Name your top 10 brands of eyepieces

[25585]

15 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

No, there isn't The sizes are: 42mm, 30mm (different design), 22mm, 17mm, 13mm, 8mm, 5mm, 3.5mm.

My bad! There was me thinking I had an ep I don't have. D'oh!

[scarp15]

There are nine focal lengths in the DeLite series, spanning between 3mm and 18.2mm. If starting out and looking towards upgrading from budget eyepieces, a set of DeLite e.p's would be a consideration. 

[Louis D]

4 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

What a shame there was never a 10mm.

I have had the 10mm Delos since it came out, and it is pinpoint sharp to the edge.  I've even tried it without a coma corrector in my f6 Dob, and there is no change at the edge, unlike with most eyepieces.  The 10mm Pentax XW is also supposed to be very nice as well, though I only have the 7mm version to compare.  Unlike many on CN and SGL, I actually prefer the Delos to the XW when it comes to ease of holding the view.

[25585]

On 31/12/2017 at 14:50, Louis D said:

I have had the 10mm Delos since it came out, and it is pinpoint sharp to the edge.  I've even tried it without a coma corrector in my f6 Dob, and there is no change at the edge, unlike with most eyepieces.  The 10mm Pentax XW is also supposed to be very nice as well, though I only have the 7mm version to compare.  Unlike many on CN and SGL, I actually prefer the Delos to the XW when it comes to ease of holding the view.

I may one day again try a TV shorter FL eye piece. Louis how exact does eye placement have to be on the 10mm Delos, & what margin does it give you before black outs/kidney beans etc?

I find my 10mm XW easier to hold view than the 7mm, LVW 8mm is slightly better.

 

[Stu]

1 hour ago, 25585 said:

how exact does eye placement have to be on the 10mm Delos, & what margin does it give you before black outs/kidney beans etc?

With the eyeguard set correctly I didn't find you get blackouts or kidney beaming with the Delos.

[Louis D]

53 minutes ago, Stu said:

With the eyeguard set correctly I didn't find you get blackouts or kidney beaming with the Delos.

With the eyeguard all the way down and wearing eyeglasses, I never have issues locating the 10mm Delos view and holding (at least while seated).  No blackouts or kidney beaning (SAEP).  The 7mm XW shows distorted stars (kind of rainbow-like) at the edge if I don't have my head exactly aligned.  This doesn't happen in the 10mm Delos.  I don't get that alignment issue with the 3.5mm XW, though.  The 5.2mm XL views just like the Delos, no problems at all.  I keep trying to like that 7mm XW because I picked it up new for $216 off Amazon a few years back, but it's tough.

[Stu]

9 minutes ago, Louis D said:

With the eyeguard all the way down and wearing eyeglasses, I never have issues locating the 10mm Delos view and holding (at least while seated).  No blackouts or kidney beaning

I don't wear glasses to observe and found that the eyeguard was needed to avoid such issues without them. Not all the way up by any means, about halfway if I remember correctly.

[John]

The Delos and XW ranges do show some variations in characteristics across their ranges. I've noticed that many folks have their most and least favourites. They are not "scaled" designs so the precise optical layout changes with the focal lengths hence other characteristics vary as well.

I think this is the same with many other eyepiece brands and ranges as well, or at least all those that I have used.

I didn't get on too well with the 10mm Delos, love the 10mm XW, get on fine with the 14mm and 17.3mm Delos and find the 7mm XW perhaps the most challenging of the 4 shorter FL XW's.

Another observer would probably find the opposite !

 

[Charic]

3 hours ago, John said:

Another observer would probably find the opposite !

All I remember of the Delos  EP's was the wider field of view, and because I can track smoothly and keep my target central, the Delos did no better than what I experience now using the present EP's on this scope.
 

[Highburymark]

On 01/01/2018 at 19:37, John said:

 

I didn't get on too well with the 10mm Delos, love the 10mm XW, get on fine with the 14mm and 17.3mm Delos and find the 7mm XW perhaps the most challenging of the 4 shorter FL XW's.

Another observer would probably find the opposite !

 

Indeed John. I found the 17.3 the best and most comfortable Delos - never found the 6mm quite as user-friendly. Eye placement had to be more precise despite the adjustable lens system. Now I have the 7, 4 and 3mm Delites (which of course have the same lens system as the Delos range) and they are fine. 

[25585]

On 01/01/2018 at 19:37, John said:

The Delos and XW ranges do show some variations in characteristics across their ranges. I've noticed that many folks have their most and least favourites. They are not "scaled" designs so the precise optical layout changes with the focal lengths hence other characteristics vary as well.

I think this is the same with many other eyepiece brands and ranges as well, or at least all those that I have used.

I didn't get on too well with the 10mm Delos, love the 10mm XW, get on fine with the 14mm and 17.3mm Delos and find the 7mm XW perhaps the most challenging of the 4 shorter FL XW's.

Another observer would probably find the opposite !

 

Your experience is matched on CN by some posters there. I was reading comparisons with the XW, Nikon SW and Delos there.

[Piero]

I prefer not to state the best brands as to me this is tricky because brands can make eyepieces of different quality. 

This is my eyepiece list based on what I've tried:

1. Vixen HR 2.4mm

1b. Zeiss zoom 20-75x, Docter UWA 12.5mm

2. Nikon MC zoom 13-30x, Baader BCO 10mm, Lunt HDC 20mm

2b. Vixen SLV 9-5mm, TeleVue Delos 12-8mm

3. TeleVue Panoptic 35-24mm

4. TeleVue Nagler T6 13-7-3.5mm, ES 30mm 82

4b. Vixen NPL 30mm (not bad on axis, but creepy off-axis on my TV-60 f6..)

 

My Barlow list based on what I've tried:

1. Baader VIP Barlow, Zeiss Abbe Barlow

2. TeleVue Powermate 2.5x

2b. Bresser SA barlow 2x

 

p.s. yes, I know.. I answered based on my own rules.. hope it still helps somehow.