Favourite eyepiece?

[Mr Spock]

I like my 'moon' eyepiece, an LVW 8mm. Lovely image quality and so comfortable to use.

[John]

2 hours ago, Luke said:

I'm going to be lazy and go for the 21mm Ethos. Why?

Because it is my widest eyepiece and if you saw how bad I was at star hopping with a manual dob, you'd understand perfectly!

They don't get so much love these days, but I am quite fond of my 8mm Radian. It has served me very well for solar viewing, and my gear tends to get more use for solar.

I'm going to join you in being lazy Luke

I've had plenty of sessions with my 12 inch dob when the 21mm Ethos is the only eyepiece I've used. 76x and a 1.3 degree true field. Superb

2nd Favourite (not that it's been asked) would be the 8mm Ethos probably. With the same scope a real planetary nebula / globular cluster killer eyepiece !

No disrespect to any of my other eyepieces either - they all earn their keep

 

[Ags]

I kind of like my Super 25 because it reminds me of the eyepieces I had as a kid. 

[HollyHound]

22 minutes ago, John said:

I've had plenty of sessions with my 12 inch dob when the 21mm Ethos is the only eyepiece I've used. 76x and a 1.3 degree true field. Superb

Interestingly, I've just run that through Astronomy Tools FoV and on my 10" dob that 21mm Ethos would give exactly the same FoV (1.65 degrees) as my Pentax XW30, but with almost the same magnification (x60) and exit pupil (4.2mm) as my XW20 (1.1 degrees). Discounting having to get used to moving your head around to see the whole view, effectively it makes both eyepieces redundant🤔 More than happy with these though for now, plus I can use the XW20 in my Mak/C5 too👍

Edited December 15, 2020 by HollyHound

[Dantooine]

2 minutes ago, HollyHound said:

Interestingly, I've just run that through Astronomy Tools FoV and on my 10" dob that 21mm Ethos would give exactly the same FoV (1.65 degrees) as my Pentax XW30, but with almost the same magnification (x60) and exit pupil (4.2mm) as my XW20 (1.1 degrees). Discounting having to get used to moving your head around to see the whole view, effectively it makes both eyepieces redundant🤔 More than happy with these though for now, plus I can use the XW20 in my Mak/C5 too👍

Ahh, I detect the slippery slope. 

[HollyHound]

3 minutes ago, Dantooine said:

Ahh, I detect the slippery slope

I had a lovely few hours just enjoying the sights late last night (clear skies 😃), rather than comparing eyepieces, so I'm happy to stay with these now.

I sense you've been down this same slope yourself 🤔

So, I am done buying eyepieces... at least for this year 🤣

Edited December 15, 2020 by HollyHound

[John]

I don't need to move my head around to see the whole field of my 21E. I may be unconsciously moving my eyeball about but I've never found 100 degree eyepieces any particular effort to observe with. I know this varies person to person so that's fine. I can only give my experiences with them

If they were tricky or awkward to use I wouldn't have held onto them. There are many other fine eyepieces available today

Also I would not have tipped them as my favourite eyepiece .....

 

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by John

[HollyHound]

1 minute ago, John said:

If they were tricky or awkward to use I wouldn't have held onto them. There are many other fine eyepieces available today

I hoped you'd tell me that they're awkward to use, as now I've only got weight and cost as arguments against 🤣

[Paul73]

From the current lineup - Delos 14mm for me. Comfortable, great contrast and lovely shaped stars all the way to the edge! 

From the long list of eyepieces that I have owned - the Ethos 21 was special and I enjoyed the planetary views with the Vixen SLV 6mm.

Paul

[DaveS]

4 hours ago, Dantooine said:

This ones for just for fun. 
Everyone has a favourite eyepiece for one reason or another, so which one is yours? (No zooms) 🤔

Eyepiece? What is this thing "eyepiece"?

[Second Time Around]

If I can't choose my beloved Baader zoom I'd vote for my 22mm Vixen LVW.

A sharp 65 degree FOV in a 1.25 inch barrel and slim enough for binoviewers - if I can find another to make a pair as they're now discontinued.  

In this focal length I need to use a Televue Dioptrx to correct my astigmatism and this can be fitted to the 22mm LVW if you use an O ring or elastic band.

I use it on all my scopes, and especially like it for solar work with my Quark.

Most of all, it's one of the most comfortable eyepieces I've ever used.

P.S. I used it this morning with my 72mm refractor & Quark on a Solarquest mount to look at the sun, and just after sunset with the same scope on a ScopeTech mount to see Jupiter and Saturn in the same FOV with a 1.5x Barlow.  My 10 inch Dob is cooling down and I'll be using the LVW22 as my finder eyepiece. So 3 different set ups in 1 day!

Edited December 18, 2020 by Second Time Around

[LukeSkywatcher]

Mine is anything with Vixen printed on it.

[RT65CB-SWL]

Mmm! tough decision...

Something mystical and magical about them... apart from the physical size...
my TeleVue 13mm Nagler's [type1 & 6].

[F15Rules]

4 hours ago, Louis D said:

That's like asking a parent to choose a favorite child. 😲

Ok, if that's the analogy..

1. Which (child)/eyepiece costs me the least money?

2. Which (child)/eyepiece gives me the least hassle?

3. Which (child)/eyepiece will look after me when I'm old?

Answers:

1. HM 6mm 0.965" - utterly useless but came free with a scope.🙄

2. Celestron Omni 32mm.. lightweight, cheap, and a pair of them just sit in my binoviewer and show me lovely views of whatever they are pointed at..👍

3. Baader Morpheus: probably my most valuable eyepiece so when I'm old I can sell it and buy about one hour's care in a nursing home..😱

Dave

 

[F15Rules]

56 minutes ago, Second Time Around said:

If I can't choose my beloved Baader zoom I'd vote for my 22mm Vixen LVW.

A sharp 65 degree FOV in a 1.25 inch barrel and slim enough for binoviewers - if I can find another to make a pair as they're now discontinued.  

In this focal length I need to use a Televue Dioptrx to correct my astigmatism and this fits the 22mm LVW.

I use it on all my scopes, and especially like it for solar work with my Quark.

Most of all, it's one of the most comfortable eyepieces I've ever used.

Joking apart, definitely one of my top 3 favourite eyepieces, ever👍

Dave

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by F15Rules

[wormix]

TAL 25mm plossl - it’s always the first that I reach for

[Mr Spock]

59 minutes ago, Second Time Around said:

If I can't choose my beloved Baader zoom I'd vote for my 22mm Vixen LVW.

I sold my T4 22mm and 17mm Naglers to replace them with 22mm and 17mm LVWs. That's what I think of them. 

In my 80ED the 22mm gives such tiny sharp stars - I've not seen anything better.

[Second Time Around]

Our internet is playing up today and a P.S. I added to my previous post on the 22mm LVW but it was lost in cyberspace.  Here's what I wrote:

"P.S. I used it this morning with my 72mm refractor & Quark on a Solarquest mount to look at the sun, and just after sunset with the same scope on a ScopeTech mount to see Jupiter and Saturn in the same FOV with a 1.5x Barlow.  My 10 inch Dob is cooling down and I'll be using the LVW22 as my finder eyepiece. So 3 different set ups in 1 day!"

I'd add please don't agree with me, guys! It'll make finding another one to make a binoviewing pair even more difficult!

Edited December 15, 2020 by Second Time Around

[scarp15]

A near impossible question to decisively answer. Crossing over between each of my three scopes, has to be the 21E. However and yet, this year I acquired an 18.2mm DeLite and I love this range of eyepieces, they are sharp, comfortable and immersive, in a very compact size. I have used the 18mm DeLite with each of my scopes and for medium, low power, which is often where its at, it is a lovely ocular. 

[Jiggy 67]

This may surprise everyone.......my Celestron 32mm Omni Plossl. Crystal sharp view every time

[rl]

Hmmmmm ..Interesting set of replies. Lots of support for the 21E, 13E,14 Delos, big Naglers, Pentax, Vixen. To pick on one eyepiece is probably a silly question (but I'd volte for the 21E), but maybe the best range is not. 

Funny thing is, in the 13 years since the Ethos line was first released, every serious manufacturer out there has cloned them and most reviews rate the clones nearly or as good as the real deal. And yet I see no votes yet for the clones...is this just a statistical selection effect or did Al Nagler get something very seriously right that's hard to match?

I sold my Ethoses when times were hard and tried several cheaper equivalent options. But as the years have gone by I've ended up replacing the clones as fortune allows....I'm still looking for a cheap 13!

[LukeSkywatcher]

23 minutes ago, Jiggy 67 said:

This may surprise everyone.......my Celestron 32mm Omni Plossl. Crystal sharp view every time

Ok, you forced my hand. The EP that I really love the most is the 32mm Celestron Plossl that comes with the Celestron Eye Opener Kit.

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by LukeSkywatcher

[Dantooine]

2 hours ago, HollyHound said:

I hoped you'd tell me that they're awkward to use, as now I've only got weight and cost as arguments against 🤣

They are terrible 

[Dantooine]

1 hour ago, Second Time Around said:

If I can't choose my beloved Baader zoom I'd vote for my 22mm Vixen LVW.

A sharp 65 degree FOV in a 1.25 inch barrel and slim enough for binoviewers - if I can find another to make a pair as they're now discontinued.  

In this focal length I need to use a Televue Dioptrx to correct my astigmatism and this fits the 22mm LVW.

I use it on all my scopes, and especially like it for solar work with my Quark.

Most of all, it's one of the most comfortable eyepieces I've ever used.

P.S. I used it this morning with my 72mm refractor & Quark on a Solarquest mount to look at the sun, and just after sunset with the same scope on a ScopeTech mount to see Jupiter and Saturn in the same FOV with a 1.5x Barlow.  My 10 inch Dob is cooling down and I'll be using the LVW22 as my finder eyepiece. So 3 different set ups in 1 day!

Sounds like it’s a great all rounder for you. 

[Earl]

A good 32mm Plossl is an essential piece of kit