The BST starguiders supertest!

[N3ptune]

I came up with this idea a few weeks ago, to verify which BST Starguiders are the true favorites among users. From 1 to 7, 1 being your favorite + telescope informations.

Could be interesting to see the results.

BST Starguider 25mm : ?

BST Starguider 18mm : ?

BST Starguider 15mm : ?

BST Starguider 12mm: My first choice, the only one I tried yet! 200x1000 Newton F5

BST Starguider 8mm : ?

BST Starguider 5mm : ?

BST Starguider 3.2mm : ?

I trow this into space.

 

2018-01-19 Update:

Starguider FL changed from 3.5mm to 3.2mm (little error)

[Charic]

I like them all, but to get my scope working optimal, twice the focal ratio, it would be the 12mm.
The 8mm is a favourite, being the first in the collection, and provides a larger image over the 12mm though I just wish there was a 6mm.

I would quite happily tick all the boxes.

[Mak the Night]

I only have the 25mm & the 3.2mm. Both are superb for what they cost.

[paul mc c]

I use to have most of these and the stand out ones were the 8mm and 12mm.

 

[Mak the Night]

The 2x Barlow is very good as well. If TeleVue made a shorty it would be like this.

[N3ptune]

1 hour ago, Mak the Night said:

The 2x Barlow is very good as well. If TeleVue made a shorty it would be like this.

I never tried it, the Omegon or BST, but I noticed the 2x Xcel LX Barlow is doing a fine job with the 12mm Starguider, they like each other. I even prefer the previous duo then the result of my 25mm and 18mm Xcel LX, ?! with the same Barlow.

Keep voting for your favorite starguider!

[nightfisher]

I voted for the 12mm as its the only one i have now, but when i had the set i found the 18mm seemed to match my BGO 18mm for sharpness

[Ruud]

I voted for the 8mm. That's the only one I tried.

Its performance was a pleasant surprise! If you need an inexpensive 8mm, consider this one.

[Chris]

I've had the full set a couple of times over, really great for the money. 8mm, 12mm, and 18mm were all very very good, it just depends on what focal length scope you're using and your chosen target as to which is the best. 

[Paz]

I have an 8mm BST only in order to cover a gap that Vixen SLVs don't do, but have found it to be a fine eyepiece.

[John]

I've only owned the 8mm, 12m and 18mm Starguiders. They were very good eyepieces for what they cost.

[Mak the Night]

9 hours ago, N3ptune said:

I never tried it, the Omegon or BST, but I noticed the 2x Xcel LX Barlow is doing a fine job with the 12mm Starguider, they like each other. I even prefer the previous duo then the result of my 25mm and 18mm Xcel LX, ?! with the same Barlow.

Keep voting for your favorite starguider!

 

I'm not sure why the StarGuiders are so good, considering what they cost, possibly the ED glass. My 'Omegon' Barlow is Barsta , I just paid through the nose for mine as it has Omegon written on it lol. When I bought it they weren't that easy to find in the UK.

I haven't tried my 25mm in a Barlow as it was primarily a low power EP for me. The 3.2mm only gets used in my Newtonian for lunar observing at 281x.

The X-Cel LX Barlows are very good though, I'm guessing mine are going to get used a lot on the Mars opposition!

[Charic]

9 minutes ago, Mak the Night said:

The 3.2mm only gets used in my Newtonian for lunar observing

Same for me, too powerful for anything else on this f/6 scope but the Moon does look good at 375x, when conditions allow.
 

[Mak the Night]

4 minutes ago, Charic said:

Same for me, too powerful for anything else on this f/6 scope but the Moon does look good at 375x, when conditions allow.
 

Yeah, I can often get 300x, 337x and sometimes even 360x with my f/6 Newtonian on the Moon. But 281x with the 3.2mm StarGuider is quite regular. Plus, I don't have to use a Barlow so it's nice and easy to use lol.

[Mak the Night]

It seems the 8mm is very popular.

I'm pretty sure this 8mm TS Optics Planetary HR is also Barsta. They're both about 60͒ FOV. Has anyone compared anything like the Planetary HR with the 8mm StarGuider?

[JG777]

I have the 8, 12, 18, and 25 and the 18 for me is the best of the bunch for general use. The 8 is good in all my scopes and performs better than my ES6.7 unless seeing conditions really clean up then the ES jumps ahead. But yes a great range of EPs for a decent price, to be fair at longer focal lengths you might not need to spend much more. 

[cotterless45]

The 25mm is a gem. Real easy searching ep, even in a slower Dob. I have the 8mm and 12mm, they are the immediate upgrade of choice from stock eyepieces. Just highly recommended !

Nick.

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, cotterless45 said:

The 25mm is a gem. Real easy searching ep, even in a slower Dob. I have the 8mm and 12mm, they are the immediate upgrade of choice from stock eyepieces. Just highly recommended !

Nick.

Is the 25mm sharp to the edge?  I have the 25mm Meade HD-60, and it suffers from astigmatism starting 50% of the way out center to edge even at f/12.  It is so bad, I would never recommend it.  By contrast, the 4.5mm, 6.5mm, and 9mm versions are nearly completely sharp to the edge.

[ImmortalBee]

I like the 18mm in my 200mm and 130mm f/5 scopes. I don't own any others.

[Charic]

19 hours ago, Louis D said:

Is the 25mm sharp to the edge?

I think just about every EP I have ever used was sharp to the edge! clearly showing the coma inherent with my type of scope? but without some sort of additional correction, comatic aberration will still exist on my scope! Even the better EP's like my Delos, were still not edge perfect, and their allegedly some of the best EP's out there.

On the other hand, all the eyepieces in my collection, including the ones listed as sold, were perfect on axis.

Many folk think you need to spend BIG money to get results, but this is not always the case.  With hindsight, i'f I'd waited a little longer, I could have built myself a full Delos collection, but their still no better in my scope compared to my Starguiders.

The Starguider EP's and the oh-so-many similar branded EP's provide for many folk a cheap and cheerful upgrade, they work  very well for most scopes slower than  f/5 ratio. A problem I believe, is that so many folk can't agree or believe that for such a small outlay,  the BST eyepiece  is any good, but most reports are often in favour, but not always, they don't suit everyone or every scope! Another issue, the fact their being sold on E-Bay? thats a big issue for many folk too, yet buying elsewhere online is, maybe normal to them, (perhaps the E-bay system let them down at some stage?) but its still an issue for some folk?

Its taken a few Years now ( no different to any other popular brand) but there seems to be a swing towards these eyepieces, simply because they do work pretty well, considering their low cost, but they do have an acceptable field of view at 60°, fairly good eye-relief for spectacle wearers ( though I choose not to wear my specs, I'm more comfortable without them! ) a wide eye-lens, and for the majority of folk who have now tried them are quite surprised at the results. But only by having tested a BST Starguider or ANY eyepiece for that matter, can folk determine their like or dislike to a particular eyepiece, from what's on offer, but you'll never know without a test!

I  may have been a little over excited in my early days with these Starguiders  but I really liked them and they worked for me, I even turned down an opportunity to distribute them myself?  
Personally, as a visual observer, 'to the edge' is a non issue for me as I view on axis, and track my scope with ease.
 

 

 

[Littleguy80]

My vote went on the 12mm. It gives around a 2mm exit pupil and 75x magnification in my scope. The scope you use the eyepieces with will undoubtedly sway you towards a particular focal length. The 8mm was my first eyepiece purchase. It’s a cracker too. I’ve use it on the moon, planets and DSO’s. Never a disappointment  

[N3ptune]

@mak the night

I don't have to use a Barlow so it's nice and easy to use lol.

I agree it's fun to be able to use just an EP without barlow, It's less trouble, better quality too.. (with the things I have) But it's surprising the 12mm with the 2x Xcel LX barlow, the eye cup of the Starguider is so comfortable I can really put it at the right place compare to the xcel LX, which is not quite long enough with Barlow. Not a big deal but inferior to starguiders.

Do you like your 25mm?

@Littleguy80

Wow the 8mm is the most popular so far, it's the star. I might get a 9mm Xcel LX, but it's not sure.. If I don't get it, I  might consider the purchase of a 8mm Starguider instead. It would be great for me too (;

 

[Mak the Night]

6 hours ago, N3ptune said:

@mak the night

I don't have to use a Barlow so it's nice and easy to use lol.

I agree it's fun to be able to use just an EP without barlow, It's less trouble, better quality too.. (with the things I have) But it's surprising the 12mm with the 2x Xcel LX barlow, the eye cup of the Starguider is so comfortable I can really put it at the right place compare to the xcel LX, which is not quite long enough with Barlow. Not a big deal but inferior to starguiders.

Do you like your 25mm?

@Littleguy80

Wow the 8mm is the most popular so far, it's the star. I might get a 9mm Xcel LX, but it's not sure.. If I don't get it, I  might consider the purchase of a 8mm Starguider instead. It would be great for me too (;

 

I originally bought the 25mm to use with a reducer, and it works well with one. 

I now use it without the reducer predominantly in an ST80. It gives excellent views. I think the appeal with these StarGuiders isn't just the sharp, clear almost orthoscopic views, but they are ergonomically pleasant to use. They just kind of 'feel right'.

[Mak the Night]

16 hours ago, Charic said:

I think just about every EP I have ever used was sharp to the edge! clearly showing the coma inherent with my type of scope? but without some sort of additional correction, comatic aberration will still exist on my scope! Even the better EP's like my Delos, were still not edge perfect, and their allegedly some of the best EP's out there.

On the other hand, all the eyepieces in my collection, including the ones listed as sold, were perfect on axis.

Many folk think you need to spend BIG money to get results, but this is not always the case.  With hindsight, i'f I'd waited a little longer, I could have built myself a full Delos collection, but their still no better in my scope compared to my Starguiders.

The Starguider EP's and the oh-so-many similar branded EP's provide for many folk a cheap and cheerful upgrade, and work well for most scopes slower than  f/5 ratio. The problem Ive seen is that so many folk cant agree/believe that for such a cheap  outlay, the BST eyepiece reports are often in favour, but not always,  or the fact their being sold on E-Bay could be an issue? affecting some folk?
Its taken over three Years of my time to see a change with this mindset, and only by having tested a BST Starguider or ANY eyepiece, can folk  like or dislike what's on offer, but you'll never know without a test.

I  may have been a little over excited in my early days with these Starguiders, but I really liked them and they worked for me, I even turned down an opportunity to distribute them myself?  
Personally, as a visual observer, 'to the edge' is a non issue for me as I view on axis, and track my scope with ease.

 

 

 

I tend to agree. Nothing's perfect and I can live with a little bit of edge of field distortion. In fact even some expensive eyepieces are designed to pin cushion near the edges to counteract an optical bubbling (Globe Effect) when sweeping star fields. I often use a 36mm Baader Hyperion in a modified ST80 to give 11.1x for a 6͒, 18’, 22” TFOV (over 12 Full Moons!). It's great for low power panoramic sweeps of the Milky Way. There's a tiny bit of EOF distortion as I sweep with it but with a 2" diagonal it's the nearest thing to binoculars I can get with a telescope!

Globe Effect:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distortion_(optics)#/media/File:Globe_effect.gif

[Swoop1]

I only have the 8mm but its performance compared to the 10mm SW suoer that came with my scope (Explorer 150P) is streets ahead. I used it for the first time last night and was blown away by the views of the Orion Nebula.