Delited to say my eyepiece buying days are 'over'

[Floater]

1 hour ago, johninderby said:

Maybe this set would fill out your collection nicely. .  

          John

Oof!

A killer blow, John. ??

[alan potts]

Shane, I said something very similar about 18 months ago and I have just bought the last two Ethos'ss to finish the collection, now I'm looking at De-lite 4&5mm, never say never.

Alan

[Timebandit]

On 20/11/2017 at 18:18, Moonshane said:

My latest iteration of eyepiece collection is my final collection I think. The addition of a 9mm Delite means I have an eyepiece I have been after since I bought my other two and fills a lovely gap giving often optimum magnification in my 1600mm focal length dobs for planetary and double star use.

Is that really It? Who knows but it feels like it ?

It's now a prisoner until Santa re-delivers it on 25/12 ?

 

 

10 hours ago, johninderby said:

Maybe this set would fill out your collection nicely. .  

          John

 

Noo. That's no good , it does not match the green and black does it?

Will complete destroy the order of things, fancy suggesting some ZAO 

[John]

I think it gets to the point where you have tried many of the really good designs out there when you say to yourself that you could keep the "merry go round" of trying this and comparing x to Y going indefinitely but it does get to the point when you are going round in circles rather than making any meaningful advances. It can even be a distraction from viewing if your sessions under a clear sky are dominated by equipment comparisons rather than pursuing and enjoying observing targets.

I'm trying to step back now and go over what I've learned from all the eyepieces that have come and gone from my boxes over the past 3 years or so. I'm thinking about which ones get used all the time and which, though very good, spend more time in the eyepiece case than in a scope. 

An eyepiece set such as the one that Shane now has covers virtually all the options that are needed and are of sufficient quality to operate really well in practically any telescope. The differences in the quality of the views that variable seeing conditions will cause far outweigh any changes that other eyepiece choices will make when you get to this level of optical quality. Ergonomically Shane obviously likes these designs and is comfortable and confident using them. Job done !

 

 

[Moonshane]

cheers John

Maybe it's the serenity that comes with our age that makes us that bit less susceptible to temptation? 

Now where's that advert about the new 125mm F8 apo.............

[Chris]

Very nice just looking at your collection net alone through them. Never say never, but it's hard to imagine why you would need anything else.

[Ags]

I just need the ES 14/82 and ES 8.8/82 to complete my set.

[Moonshane]

Good luck Agnes. It's nice to have something to look forward to 

[alan potts]

As much as I am sure the Ziess eyepieces of either type are probably the finest quality that has been on the market the one black mark I can find against some of the range is the short eye relief, 6mm and 4mm (not that I know for the latter) are so awkward for me. I do enjoy using orthos but, and to steal a phrase of John's, I have to be in the mood for them. It is a similar thing with Ethos sometimes, if tired I do find the Delos so much easier to view through and since I have sold most of them, now can't. I find this is the case more on planets than anything else.

I feel if Zeiss were say 6-8 hundred pounds a set, I would have bought one, I am sure many would have, for these reasons I use BGO's and think about the odd Delos coming back.

Alan

[johninderby]

Had some of the Monocentrics, which while they were great eyepieces from a performance point of view, I never got on with them as they just weren’t comfortable to use. At least not for me.

       John

[Timebandit]

4 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Had some of the Monocentrics, which while they were great eyepieces from a performance point of view, I never got on with them as they just weren’t comfortable to use. At least not for me.

       John

 

This is the trouble when technology and design moves on. With the type and quality of optical performance and wide fov eyepiece with great eye relief we are just so spoiled for choice nowadays. You have the likes of Pentax XW , delite, etc that are very close  to optical performance of the ZAO that comfort and fov are now the overwhelming consideration with most observers. Even though personally I do have a soft spot for a quality Ortho in the eyepiece case☺?

[JOC]

The case of green and black looks very pretty (I dread to think of the cost of it though!).  I don't think I'll ever aspire to anything similar.  Many of you on SGL live and breathe astronomy and if you do then I guess that case full of EP's represents nirvana for many in that camp.  Indeed if cash was no object I guess even the 'weekend' observer (like me) would not say no.  However, in terms of satisfaction with what I currently have I believe I am at the same stage - I wanted a really nice high power EP to complete a box of semi-decent glass that would probably keep me going for years, and I guess I am about as unmatched as it is possible to get, but I found the last EP in the 5mm Pentax XW (I'm really quite chuffed with it) that I got last week.  At the moment it's def. no more buying.  I've got some really nice EP's for the Dob, many of which will also work in the baby Vixen, I've got a decent diagonal for the Vixen and all the connectors to play with snapping pictures of the moon.  I think what I now need to do is to have a bit of sale of the bits that I've already accumulated surplus to requirements and then I think I'd better get stuck into playing with my kit and trying to have some interesting times with it.  It's a good feeling, well done Moonshane!

[Moonshane]

In my defence the only new items in there are some of the plossls (bought when there was a sale) and the filters. The rest were bought used. To my mind this is cash in a box which can be withdrawn at the same value more or less any time in the future.

[JOC]

1 minute ago, Moonshane said:

The rest were bought used

So are mine! LOL

From what I see so many EP's eventually come up second-hand there seems to be very little reason to buy any full price, esp. when you know they have been looked after by other astronomers - I may be wrong, but even if they gain the odd scuff in use there seems very little damage that can be done an EP short of dropping it on something hard and I think that would be visible.

[R26 oldtimer]

Great collection!!!!!

Off to imaging now.....

[Moonshane]

Never. Bizarrely it's never attracted me. I feel like the camera is hogging the scope.

I do sketch though....

[Timebandit]

1 hour ago, Moonshane said:

In my defence the only new items in there are some of the plossls (bought when there was a sale) and the filters. The rest were bought used. To my mind this is cash in a box which can be withdrawn at the same value more or less any time in the future.

 

The way Televue hold their value and even increase in price over the years ,then it could be a canny investment in buying second hand for you. As well as a case full of investment eyepieces, you also have the fun and enjoyment of using them ?

[Ags]

3 hours ago, Moonshane said:

Good luck Agnes. It's nice to have something to look forward to 

For me the ES 8.8 is just a silly purchase as I already have a very nice Speer WALER 9.4. But I like the feel and compactness of the ES 82 degree eyepieces.

[Space Hopper]

Nice set you have there Shane.

Are you still using the Maxbright ??

I thought my eyepiece set was complete (i've not purchased anything for 3 years apart from some Baader zooms to try out)

but i know theres room yet for a 21 Ethos, and possibly some 11mm Naglers too.

[alan potts]

3 hours ago, JOC said:

So are mine! LOL

From what I see so many EP's eventually come up second-hand there seems to be very little reason to buy any full price, esp. when you know they have been looked after by other astronomers - I may be wrong, but even if they gain the odd scuff in use there seems very little damage that can be done an EP short of dropping it on something hard and I think that would be visible.

This is of course very true and a good few times i waited and waited and then bought a new one, then two came up in a week, bit like the buses. I have actually bought about 50% of my collection new, oddly 8 of them I have now sold, 3 Delos, 3 Nagler and 2 Radians. The latter I still rate as dam good value for money.

Alan

[alan potts]

4 hours ago, johninderby said:

Had some of the Monocentrics, which while they were great eyepieces from a performance point of view, I never got on with them as they just weren’t comfortable to use. At least not for me.

       John

I would still love to try one of those Zeiss though, for sure if the chance ever came up I would be in the mood, beautiful set you have there!! I think John had a Monocentric 5mm, very small FOV from what I recall.

[John]

My eyepiece buying days are over as well - I'm going to sneak up north sometime and nick Shanes

 

[Moonshane]

14 minutes ago, Tubby Bear said:

Nice set you have there Shane.

Are you still using the Maxbright ??

I thought my eyepiece set was complete (i've not purchased anything for 3 years apart from some Baader zooms to try out)

but i know theres room yet for a 21 Ethos, and possibly some 11mm Naglers too.

Hi buddy

Sure am. I love them. Will probably buy a 1.25x GPC to complete the set at some point. I have tried Ethos and they are very good but I really like my 27mm -19mm Pans ?

[Alan White]

^ just for a minute  I was expecting a look at a 'what I have bought' posting from Moonshane.         ....... but that would have been too much to hope for 

 

[Moonshane]

Alan you are like an astro drug dealer ??