New EP delivered today!

[Louis D]

6 hours ago, 25585 said:

Eye lens diameter is 27mm (just noticed cup fold is torn & lens has prev owners finger print)

The Nagler T1 eld is 25mm. Holding this venerable ep to my un-bespectacled eye, rigidly, I can see about 70 degs. Twitch my nose & less!

Yeah, I've read more than few reports saying that the Vixen LVW was a bit shy of having the XL's eye relief.  Having a 3mm smaller eye lens would seem to support this view.

My 20 year old 9mm Vixen LV cup has all sorts of stress cracks in it.  I'm just waiting for the day it splits entirely.  I'm also not surprised at all by the finger print.

It sounds like the 14mm Meade 4000 UWA might be a good choice to swap your 13mm T1 for.  You can't really get any more than about 14mm of eye relief with that sized eye lens.  The Meade calculates out to 18mm of maximum eye relief, and I measured it at 17mm from the top of the housing using flashlight projection.  I directly compared it to the 14mm Morpheus, and the Morpheus's 37mm eye lens, 19mm measured eye relief, and measured 78 degree AFOV are hands down easier to use than the Meade's measured 80 degree field of view.  Yet, there was something special about that Meade I can't put into words.  Of course, nothing compares to the 17mm ES-92.  I swapped it in and out, and it was phenomenal.  Easy to use 17mm of usable eye relief, 43mm eye lens, 93 degree measured AFOV, pinpoint stars edge to edge, super crisp field stop, no egg-like distortion of the moon as it nears the edge, great glare control.  ES really knocked it out of the park with that one.

[Dave In Vermont]

I love those Vixen LV EP's! I wish I'd known back then what I do now - I'd have bought the whole fleet.

 

As stands I only have 3 of them - 4mm, 9mm, & 15mm. They have certainly passed the test of time very well indeed.

Enjoy -

Dave

[25585]

Last LVW, a 17mm (unless a 22 turns up). Field trip ep for that fl as my Nikon is too expensive for away from home. 

All the Vixens, apart from 42 I have, fit into a small gadget bag ideal for space saving. They give decent enough eye relief, were (42 apart), inexpensive and edge to edge satisfaction. My Vixen bag is grab & use. 

[jetstream]

Great eyepieces

The 42mm LVW is a favorite of mine as is the HR2 2.4mm.

[25585]

Glad I was able to get the 13, 17 and 42 LVWs. I can see the 42 taking over from my 55 TV Plossl. Not  sure how the latter would compare to a 50mm LVW, or the 30 to 35 Panoptic.

Maybe get the whole range from a collector's mentality....

Edited November 3, 2017 by 25585

[Ricochet]

11 hours ago, 25585 said:

Last LVW, a 17mm (unless a 22 turns up). Field trip ep for that fl as my Nikon is too expensive for away from home. 

All the Vixens, apart from 42 I have, fit into a small gadget bag ideal for space saving. They give decent enough eye relief, were (42 apart), inexpensive and edge to edge satisfaction. My Vixen bag is grab & use. 

What's the bag you're using? I'm often pondering alternative options to the standard maplins case. 

[Paz]

On 06/10/2017 at 15:45, 25585 said:

 

I would like to try a 31mm Nagler as it's eye relief is 19mm. Need a store with it in stock. 

I've got a 31mm nagler specifically for the long eye relief and it is good. The rest of my set for the vx14  is a 22mm nagler (also 19mm eye relief) and then Delos (20mm eye relief) at shorter focal lengths.

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, 25585 said:

Not  sure how the latter would compare to a 50mm LVW

It's a 50mm LV or 50mm NLV, not LVW.  The LV predates the LVWs and is only 45 degrees.  The NLV is recently discontinued, but also has a 45 degree AFOV.  I would stick with the 42mm LVW.  Hopefully you'll give your impressions report on it soon.  Here's a 2005 CN report on it and the 40mm Pentax XL and 40mm Rodenstock.

[25585]

2 hours ago, Ricochet said:

What's the bag you're using? I'm often pondering alternative options to the standard maplins case. 

Just a Jessops camera kit bag with moveable, padded dividers inside. LVWs lie on their sides, LVs stand upright. 

 

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, 25585 said:

Just a Jessops camera kit bag with moveable, padded dividers inside. LVWs lie on their sides, LVs stand upright. 

 

Orion USA has a this dedicated eyepiece waist case.  It was reviewed on CN a decade ago.  It's probably best for small to mid-sized eyepieces.  The fact it is still being sold 10 years later speaks volumes about it.

[25585]

1 hour ago, Paz said:

I've got a 31mm nagler specifically for the long eye relief and it is good. The rest of my set for the vx14  is a 22mm nagler (also 19mm eye relief) and then Delos (20mm eye relief) at shorter focal lengths.

Like to try one on its own and with a low power 1.6x Barlow, that might give the 31 Nagler that little bit extra eye relief for me if needed. 

[25585]

2 hours ago, Louis D said:

Orion USA has a this dedicated eyepiece waist case.  It was reviewed on CN a decade ago.  It's probably best for small to mid-sized eyepieces.  The fact it is still being sold 10 years later speaks volumes about it.

Outdoor activity vest such as fishermen use with pockets galore is useful. And has better weight distribution.

[Saganite]

On 11/1/2017 at 19:44, 25585 said:

LVW 42mm 2 inch. Penultimate of the LVWs I have bought. 

This will be interesting to compare with my TV 55mm Plossl & older Vixen 32mm 36.4 Erfle. Not too heavy, lighter than my 35mm Panoptic, which will also be tested alongside, on a suitable night. 

Need some 2 inch filters now!

Photo is with cup rolled down. 

 

A truly wonderful eyepiece, and the only LVW that I still have, and will always keep, having moved on the 8mm & 22mm. The 42mm LVW  gives me 45x, a TFOV of 1.43 deg, and an exit pupil of 2.8mm in my big 5" refractor, and of course stars are tiny pinpoints across the FOV, just sublime for sweeping star fields..

[25585]

18 minutes ago, Saganite said:

A truly wonderful eyepiece, and the only LVW that I still have, and will always keep, having moved on the 8mm & 22mm. The 42mm LVW  gives me 45x, a TFOV of 1.43 deg, and an exit pupil of 2.8mm in my big 5" refractor, and of course stars are tiny pinpoints across the FOV, just sublime for sweeping star fields..

Gotta ask, what's your frac?! 

[Saganite]

Hi,

It is in my signature at the bottom of the page, but it is a D&G  Optical 5" f15, and a real planet killer !

[Alan White]

Where on earth are you finding the LVW's?
I am most jealous of the 13mm.

Hope they and the LV's all provide visual delight for you.

 

[GavStar]

Yes I think the vixen lvw's are very nice eyepieces. Probably the most comfortable I have used. It always surprised me that they weren't more popular when they were readily available. Second hand they used to be a real bargain. I guess that may stop now they are not available new. I know I won't be selling mine anytime soon.

 

[Louis D]

5 hours ago, Alan White said:

Where on earth are you finding the LVW's?
I am most jealous of the 13mm.

Hope they and the LV's all provide visual delight for you.

 

I found 6 ads for various LVWs just for the month of October on CN classifieds.  Perhaps they were more common on this side of the pond.

[Alan White]

5 hours ago, Louis D said:

I found 6 ads for various LVWs just for the month of October on CN classifieds.  Perhaps they were more common on this side of the pond.

I think that may be due to the higher number of people and therefore astronomers.

[Saganite]

8 hours ago, Louis D said:

I found 6 ads for various LVWs just for the month of October on CN classifieds.  Perhaps they were more common on this side of the pond.

I must admit I would try a 13mm  LVW if one became available.

I regularly see eyepieces on your side of the pond, Louise,that I would like, but have never been successful in buying.

Edited November 4, 2017 by Saganite

[John]

I've bought a few items, including eyepieces, from the USA. The prices were good but once import duty and handling charges were added on the price was pretty much the same as it would have been within the EU. For hard to get items sometimes the only way to find them is to import from across the pond though because the US market is a lot larget than here.

With the LVW's now out of production it will be interesting to see if they develop a "mystique" which presses their used prices upwards in the way it did (temporarily) when the Baader Genuine Orthos went out of production and as it has (permanently it seems ) for the 30mm and 40mm Pentax XW's.

It's worth keeping a level head about these things - the LVW's are very nice eyepieces but there are equally nice alternatives around today, IMHO, and some a little better even. I reckon LVW's are good used buys for around the same price as a Tele Vue Radian but I'd not pay more than that for one.

 

Edited November 4, 2017 by John

[25585]

15 hours ago, Alan White said:

Where on earth are you finding the LVW's?
I am most jealous of the 13mm.

Hope they and the LV's all provide visual delight for you.

 

FLO have none now. 365astronomy & Widescreen Centre have certain fl left, including 17mm - generally the shorter FL LVW eps are still around. 

My 42 was from ebay US seller, unexpectedly large VAT to pay, but still less overall than a 45mm Panoptic. 

13 & 17 were 2nd hand from an ebay UK seller. Nowhere either side of the pond are there 22s being sold. 

SLV was new. LV eps also ebay. Plenty still. 

Edited November 4, 2017 by 25585

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, John said:

The prices were good but once import duty and handling charges were added on the price was pretty much the same as it would have been within the EU.

Every time I read posts like this, I get infuriated.  As long as I stay under $800/day, I pay no import duties.  Sales tax is never applied to imports.  So much for free trade and reciprocity with the US.  Y'all need to start a Tea Party type of revolution over there to get government off your backs.  Brexit was a good start.

[25585]

1 hour ago, John said:

I've bought a few items, including eyepieces, from the USA. The prices were good but once import duty and handling charges were added on the price was pretty much the same as it would have been within the EU. For hard to get items sometimes the only way to find them is to import from across the pond though because the US market is a lot larget than here.

With the LVW's now out of production it will be interesting to see if they develop a "mystique" which presses their used prices upwards in the way it did (temporarily) when the Baader Genuine Orthos went out of production and as it has (permanently it seems ) for the 30mm and 40mm Pentax XW's.

It's worth keeping a level head about these things - the LVW's are very nice eyepieces but there are equally nice alternatives around today, IMHO, and some a little better even. I reckon LVW's are good used buys for around the same price as a Tele Vue Radian but I'd not pay more than that for one.

 

Good points John. My 42 was an import. Still cheaper than a domestic 45 Panoptic. Having grown a liking for all LV, it was more a known-unknown if you'll forgive the Rumsfeldian oxymoron

No long fl XW anywhere. 

I think why TV win is because their eps are a sort of currency, and they are known-knowns. 

Reading a CN post string on 17mm Delos v LVW (amid the usual bickering), LVW were said to be better in fast scopes with no coma corrector, but Delos has slightly better colour etc. It can also need a TV negative value optic. 

I would like to try an ES with "long" eye relief, perhaps the 28 Maxview as the 27 Panoptic er is too short. (Have enough 17s already!)

Edited November 4, 2017 by 25585

[25585]

1 minute ago, Louis D said:

Every time I read posts like this, I get infuriated.  As long as I stay under $800/day, I pay no import duties.  Sales tax is never applied to imports.  So much for free trade and reciprocity with the US.  Y'all need to start a Tea Party type of revolution over there to get government off your backs.  Brexit was a good start.

Brexit bad for exchange rates, from an importer's perspective over here! Bigger factor than taxes.