Should I buy a barlow?

[Gervasio39]

Hi everyone! Im new in the forum and I have an orion xt8 200/1200, that came with a 25 mm plossl. I am also going to buy a skywatcher nirvana 82° 16mm eyepiece. For planetary viewing im considering 2 options:

-Orion Edge on Planetary 6 mm (200x)  100€   https://www.astroshop.eu/eyepieces/orion-eyepiece-edge-on-planetary-6mm-1-25-/p,14042

-Celestron X-cel LX 12 mm (100x) + Celestron    X-cel LX 2x Barlow  ~200€   https://www.astroshop.eu/eyepieces/celestron-x-cel-lx-1-25-12mm-eyepiece/p,21921     https://www.astroshop.eu/barlow-lenses/celestron-x-cel-lx-1-25-2x-barlow-lens/p,24891

The 2nd option is 2x more expensive than the 1st, but with the barlow i would have a larger range: 25, 16, 12, 8, 6 mm.

I thought you could help me choose between them. Thanks in advance.

[rwilkey]

Though I do not have these eyepieces they are all well respected on this forum, if I was to choose I would go for the Orion, simply because it looks ergonomically superior.  It seems be based on the William Optics 6mm SPL, which is one of the finest planetary ep's I have ever bought.  I would think carefully about a Barlow, after a while I decided I didn't need one, though I agree they are useful to start with.  The Celestron X-Cel is expensive and I think there are good cheaper options out there, always consider a 2x Barlow if you are going to get one.  The best of the bunch is this one: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/explore-scientific-eyepieces/explore-scientific-2x-3x-5x-barlow-focal-extender-125.html

[Louis D]

I would get the 5mm and 8mm Starguider/Paradigms.  I just picked up a set of the 5mm to 25mm versions, and the 5mm and 8mm are the best corrected of the bunch with the 12mm close behind if you wanted to add a third.  As long as you don't need to wear eyeglasses at the eyepiece, they'll be as good or better than the Edge-On or XCel LXs you listed.  FLO offers a 10% discount when you buy 2 or 3 Starguiders at once.  15% for 4 to 6 and 20% for all 7.

[Piero]

I never felt the need for something between 25mn and 12mm with a very similar telescope. 

 

[mikeDnight]

With regard to Barlow choice, you may be paying more than you need to with the Celestron. I use a 2X Skywatcher Delux barlow with my takahashi apo and it gives a truly colour free, high contrast image, even at extreme high power. The SW Delux is not going to break the bank either!

[cletrac1922]

I have both 2" and 1.25" 2 X barlow

With my 250mm Dob, never been able to get the scope to focus using the 2" barlow, even with slide extension tube

Have good success with 1.25 barlow

When viewing Jupiter and Saturn, use 17mm wide angle eyepiece

Have found with Saturn, with Dob been manual, Saturn does seem to move out of view lot more quicker

John

 

[Ledge1962]

I have the 1.25" XCEL-LX barlows (2x and 3X) and they do a good job in my f10 sct. Out of interest, I put them together to see if they would act as a 5x Barlow, but the magnification was laughable. I find I prefer to use the straight eyepiece without the Barlow, but if I need one, the LX certainly does the trick. 

The LX Barlows struggle around the edges on the F4.6, but that is to be expected, and as I prefer deep space, I rarely need to use them.  

[MarsG76]

I recommend the second option, like you said, it'll give you more magnification options and I find my Celestron X-Cel and 2X barlow very good quality. 

[Gervasio39]

Thank you for all your advices. They were very helpful.