SAEP).  I went with the Pentax XL line instead.  They were slightly wider and had no SAEP.  I gave TV another chance with their Delos.  They are even wider than the XL (or XW) and have no SAEP.  The Delos are sharp to the edge and flat of field, so no complaints from me on those points.  Eye relief is the same as the XLs and slightly better than the XWs.  As I've griped before, Pentax took a step backward with the XWs and recessed the eye lens a few millimeters where the Delos and XL don't.

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25585

25585

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Back in the late 90s when the Radians were first introduced, I tried them in a shop in the daytime and couldn't get past the massive kidney-beaning (SAEP).  I went with the Pentax XL line instead.  They were slightly wider and had no SAEP.  I gave TV another chance with their Delos.  They are even wider than the XL (or XW) and have no SAEP.  The Delos are sharp to the edge and flat of field, so no complaints from me on those points.  Eye relief is the same as the XLs and slightly better than the XWs.  As I've griped before, Pentax took a step backward with the XWs and recessed the eye lens a few millimeters where the Delos and XL don't.

John posted that the eye cup on Xw can be taken off giving more eye relief. I have tried this out (for astronomy misty Moon) and it makes a difference. But beware metal rim now!

The Vixen original LV range though not as wide FOV (50 deg), is equal optically maybe slightly better than Radians. I have bought a 20mm which I hope to receive this week. 

De£os are expensive, getting the right ep is a gamble, when buying online. I would like to check out more before buying in hope more!

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Louis D

Louis D

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, 25585 said:

The Vixen original LV range though not as wide FOV (50 deg), is equal optically maybe slightly better than Radians. I have bought a 20mm which I hope to receive this week. 

I have an original 9mm Vixen LV from 1997, bought new.  It is sharp to the field stop and pretty much equal to the Pentax XL line for resolution, just narrower.  It seems to view darker than other comparable eyepieces.  It might have something to do with either the coatings or the Lanthanum glass.  All that aside, my biggest gripe with them is that the eyecup is stiff and difficult to roll down without putting a fingerprint on the eye lens.  That's the main reason I didn't buy any more of them.  I have to roll down the eyecup to use them with eyeglasses due to my vast astigmatism.  Over the past 20 years, the rubber has developed cracks, but has yet to completely tear through.

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25585

25585

Posted
Posted
34 minutes ago, Louis D said:

I have an original 9mm Vixen LV from 1997, bought new.  It is sharp to the field stop and pretty much equal to the Pentax XL line for resolution, just narrower.  It seems to view darker than other comparable eyepieces.  It might have something to do with either the coatings or the Lanthanum glass.  All that aside, my biggest gripe with them is that the eyecup is stiff and difficult to roll down without putting a fingerprint on the eye lens.  That's the main reason I didn't buy any more of them.  I have to roll down the eyecup to use them with eyeglasses due to my vast astigmatism.  Over the past 20 years, the rubber has developed cracks, but has yet to completely tear through.

I have astigmatism hence need glasses as well. Keep the cups down permanently - then the caps don't fit a minus score on that. 

Otherwise a good range. Shame the zoom does not have 20mm eye relief as the single Fl EPs do. 

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Ricochet

Ricochet

Posted
Posted
38 minutes ago, Louis D said:

 It might have something to do with either the coatings or the Lanthanum glass.  

I doubt it's the lanthanum. The XLs/XWs and Radians all use it too. I've read that it is the high lanthanum content that gives the Radians a slight yellow tint. 

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John

John

Posted
Posted

The original Vixen LV's were highly regarded when they came out but that was 25+ years ago. They are still comfortable and sharp but their light transmission is not quite as good as more recent designs by Vixen and others, in my opinion. The 1st generation Radian's have similar characteristics apart from the larger FoV. I found the 2nd gen Radians better than the 1st in terms of transmission.

 

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25585

25585

Posted
Posted

I always put light transmission variances down to my eyes, glasses, aperture or an external factor. Guess why the light transmission has never influenced my ep choice. 

However it's different with binoculars where I notice light much more. Generally I go for contrast, resolution and eye comfort in reviews of eye pieces. My Nikon SAV & Pentax XW with Vixen LV assortment would need serious competition to be retired. 

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