TS Optics Expanse 22mm v Vixen 22mm LVW

[25585]

How does the TS Optics ep compare with Vixen LVW 22mm? Former plentiful, latter hens teeth. TS has AFOV 70 deg and 20mm eye relief, also ED.

I like it's camera body connection possibility with a HypT2 connector (removable eye cup), but use would be visual mainly.

 

[onlyme]

38 minutes ago, 25585 said:

How does the TS Optics ep compare with Vixen LVW 22mm?

 

 

The short of it, they do not.

TS Optics Expanse is a clone of the Astro-Tech AF Series and the Celestron Ultima LX eyepieces and made by the same Chinese manufacturer.

For what it is worth, from available reviews they are not particularly good especially with fast scopes.

The rarity of the 22mm Vixen LVW is due to the fact that for some unknown reason Vixen decided to discontinue the superb LVW line.

 

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, onlyme said:

TS Optics Expanse is a clone of the Astro-Tech AF Series and the Celestron Ultima LX eyepieces and made by the same Chinese manufacturer.

For what it is worth, from available reviews they are not particularly good especially with fast scopes.

I have no idea where you are getting your information, but the 22mm is very well regarded even at f/5.  I'll agree that the 17mm and below aren't very good (I have the 13mm and 17mm which reside in my B-team case).  I have the 22mm AT AF70 version and it resides in my A-team eyepiece case because it runs right there with Panoptic, Nagler, Delos, XW and XL eyepieces.  It has a flat field, no kidney beaning, sharp field stop, very slight astigmatism in the last 10% of the field, and an easy to take in AFOV with eyeglasses once the eyecup is screwed off.  It also works great with my old Olympus C-4000 digital camera to take afocal astrophotos.

Here's Phil Creed's CN report that prompted me to try one.  Then there is the CN thread with reports from russell23 on the 22mm Olivon 70 equivalent.  It is the one star of the entire line of eyepieces.  It's too bad the rest are so mediocre that they drag the 22mm down into the mud with them.

2 hours ago, onlyme said:

The rarity of the 22mm Vixen LVW is due to the fact that for some unknown reason Vixen decided to discontinue the superb LVW line.

Yes, the 22mm Vixen may be better, but it is a 65 degree field, has a stiff, difficult to roll down eyecup, and is difficult to find at any price.

[Alan White]

3 hours ago, onlyme said:

The rarity of the 22mm Vixen LVW is due to the fact that for some unknown reason Vixen decided to discontinue the superb LVW line.

 

Indeed they have been.
The noteworthy fact is that those of us who own them, keep them!

[John]

I reckon the TS Expanse 22 is the same eyepiece as the Skywatcher UWA 70 22. I know they look externally different but I have a strong hunch that the optics are the same.

Personally I'd go for the class Japanese glass.

 

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

Indeed they have been.
The noteworthy fact is that those of us who own them, keep them!

They really needed to update the line to 70+ degrees to keep pace with Pentax XW, TV Delos, Baader Morpheus, Nikon NAV-SW, etc., but didn't.  They kept the price competitive with those offerings despite offering only 65 degrees like the Pentax XL line.  Originally, when the Pentax XLs cost $230 new in the late 90s, the Vixens were $170 if IIRC.  Over time, the price of the Vixens rose along with the XLs.  Then in the early/mid 2000s, the XW line was introduced and their price stabilized in the $280 to $300 range for a decade or more.  Vixen matched prices despite not matching specs.  This really tanked their sales.  Had they kept their prices in the sub-$200 range, they might have sold better, but still not great.  That, and a redesign of the eyecup to make it more user friendly and adjustable would have helped.

[onlyme]

4 hours ago, Louis D said:

I have no idea where you are getting your information.

Starman1 among several others in an old thread on CL is one that comes to mind, the reason I know is that I did a lot of research a while back before opting for the LVW.