Baader Hyperion EP's

[Luna-tic]

What's everyone's take on these EP's? I read pretty good reviews, but since some come from the advertising end, there could be bias. I like that the focal length can be changed, and I also like that a T-ring can be directly installed for EPP use. Price point is pretty good, too.

[John]

Well thought out and nicely made eyepieces. Work well in slower scopes (F/8, F/10 etc) but show quite a bit of astigmatism as focal ratios get faster than that. In the USA the Orion Stratus is the same eyepiece.

 

[Doc]

Many years ago I used to have a whole set of them and I really liked them. I used to use them in my F10 TAL refractor and they were brilliant. I later bought a F4.5 dob and I didn't like them so great in a slow scope and I thought bad in a fast scope.

[Doc]

LOL glad we agree John 

[rwilkey]

Hi, on a slightly different tack, the FTR's (Fine Tuning Rings) are a great idea on the face of it, but try changing them in the dark with ice cold fingers...

[Luna-tic]

Wonder if the Orion Straus is any less expensive, will have to check them out. These will be used in a C6 and Edge 8", so from f/6.3 to f/7 to f/10

[Timebandit]

 

Obviously advertisers do have a little bit of a conflict of interest?

From my knowledge on these eyepieces there does seem to be a bit of a mixed bag of view's. But to generalise it seems that in fast scopes then the feedback is not exactly positive. But on slower scopes people seem to rate these eyepieces.

I think if it was me. If you are looking to use them in a fast scope at around f/5 then I would be looking at something in the Televue range if budget allows, or if you are on a tighter budget then explore scientific would probably be a better option

 

I hope the above helps☺

 

  

[Pete Presland]

I had 4 a few years back, ok in my F15 SCT. Not a fan of them in my F4.5 Newtonian, they look the part though. Very nice to look "at" rather than through and a nice velvet bag to store them in as well, not as good an all round eyepiece as my Televue plossls. The zoom MK111 is popular, I don't know if it has the same traits though.

[Luna-tic]

I got the EP (8mm) today; boy, it's a big honker. Actually, the same size as the 13mm Ultima Duo EP I have, has the same 68* AFOV. Looks well made, if it doesn't work as an eyepiece I could always bludgeon somebody with it, I suppose. 

I'm curious about the two threaded rings around the ocular, what is supposed to fit on them? The smaller ring, closest to the ocular, is just the tiniest bit too large in diameter to thread my Nikon T-ring on; the larger threaded ring, about 10mm lower, is much larger diameter (same as the body of the EP). The literature said that camera adapters could thread directly to the EP, so I assumed my T-ring would fit, but it doesn't. Is there a special Baader (or Orion) adapter that those threads fit?

It's not a terribly big deal, but part of the reason I bought this EP was for the possibility of using it for EPP. I'm also going to e-mail Agena Astro, where I bought it, and ask them.

[John]

The annotated photo below might help identify the various threads on the eyepiece. It's rumoured that the Celestron Ultima Duo eyepieces are the same optically as the Hyperions so the two should work together well

 

[Luna-tic]

What I'm asking about are the M43 thread and the M54 thread at the top. What is designed to screw on there? The M43 isn't the same as the T-ring thread my Nikon ring has. My T-ring fits just fine on the threads at the top of my Ultima Duo EP.

 

Late edit: went to the Agena Astro site; there are a series of adapter rings to allow the connection of anything from a T-ring for a DSLR, to extension tubes, to DSLR lenses to ccd cameras. You pick what you need. I ordered a M43 to T-2 adapter, so I can attach my DSLR for EPP.

[Louis D]

Many fixed lens digital camera filter adapter tubes used the M43 thread back in the day.  Others used M41, M27, M37, M49, M52, M58, etc.  I have no idea about the M54 size.  I've never seen any camera, filter, or add-on lens use that size.  The T-thread is 42mm x 0.75mm thread pitch, like the others I listed.  Interestingly, the M42 lens mount (Pentax screw, Universal screw, etc) is 42mm x 1mm just to confuse matters.

[steppenwolf]

I have four Baader Hyperions 24mm, 17mm, 8mm and 5mm and I love them BUT although stunning when used with my Esprit 150 (F7) they are not as good in my 10" Newtonian (f4.7) - as others have said, although not a disaster, they are not great for fast telescopes but excel in slower versions. I can only assume that the unusual threads are to get you to buy proprietary adaptors?

[Luna-tic]

6 hours ago, steppenwolf said:

I have four Baader Hyperions 24mm, 17mm, 8mm and 5mm and I love them BUT although stunning when used with my Esprit 150 (F7) they are not as good in my 10" Newtonian (f4.7) - as others have said, although not a disaster, they are not great for fast telescopes but excel in slower versions. I can only assume that the unusual threads are to get you to buy proprietary adaptors?

Oh, but of course, they want you to spend another couple hundred $$ for the adapters. They have a chart showing all the combinations of adapter with what they will adapt to the EP, so I suppose it does make it more versatile that way.

Most of my EP use is at f/10, with occasional jaunts to f/7 or f/6.3 if I'm using the focal reducers for the respective scope, so they should be acceptable for my needs, unless and until I get the f/5.9 frac my heart desires for widefield work.