What are the best value for money 1.25" Eyepieces?

[benjiman46]

What are the best value for money 1.25" Eyepieces? Im looking to spend about £20-£30 for a 4mm one. maybe buy some others aswell but just a 4mm for now. Also what is the smallest (in mm) eyepiece available? Cheers guys and gals. Ben

[Kai]

What scope are you planning on using the 4mm on Ben ???

Also what are you planning on observing ???

[benjiman46]

I'll be using it on an orion spaceprobe 130mm reflector I've already got a 10mm and 25mm, but i just want to get a bit closer in on the moon. Also I want to see saturn a little closer too.

So ill be mainly looking at the moon and planets when they rise, and i also find it funny looking at satalites lol

[Kai]

If it was me then i would consider a 2x Barlow as in effect the will give you a total of 4 eyepieces (5mm,10mm,12mm and 25mm) whilst keeping a nice FOV.

In my experience a 4mm is very hard to observe through , but this is just my opinion.

[Ant]

I'd buy a nice 2x barlow.

That'll bring the magnification up to a 5mm (equivilant) - but it'll maintain the eye releif that you get with the 10mm.

Ant

[benjiman46]

Yeah I had a 2x Barlow with my old scope as well as a 4mm lense. I had no trouble looking through the 4mm so what would happen if i used both the 4mm and a 2x barlow? I never used them both together on my old one as i got my new one shortly after i got my old one... If that makes sense lol

[Ben Ritchie]

The Meade series 4000 Plossls are pretty good value - if you hunt around a bit you can find them for £15 used so you could get a couple for your money. I'd agree with Kai though, eye relief gets pretty short in the shorter FLs so it's worth barlowing a longer focal length one, that gives 'two in one' as well.

For a little more, the Burgess/TMB planetaries go for around £40 used and they're great performers with plenty of eye relief, the 4mm one of those is very nice.

Also what is the smallest (in mm) eyepiece available?

Smallest I can think of is 2.5mm.

[benjiman46]

Im bidding on a Celestron Omni 2x Barlow on ebay are they any good?

[centroid]

Always bear in mind Ben, that one good eyepiece, is much better than a box full of not so good ones.

As Steve (Kai) has already suggested, the eye relief on a 4mm eyepiece, is going to be very small, and as such not that easy to look through.

A good barlow will halve the number of eyepieces you need, and extend the eye relief of the shorter focal length ones.

Dave

[benjiman46]

Right ok, what about the celestron omni 2x barlow? Im going to put a bid on it if its a good lense. How much do they retail for normally?

[argonaut]

Ben,

not sure if you are aware of a buy and sell website in the UK. Here it is www.astrobuysell.com/uk

Apologies if you know it already. I have never bought off fleebay and never will. That's just me though,no doubt there are 'bargain'' to be had.

[beamer3.6m]

I like the Celestron omni stuff and I too am after the barlow in this range however I missed the auction on ebay i think - did you get it?

[benjiman46]

Yes I won the auction I am now the proud owner of a celestron omni 2x barlow Rock on!!! lol