Explore Scientific or Baader Hyperion

[B77]

I'm the proud owner of an LX90 sct and have a good budget for eyepieces, the question is which would suit the telescope best given it's relatively small fov.  Can I justify the 82° ES's or would the Hyperions give just as good a view

 

Thanks

 

Bob

[Ben the Ignorant]

Hi.

I've bought three Hyperions: 10mm, 13mm and 24mm. I gave away the 24 for it couldn't compete with a 24mm/68° Explore in resolution. I'm keeping the other two but I want to buy 82° (or even 100°) eyepieces instead, when possible. My 4.7mm/82° Explore might be sharper than my TS 4mm/82°, but it magnifies less, and increases chromatism in achro and semi-apo scopes. It does not add chromatism at all in my full-apo triplet.

I have 18mm, 24mm and 7mm oculars in the 82° class from others makers; their sharpness is very good. Truth is, the Hyperion design begins to be outdated, and their price increases. I don't know if you are in Europe, but Telescope Service and Astroshop both offer 82's for less than Hyperion 68's.

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p8988_TS-Optics-Optics-1-25--Ultra-Weitwinkel-Okular-UWAN-7mm--82--Gesichtsfeld.html

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p8989_TS-Optics-Optics-1-25--Ultra-Weitwinkel-Okular-UWAN-4mm--82--Gesichtsfeld.html

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p8990_TS-Optics-Optics-1-25--Ultra-Weitwinkel-Okular-UWAN-16mm--82--Gesichtsfeld.html

The three TS eyepieces are waterproof; some of our club's Hyperions fogged up inside on a couple cold and damp nights. Storing them in a warmer place saved them but it's a hassle.

https://www.astroshop.de/astro-professional-uwa-ultra-weitwinkel-okular-82d-16mm-1-25-/p,54981

The Astro-Professional 16/82 is not fogproof but very affordable, probably not for a long time.

[cloudsweeper]

Depending on the FL of the 'scope, the 82 degree EPs might give you a small gain in FOV, but nothing startling.  The Hyperions would perform well in a slow 'scope, especially I would imagine the Aspheric ones (31 and 36mm), which, incidentally, offer 72 degrees rather than the 68 degrees of the "regular" Hyperions.

I have both ES (82 and 68) eyepieces and Hyperions, and like them.  Maybe you could save a bit by going down the Hyperion route.  Or buy more of them?

Also bear in mind that the ES 30/82 is pretty bulky - 992g. This is of course not necessarily a problem - it's down to what you might simply favour.  The Aspheric 36/72 is 383g.

HTH,

Doug.

 

[John]

The Hyperions are fine as long as you don't plan to get a faster scope in the future. If you see such as scope in your future, the ES 68's or 82's are more "future proof".

[Gomtuu]

I currently use a Hyperion Zoom, which does away with carrying multiple eyepieces around. I find it works very well and have done some reasonable eyepiece projection photography with it.

[laowhoo]

 

We have both, but in different FLs. Got the 31mm and 36mm Hyperions for our wide angle/low power use, then the ES 24mm68* b/c we binoview exclusively and couldn't fit the ES 82* side by side. I've seen pics of the ES 82 and Hyperion next to each other and could not believe the size difference. While I consider the ES the next step up from the Hyperion, at that exit pupil and for wide angle/low power scanning/vista use, I don't think the image quality difference, where there is any, is as much of a factor, unless the AFOV difference would also tip you in the ES favor. Where we were able to use the 82* we went with ES (8.8mm and 4.7mm, with Nagler T6 at 11mm--we Barlow at 1.5x). Also, we're f/6 and the 31mm Hyperion performs really well. We bought it b/c some very picky people at CN were surprised at how good it was. Just wish we could use it more often (not to mention the 36mm, wh/ has to be reserved for dark sky sites). All things being equal/money not a factor, the ES is a no-brainer, except maybe for their humongous size.

[John]

If found the Hyperion Aspheric 36 showed some astigmatism even in a 6" F/12 refractor. In my F/6.5 refractor it was really not good. I didn't even try it in my F/5.3 dobsonian

It is a relatively lightweight 2" eyepiece though so that has it's attractions. I guess the additional glass required to achieve better correction adds to the weight.

[laowhoo]

Indeed, we only bought the 36mm as companion to the standout 31mm that we were so surprised by. We accept its limitations for what it is--our widest EP for occasional dark sky scanning, or for framing at lowest power. We just wanted to have everything for the scope mag-per-inch-wise, and w/ an exit pupil that kids could manage. All the more reason to go ES unless size and cost are an issue.

[B77]

Thanks for the replies gents, going to go with ES82°s

[skywatcher58gb]

Hi B77, I have the Meade LX90 and about six or seven years ago I bought a 2" 38mm SWA 70 deg EP from a company called Astronomica, which I think stopped trading. However the EP I bought I'm sure can be purchased from OpticStar and is called the Ascension, the link is as follows http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Accessories-Telescopes-Ascension.asp?p=0_10_5_1_1_5. I also have two Hyperion EPs 10mm and 17mm, which are OK but I always come back to this 38mm EP as it seems to go with the LX90 perfectly, it's like floating in space when looking through it. The price is not bad either at under £50 excluding P&P.

[Owmuchonomy]

I have owned both types but moved the Hyperions on simply because the eye relief was very poor compared to my batch of ES eyepieces.

[Louis D]

3 hours ago, Owmuchonomy said:

I have owned both types but moved the Hyperions on simply because the eye relief was very poor compared to my batch of ES eyepieces.

What ES eyepieces are you using with better eye relief thant he Hyperions?  The only ones I can use eyeglasses with are the original mushroom top 30mm ES-82 and the 12mm and 17mm ES-92s.  Otherwise, I have Delos, XW, XL, Morpheus, and AT AF70 eyepieces which all have good eye relief with eyeglasses.

[Owmuchonomy]

I don't use glasses so I can't really comment about that. Sorry.