It begins, the LVW, Panoptic, Plossl comparison.

[Alan White]

In my ongoing quest to simplify and lighten my eyepiece collection.    I have decided to compare my Vixen LVW 22mm, Televue Plossl 25mm and Televue Panoptic 19mm.  

This may look an odd set to compare but all provide a similar FOV but slightly differing magnifications with my ED80 Evostar. 

I decided to have a look at the Plaeides and see how they present in the ED80 as my first test.

So here they are:

As you can see its a bit Little and Large line up, the size does also reflect the weight.

 

Vixen LVW 22mm.

The Vixen LVW 22mm has been my longest eyepiece for some time. This is a Japan designed and made and a high quality build.

It is the  heaviest of the bunch.

A well known eyepiece and documented to be a high quality unit.

Nice easy eye placement and 20mm eye relief.

The Plaeidies sits nicely in the image.

All stars are clear and bright, when I move the scope about and sharp sherp edge to edge.

It has slight brightening of the field stop edge, but this is a wider field eyepiece at 65 degrees so this brightening is to be expected.

 

Televue Plossl 25mm

The 25mm Televue  Plossl is an American designed and Japan made high quality eyepiece, nice and clear and presents a very pleasing image to my eye.

This is the lightest of the bunch.

Nice easy eye placement and 15mm of eye relief.

The Plaeides sits well in the image.

All stars are clear and bright, when I move the scope about it is sharp edge to edge, no noted brightening of the field stop edge.  

This is a 50 degree view so edge brightening would surprise me.

 

Televue Panoptic 19mm

The Televue 19mm Panoptic is small and light unit.

The Panoptic is lighter than the LVW but a little heavier than the Plossl.  Made inTaiwan R.O.C. To the usual Televue high build standard.

Nice easy eye placement and 13mm of eye relief.

The Plaeides sits well in the image.

All stars are clear and bright, when I move the scope about it is sharp edge to edge, no noted of the field stop. This is a 68 degree unit so having no noted edge brightening was a surprise.

 

Initial findings:

Overall based on this one test, I am not surprised that it’s an even field on image presentation and quality of image observed.

The Panoptic has a slightly higher magnification so darkened my light polluted sky and presented a pleasing view. 

I think more use is needed, but based on weight alone the LVW is on shakey ground but it has been my favourite to date, this is a difficult one and is not a done deal. 

More to follow...

 

[Paz]

Thanks for posting, very informative. 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice comparison. For me the Panoptic's 13mm eye relief would be too short, as I need to wear glasses while observing. I do have the LVW 42mm (but not the 22mm) and Tele-Vue Plossl 25mm, which are both class acts, in very different way. The plossl is ideal for solar with my Quark-like Solar Spectrum set-up. I do have a MaxVision 24mm 68 deg, which is a great little performer in my APM 80mm F/6.

[Mr Spock]

I would say of all the eyepieces I've owned the 22mm LVW is the best. For wide field in an 80mm apo it's stunning - stars are the tiniest points of light you can imagine.

[alanjgreen]

On 11/02/2018 at 12:47, Alan White said:

 

Televue Panoptic 19mm

The Televue 19mm Panoptic is small and light unit.

The Panoptic is lighter than the LVW but a little heavier than the Plossl.  Made inTaiwan R.O.C. To the usual Televue high build standard.

Nice easy eye placement and 13mm of eye relief.

The Plaeides sits well in the image.

All stars are clear and bright, when I move the scope about it is sharp edge to edge, no noted of the field stop. This is a 68 degree unit so having no noted edge brightening was a surprise.

Alan,

i have both 19 & 24 mm Panoptic EPs. The 24mm is noticeably better IMHO and more pleasing (for me) than the 19mm in all my scopes. If you like the 19 then that's another reason to try a 24mm  The 24mm can present the stars as dots so small that you struggle to believe they are there. Did I say it's great at splitting doubles too.. And it's lovely on the sun (solar). 15mm eye relief too... 

Alan

[iPeace]

10 minutes ago, alanjgreen said:

i have both 19 & 24 mm Panoptic EPs.

As do I.

10 minutes ago, alanjgreen said:

The 24mm is noticeably better and more pleasing than the 19mm in all my scopes.

Not quite so for me - I really like both of them and have not noticed any difference in performance. But I have read a few reports of users liking the 24mm more.

16 minutes ago, alanjgreen said:

If you like the 19 then that's another reason to try a 24mm  The 24 can present the stars and dots so small that you struggle to believe they are there. Did I say it's great at splitting doubles too..

+1 for this, absolutely!

I suppose I'll have to give the 19 and the 24 a head-to-head some time, but as stated, I've not found the 19 at all disappointing!

[Louis D]

Alan White, You might want to investigate the TV 16mm Nagler T5 if you like small, well corrected eyepieces.  It is similar in size to the 19mm Panoptic and considered to be quite sharp.  Eye relief is a bit tight at 10mm.

[Saganite]

18 minutes ago, iPeace said:

As do I.

Not quite so for me - I really like both of them and have not noticed any difference in performance. But I have read a few reports of users liking the 24mm more.

+1 for this, absolutely!

I suppose I'll have to give the 19 and the 24 a head-to-head some time, but as stated, I've not found the 19 at all disappointing!

100% agreement.....

[alanjgreen]

29 minutes ago, iPeace said:

I suppose I'll have to give the 19 and the 24 a head-to-head some time, but as stated, I've not found the 19 at all disappointing!

In all fairness I didn't say the 19mm pan was disappointing! Just that I like the 24mm more.  

I get plenty of bino use out of both the 19 & 24s.

I tend to find that you notice some "extra" in the 19 due to extra mag then when you pop back to the 24 it's there too but really small and faint. It just amazes me the small stuff the 24 does pick up. 

[F15Rules]

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

In my ongoing quest to simplify and lighten my eyepiece collection.    I have decided to compare my Vixen LVW 22mm, Televue Plossl 25mm and Televue Panoptic 19mm.  

This may look an odd set to compare but all provide a similar FOV but slightly differing magnifications with my ED80 Evostar. 

I decided to have a look at the Plaeides and see how they present in the ED80 as my first test.

So here they are:

As you can see its a bit Little and Large line up, the size does also reflect the weight.

 

Vixen LVW 22mm.

The Vixen LVW 22mm has been my longest eyepiece for some time. This is a Japan designed and made and a high quality build.

It is the  heaviest of the bunch.

A well known eyepiece and documented to be a high quality unit.

Nice easy eye placement and 20mm eye relief.

The Plaeidies sits nicely in the image.

All stars are clear and bright, when I move the scope about and sharp sherp edge to edge.

It has slight brightening of the field stop edge, but this is a wider field eyepiece at 65 degrees so this brightening is to be expected.

 

Televue Plossl 25mm

The 25mm Televue  Plossl is an American designed and Japan made high quality eyepiece, nice and clear and presents a very pleasing image to my eye.

This is the lightest of the bunch.

Nice easy eye placement and 15mm of eye relief.

The Plaeides sits well in the image.

All stars are clear and bright, when I move the scope about it is sharp edge to edge, no noted brightening of the field stop edge.  

This is a 50 degree view so edge brightening would surprise me.

 

Televue Panoptic 19mm

The Televue 19mm Panoptic is small and light unit.

The Panoptic is lighter than the LVW but a little heavier than the Plossl.  Made inTaiwan R.O.C. To the usual Televue high build standard.

Nice easy eye placement and 13mm of eye relief.

The Plaeides sits well in the image.

All stars are clear and bright, when I move the scope about it is sharp edge to edge, no noted of the field stop. This is a 68 degree unit so having no noted edge brightening was a surprise.

 

Initial findings:

Overall based on this one test, I am not surprised that it’s an even field on image presentation and quality of image observed.

The Panoptic has a slightly higher magnification so darkened my light polluted sky and presented a pleasing view. 

I think more use is needed, but based on weight alone the LVW is on shakey ground but it has been my favourite to date, this is a difficult one and is not a done deal. 

More to follow...

 

If you decide to let the LVW 22 go Alan, be prepared for an orderly queue in your inbox!

Mine isn't going anywhere!

And if you think the LVW is heavy, try an ES 34mm or 40mm 68 degree! ??..

Maybe worth trying the ES24 68, which is quite small and light, or the Pan 24 of course if funds permit.

Maybe someone on here would do you a straight swap, Pan 24 for the LVW22?☺

Dave

[Mak the Night]

I have both 1.25" Panoptics, including a 19mm bino pair. I would say it's difficult to say which was the best 1.25" Panoptic, although I believe the 24mm was TV's best selling eyepiece at one time. The 19mm Panoptic is probably my favourite eyepiece of all time, principally as it is used in almost every telescope I own. It Barlows and reduces well, I find its eye relief virtually perfect and basically it just feels right. The 24mm Panoptic is a stunning eyepiece to use, but the 19mm is a real gem.

It's not unlike the 16mm T5 Nagler in size. The Nagler is a superb EP but for long sessions I find the 10mm eye relief a bit tiring.

So I tend to use this 14mm ES. I find it as good as the Nagler, if not better in some respects. I also have the 25mm TV Plossl. I can think of no conceivable reason to get rid of it!

[iPeace]

10 minutes ago, alanjgreen said:

In all fairness I didn't say the 19mm pan was disappointing!

Quite so, and I didn't mean to imply.

11 minutes ago, alanjgreen said:

I tend to find that you notice some "extra" in the 19 due to extra mag then when you pop back to the 24 it's there too but really small and faint. It just amazes me the small stuff the 24 does pick up. 

This really sums up the magic of the 24. Pinpoints of light just travel straight through it.

So, in terms of the 24 being "more" - as opposed to the 19 being "less" - our experiences are aligned. I have also read accounts less favourable to the 19 with which I don't agree. They both say "Panoptic" and they both are.

[25585]

8 hours ago, Alan White said:

In my ongoing quest to simplify and lighten my eyepiece collection.    I have decided to compare my Vixen LVW 22mm, Televue Plossl 25mm and Televue Panoptic 19mm.  

This may look an odd set to compare but all provide a similar FOV but slightly differing magnifications with my ED80 Evostar. 

I decided to have a look at the Plaeides and see how they present in the ED80 as my first test.

So here they are:

As you can see its a bit Little and Large line up, the size does also reflect the weight.

 

Vixen LVW 22mm.

The Vixen LVW 22mm has been my longest eyepiece for some time. This is a Japan designed and made and a high quality build.

It is the  heaviest of the bunch.

A well known eyepiece and documented to be a high quality unit.

Nice easy eye placement and 20mm eye relief.

The Plaeidies sits nicely in the image.

All stars are clear and bright, when I move the scope about and sharp sherp edge to edge.

It has slight brightening of the field stop edge, but this is a wider field eyepiece at 65 degrees so this brightening is to be expected.

 

Televue Plossl 25mm

The 25mm Televue  Plossl is an American designed and Japan made high quality eyepiece, nice and clear and presents a very pleasing image to my eye.

This is the lightest of the bunch.

Nice easy eye placement and 15mm of eye relief.

The Plaeides sits well in the image.

All stars are clear and bright, when I move the scope about it is sharp edge to edge, no noted brightening of the field stop edge.  

This is a 50 degree view so edge brightening would surprise me.

 

Televue Panoptic 19mm

The Televue 19mm Panoptic is small and light unit.

The Panoptic is lighter than the LVW but a little heavier than the Plossl.  Made inTaiwan R.O.C. To the usual Televue high build standard.

Nice easy eye placement and 13mm of eye relief.

The Plaeides sits well in the image.

All stars are clear and bright, when I move the scope about it is sharp edge to edge, no noted of the field stop. This is a 68 degree unit so having no noted edge brightening was a surprise.

 

Initial findings:

Overall based on this one test, I am not surprised that it’s an even field on image presentation and quality of image observed.

The Panoptic has a slightly higher magnification so darkened my light polluted sky and presented a pleasing view. 

I think more use is needed, but based on weight alone the LVW is on shakey ground but it has been my favourite to date, this is a difficult one and is not a done deal. 

More to follow...

 

Go the reds!!! ?? ??? ???? ??

[Stu]

8 hours ago, alanjgreen said:

i have both 19 & 24 mm Panoptic EPs. The 24mm is noticeably better IMHO and more pleasing (for me) than the 19mm in all my scopes

I'm sure there is no optical difference between the 19mm and the 24mm, they are both as good as each other. The difference you see will likely be a result of differing mags or exit pupils in your scopes so it's a matter of which one suits the scope better.

[Alan White]

23 minutes ago, Stu said:

I'm sure there is no optical difference between the 19mm and the 24mm, they are both as good as each other. The difference you see will likely be a result of differing mags or exit pupils in your scopes so it's a matter of which one suits the scope better.

Stu, I think the same applies to the 22mm LVW and Pan 19 too.

[25585]

23 minutes ago, Stu said:

I'm sure there is no optical difference between the 19mm and the 24mm, they are both as good as each other. The difference you see will likely be a result of differing mags or exit pupils in your scopes so it's a matter of which one suits the scope better.

24 Pan has 15mm eye relief http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=22&Tab=EP_EPO-24.0

19 has but 13mm http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=22&Tab=EP_EPO-19.0

[Alan White]

2mm of eye relief may be an issue for glasses wearers at the scope, luckily I get away without wearing any at present.

In my instance the 12 to 15mm eye relief works as well as 20mm, when it gets above this it falls apart for me.

In shorter focal lengths I actually like 10mm eye relief!

[25585]

11 minutes ago, Alan White said:

2mm of eye relief may be an issue for glasses wearers at the scope, luckily I get away without wearing any at present.

In my instance the 12 to 15mm eye relief works as well as 20mm, when it gets above this it falls apart for me.

In shorter focal lengths I actually like 10mm eye relief!

If eye placement is less critical, I gave found slightly shorter eye relief is more acceptable. Yet to find a happy medium. Almost like modern car headlights, great bright ahead projection but too poor roadside illumination.

[Stu]

41 minutes ago, 25585 said:

24 Pan has 15mm eye relief http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=22&Tab=EP_EPO-24.0

19 has but 13mm http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=22&Tab=EP_EPO-19.0

A couple of mm eye relief is pretty meaningless to me, happy with anything from 20mm down to whatever a 5mm ortho gives, 4mm ish? I was referring to optical quality, edge sharpness etc and I'm sure there is no difference between the two if use at same mag/exit pupil.

[iPeace]

9 hours ago, Stu said:

I was referring to optical quality, edge sharpness etc and I'm sure there is no difference between the two if use at same mag/exit pupil.

I would certainly expect as much from a scaled design by TeleVue.

http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?return=Advice&id=78

[rwilkey]

I have the 19 and 24 Pans as well and in my opinion the views with the 24mm are more pleasing and slightly sharper. 

[Highburymark]

Then there's the even cuter (though discontinued) 15mm Panoptic - not quite on a par with the sublime 24mm but nifty nonetheless.

Would be interested in trying an LVW 22 - so many good reports - but weight would rule out me buying one.

[Alan White]

10 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Then there's the even cuter (though discontinued) 15mm Panoptic - not quite on a par with the sublime 24mm but nifty nonetheless.

Would be interested in trying an LVW 22 - so many good reports - but weight would rule out me buying one.

I can commend the 22mm LVW Mark, but as you and I are in a similar position with a light finely balanced set up, you would have the same challenges I have. 

The 15mm Panoptic looks interesting, have seen these before, probably your one.

[iPeace]

10 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Then there's the even cuter (though discontinued) 15mm Panoptic - not quite on a par with the sublime 24mm but nifty nonetheless.

Would be interested in trying an LVW 22 - so many good reports - but weight would rule out me buying one.

As of now, I'm seriously seeking a 15mm.

[Alan White]

A queu is forming, darn it!