Favourite eyepiece?

[L8-Nite]

6 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) 🤔

 My favourite, the 48mm Brandon.

[RT65CB-SWL]

5 hours ago, AstroNtinos said:

The Sky-Watcher 28mm LET 2" eyepiece i love the design.

Same here! - It is my second favourite e/p.

[Second Time Around]

On 15/12/2020 at 18:43, Mr Spock said:

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.

I also prefer my 22mm LVW to the 22mm Nagler.  I'm one of those who struggles to get the full benefit of 82 degree eyepieces, probably because of small eye sockets and deep set eyes.  I prefer 65-70 degree eyepieces, although I've yet to try a 76 degree Morpheus.

Any low power eyepiece I buy has to work with a Dioptrx, and that means long eye relief. 

The only eyepiece in a 22mm or so that rivals the LVW for me is the 70 degree long eye relief Omegon Redline.  This again I've found very sharp and very comfortable.  The only downside is that it has a 2 inch barrel. However, it's stupidly low-priced, and is a real "sleeper".

Edited December 18, 2020 by Second Time Around

[Dantooine]

22 minutes ago, rl said:

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!

I have an Es 5.5/100 that if I’m honest is easier to use than my ethos 4.7. I just can’t bring myself to move it on. For some reason my eye just sits better with this one. 

[John]

The very best quality eyepiece in purely optical terms that I have ever owned and used was probably the TMB Supermonocentric 5mm. I would not really call it a favourite though. It was hard to use and only had a 30m degree AfoV. It did show Saturn and Jupiter superbly well though, during the 6 months or so that I owned it.

These change hands at crazy prices now. I think I paid £100 for it and sold it for the same:

[Paz]

My favourite type of eyepiece is the Delos but I could not pick which is best.

My favourite single eyepiece therefore is probably the 22mm Nagler. Good ergonomics, enough eye relief for me using glasses, great views, nice wide field. Always feels like Christmas has come early getting that eyepiece out.

I'm trying to ignore all the positive comments above about the 22mm LVW, I've spent more than enough time agonising about eyepieces!

[Barry-W-Fenner]

I don't have a vast amount of experience with different EP's. However my favourite is my 9mm Morpheus. At x167 it gives some excellent views of most targets. The moon looked absolutely amazingly through it on my last session. It is also very comfortable to use.

[Paul73]

3 hours ago, Dantooine said:

Ahh, I detect the slippery slope. 

I hit that slope and shelled out for a 21E. What marvellous views it gave.

Then I sold it for exactly what I paid. It funded half a 16” dob😁. As good as money in the bank!

Paul

Edited December 15, 2020 by Paul73

[Doc]

My favourite eyepiece is my 30mm Clave.

It's pretty impressive.

[Ian McCallum]

My favourite is a 2nd hand SW 28mm LET 2" eyepiece, that I bought from another SGL member.  It's good for wide views and I've seen the Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy and other targets.

 

[Kusanagi]

Of all the limited amount of eyepiece's I own my favourite is my 40mm Meade super wide angle 4000 series ( old japan series ), it gives lovely crystal clear views on its own, and when paired with my ES 2X focal extender. Some might say it is a bit big for my dob ( 250mm ) I like its views and keep going back to it.

[bomberbaz]

5 hours ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

I don't have a vast amount of experience with different EP's. However my favourite is my 9mm Morpheus. At x167 it gives some excellent views of most targets. The moon looked absolutely amazingly through it on my last session. It is also very comfortable to use.

Not bought the 14mm yet then baz

[Barry-W-Fenner]

3 hours ago, bomberbaz said:

Not bought the 14mm yet then baz

I sure have Steve, 6.5 - 9 - 14 and 17.5 make up the bulk of my arsenal. They are all fantastic EP's. I might be tempted to purchase the 4.5 in time. Saying that, the 6.5 doesn't get a huge amount of use due to conditions unfortunately.

👍

[Pete Presland]

There might be better that i haven't used but, the Televue Type 4 22mm Nagler, simply the best eyepiece i have ever looked though, it is a joy to use! 

Obviously there so many variables regarding eyepieces, that no one opinion is ever going to be absolute. 😃

[bomberbaz]

As we stand my favourite is my Nikon Nav HW 17mm which come with a EIC extender, effectively giving me two for the price of one as this adds a 14mm to the same lump of glass.

However it has seen only a little use so far, mainly due to poor weather in the Taurus 350 and so this is not  cast in stone.

I also have a newly acquired APM 24mm UFF and initial results with this eyepiece are very promising so the above could change.

[Space Hopper]

Deep sky viewing with aperture with a pair of Tv Panoptics 24mm through the bino.

Unbeatable.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Space Hopper

[Dantooine]

1 hour ago, bomberbaz said:

As we stand my favourite is my Nikon Nav HW 17mm which come with a EIC extender, effectively giving me two for the price of one as this adds a 14mm to the same lump of glass.

However it has seen only a little use so far, mainly due to poor weather in the Taurus 350 and so this is not  cast in stone.

I also have a newly acquired APM 24mm UFF and initial results with this eyepiece are very promising so the above could change.

Wow, a nav owner. 17 & 14 in one is very usable. 

[davyludo]

In the mak, my Vixen SLV 15mm. Can't quite put my finger on it, something about it that is just really pleasing to my eye. 

In the ST102, has to be the Aero 30mm. Just because you feel totally immersed in the view. 

Whispers: "I've just got a shiny new baader zoom and am slowly falling in love, but shhhhh. I don't want to get shouted at." 

 

[Don Pensack]

22 hours ago, rl said:

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!

I've used the Explore Scientific 20mm 100° and the APM XWA 20mm 100° and this focal length seems to be the hardest for the clones to get right.  There is a much smaller gap with the shorter focal lengths.

But in the 20mm range, they cannot seem to get the astigmatism correction right, or the field curvature, or the light scatter suppression. They're not bad, just not the equal of the 21mm Ethos.

After 2 years with the 31mm Nagler and 21mm Ethos in my kit, I sold the 31mm Nagler.  There just was no reason to have both, even though the Nagler's field size is 16% wider.

Optically, though, I thought the 17mm Ethos was slightly better, but that's not the discussion here.

 

[Don Pensack]

A lot of positive comments for the 22mm Vixen LVW, which is now long out of production.

Interestingly, all the clones got that focal length right, too.

These are all 70° and all good:

Arcturus	Ebony
Astromania	SWA
Omegon	Redline
Skywatcher	SWA
Telescope Service	Expanse ED

 

I'll add the now discontinued Astrotech AF70, Celestron Ultima LX, and Olivon 70 to the above list if they can be found.

[bomberbaz]

4 hours ago, Dantooine said:

Wow, a nav owner. 17 & 14 in one is very usable. 

Also got the 12.5/10mm version.

I love them both so very much, had for circa 5 years and I have no intention of changing them. 

[John]

27 minutes ago, bomberbaz said:

Also got the 12.5/10mm version.

I love them both so very much, had for circa 5 years and I have no intention of changing them. 

Well Steve, it's going to be difficult to find an "upgrade" to the Nav HW's !

 

[Ships and Stars]

I really like my APM 100deg EPs, the 20mm would be my favourite out of all my eyepieces. I have the 20/13/9mm set.

The APMs offer near Ethos (some say equal!) performance at a price that won't make you cry as much if you drop one on the floor. 269EUR for the 20mm APM vs £819.00 for the 21mm Ethos. That's why I sold my 21E and bought the three APMs with the money. I loved the 21E but was a bit nervous using it in the dark. I change eyepieces and filters frequently and rush around a lot when fatigued, so it was only a matter of time before I accidently pinged it off the concrete one night with cold fingers or *gasp* it somehow rolled out of my van at a dark sky spot.

Imagine a walker coming across this strange heavy black and green lump covered in frost, then googling 21mm Ethos...while I was at home sleeping the next morning🤣 The stuff of nightmares!

So that's the main reason I sold the 21E. Lighter as well. My only complaint is that the eyecup isn't as comfortable as the 21mm Ethos I had, a bit too stiff, so you have to push your eye into it to get the full FOV and the 21E had a bit more immersive feel, but that was intensive side by side comparisons. With just the APM I don't think anyone would be upset. 

I would love it if APM made a 23-25mm 100 deg EP, even if the edges weren't perfect, just for larger nebulae.

Anyway, really happy with the APMs. 

[Paul73]

That is quite an advert for the APM range. @Ships and StarsDo you use them with a coma corrector?

Paul

[Ships and Stars]

11 minutes ago, Paul73 said:

That is quite an advert for the APM range. @Ships and StarsDo you use them with a coma corrector?

Paul

I'm really happy with them for the money. They are the only eyepieces (besides my 10mm Baader Classic Ortho) that I have ever bought new after trying the 20mm one night against the 21E. I could easily live with the 20/13/9 and my powermate. 

I have an Explore Scientific HR coma corrector, a lot like the Paracorr with a tunable top, but to be honest, I don't use it that much in either my f4.9 or f4 scope. The f4 scope does show a noticeable improvement with a CC, but I only really notice if I'm viewing something like star clusters. When viewing nebulae, it doesn't seem to bother me at all. If I'm in a fast dash mood and changing eyepieces a lot, I'll skip the CC, if I'm relaxed and going for top views, then CC it is. The view with the 20mm and CC at f4 is very nice.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Ships and Stars