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Best barlow x2 ?

Jimmy Rocket

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Jimmy Rocket

Jimmy Rocket

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Hi all,

Going to be looking to upgrade my cheap oe x2 barlow in the next couple of weeks and was wondering what you recommend in the £40-£70 price bracket? be nice if you have some cheap to upgrade info too, i.e. what did you find most noticeable after the upgrade??

Cheers.

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tooth_dr

tooth_dr

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5 minutes ago, Jimmy Rocket said:

Like how you say budget barlow !!! that's the top of my range lol, but yes that is on my to look at list and probs 1st choice at the moment......

£51 + delivery, so slap bang in the middle of your budget :hello2:

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Cornelius Varley

Cornelius Varley

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8 minutes ago, Jimmy Rocket said:

Like how you say budget barlow !!! that's the top of my range lol, but yes that is on my to look at list and probs 1st choice at the moment......

Greenwich are having a closing down sale, so you will pay 25% less than the list price of £69, which makes it a bargain.

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Jimmy Rocket

Jimmy Rocket

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11 minutes ago, MarsG76 said:

I have the Celestron 2X Ultima Barlow and it is great.. good detail in imaging and observing... wasn't too expensive either as I recall.

Bit of a rare beast, cant find them apart from S/H in the Ukraine !!! 

 

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MarsG76

MarsG76

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18 minutes ago, Jimmy Rocket said:

Bit of a rare beast, cant find them apart from S/H in the Ukraine !!! 

 

WOW... Ukraine ay.. seems legit.. not sus at all....

 

Not many people would be willing to part with it since it is very well made and optically very high quality.... I'm surprised that Celestron aren't making them any more...

 

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Piero

Piero

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I was not aware of the existence of a "non Q" Baader 2.25x . 

As far as I know that barlow + the 3 Baader BCO orthos (18mm, 10mm, and 6mm) can be a fine asset in a medium/fast telescope, if eye relief is not a major concern. 

I think @jetstream and @YKSE have tried this combo.

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Mark at Beaufort

Mark at Beaufort

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I use the Baader Classic Q 2.25X in all my scopes (12" Dob, Orion VX8 Newt, Heritage 130P Newt) and it is very good whether viewing the Moon, Planets or Double Stars. My only criticism it does not have a screw fitting in its base. However, I can always screw a filter into the eyepiece or the bottom of the focusing unit.

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Dave In Vermont

Dave In Vermont

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I have a TeleVue 2X and 3X. Not really much more £££. And these are the best. They vanish in your optical-pathway, as the very best Barlow-lens is 'invisible.' Doesn't dim or distort your target. And having the top-of-the-line means you'll never feel the need to trade-up for a better one - the only direction from the best is down.

Unless you'd wish to look into the TeleVue PowerMates. But I won't start that up.

Dave

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Piero

Piero

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This is a bit out of scope for the OP. 

I never tried a TeleVue barlow but I extensively used a TV powermate 2.5x and compared it against the Baader VIP. In numerous occasions, the Baader VIP coupled with the Vixen SLVs I had at the time showed me details that the TV powermate 2.5x and the same eyepiece just did not manage to. I am not saying that the TV powermate is not good. In my opinion it is a good tele-extender (with the advantage of not changing the focus position compared to Barlows). I'm just saying that to my eye the Baader VIP was better, or said in another way, that the TV powermate is not the best. I don't know how the TV powermate compares against the TV barlow. I have also compared the Baader VIP vs the Baader Zeiss barlow. In terms of optical quality, to my eye they are indistinguishable. I've read that the AstroPhysics Barcon (only second hand now) also belongs to the league of these two Baader barlows. Never tried it myself though. 

 

-----

 

In the price range of the OP, I would consider the Baader Classic Q 2.25x or TV barlow in the second hand market. In the s/h market there might also be a chance to find some thing like the Bresser SA Barlow 2x, which is actually a tele-extender. Its performance is very close to the much more expensive TV powermate 2.5x (I tested them many times against each other and eventually sold the Bresser for around £60 if I remember correctly - the reason why it was sold was that my equipment at the time worked better with a magnification factor of 2.5x rather than 2x. Just this really.). All these alternatives seem valid choices to me because they will extend one's eyepiece focal length set without a large investment. After some use, you might find that you prefer single eyepieces rather than using barlow/tele-extenders. If so, you didn't waste your money. Alternatively, if you find them very useful, one day you might decide to optimise this part of the optical train and invest in something like the Baader VIP.  Many choices. :) 

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Ricochet

Ricochet

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8 hours ago, Jimmy Rocket said:

Is that the same as a Barlow then? Just found them for £76 new is that a good price?

It is like a barlow in that if effectively changes the magnification but optically it works in a slightly different way. With a barlow the eye relief of the eyepiece is extended which may mean you have to hover over the eyepiece instead of touching the eyecup and with low power/wide angle eyepieces a barlow might vignette the image. With a focal extender these issues are avoided. The magnification of a barlow is also dependant on the distance between the barlow lens cell and the eyepiece field lens. Depending on how you view it that might be a problem or a feature.

£76 seems like a good price, I don't know that you will find it anywhere cheaper without waiting for one to appear on the second hand market. 

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Louis D

Louis D

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I like the long discontinued Meade 140 2x barlow.  It is Japanese made and easily matches my 2x TV barlow (both are 90s vintage).  As an added bonus, the optical nosepiece is filter threaded unlike the TV, so it can be screwed onto the front of binoviewers to use as a very sharp 3x OCA/GPC to reach focus.  Here in the states, they come up used every few months for $30 to $45.  I'm sure a few were sold in Europe as well.  It's a mid length unit like the TV, so it may not reach focus in all refractors, though the nosepiece can be screwed onto the front of a filter threaded 1.25" diagonal for slightly more than 2x and should easily reach focus.

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Dave In Vermont

Dave In Vermont

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That's odd, Louis. That's the one thing I don't like about the TV-Barlows. On mine at least - the nose-pieces don't fit in other eyepieces and/or filters. Or diagonals. They seem to be some proprietary threading.

I use a GSO Shorty 2X Barlow-nosepiece to screw into most eyepieces to add 1.5X or 1.6X magnification factor. I created it's own case. Keep the tube it came with if I need to add about an inch of focus for whatever.

Dave

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TareqPhoto

TareqPhoto

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I was thinking to upgrade my cheap 2x barlow too, but still i don't know which one to upgrade to, and i saw or looked at all of those options mentioned here, and most i keep looking at are the TV one [either Powermate or just standard] and Explorer Scientific. 

I was planning to skip 2X for now and just look at higher magnification barlow, when i say that then all are coming to say "It is not worthy, not practical", i asked why, then the reply is "The seeing condition is poor, bad, not enough", so is seeing condition poor all over the world everywhere anywhere? why they made 3x and 4x and up to 5x then if it is no use everywhere on earth?!!!

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tooth_dr

tooth_dr

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3 minutes ago, TareqPhoto said:

I was thinking to upgrade my cheap 2x barlow too, but still i don't know which one to upgrade to, and i saw or looked at all of those options mentioned here, and most i keep looking at are the TV one [either Powermate or just standard] and Explorer Scientific. 

I was planning to skip 2X for now and just look at higher magnification barlow, when i say that then all are coming to say "It is not worthy, not practical", i asked why, then the reply is "The seeing condition is poor, bad, not enough", so is seeing condition poor all over the world everywhere anywhere? why they made 3x and 4x and up to 5x then if it is no use everywhere on earth?!!!

It also depends on your scope and also your camera should you decide to image. I’ve a 2x 3x and 5x and I find that the 3x is the sweet spot for me. Rarely do I get to use the 5x. 

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TareqPhoto

TareqPhoto

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39 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

It also depends on your scope and also your camera should you decide to image. I’ve a 2x 3x and 5x and I find that the 3x is the sweet spot for me. Rarely do I get to use the 5x. 

Sure it does, but even with the equipment, isn't possible with 3X or 5X at all? let's say for imaging, can't i use 5X for a purpose to have maximum magnification for a certain scope for example 8"? i won't ask 3X-5X for visual even if it is possible, but it is mainly for imaging, and the camera is a camera, does it has something to accept higher power Barlow?

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