Zoom eyepieces

[Carl Au]

The Starguider zoom from Skies the limit are remarkably good for the money, about 50 quidish. They look suspiciously like the Zoom Celestron do. 

[Astro_Dad]

Settled on Baader 8-24 plus matching Barlow. As noted on here - one of the best albeit very expensive. Quality excellent though - I can see it being my most used eyepiece already...

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[wulfrun]

29 minutes ago, Astro_Dad said:

Settled on Baader 8-24 plus matching Barlow. As noted on here - one of the best albeit very expensive. Quality excellent though - I can see it being my most used eyepiece already...

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By all accounts it's one to last you a lifetime, unless you fall out with the whole zoom idea.

[amaury]

Hi people, 

just out of curiosity, Is the Orion E series 7-21mm Zoom a rebranded Svbony SV135?

At least on paper they seem to be exactly the same Zoom.

https://www.svbony.com/SV135-1-25inch-Zoom-Eyepiece-/

https://uk.telescope.com/Telescopes/Orion-E-Series-7-21mm-Zoom-Telescope-Eyepiece/rc/1306/p/132442.uts

 

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, amaury said:

Hi people, 

just out of curiosity, Is the Orion E series 7-21mm Zoom a rebranded Svbony SV135?

At least on paper they seem to be exactly the same Zoom.

https://www.svbony.com/SV135-1-25inch-Zoom-Eyepiece-/

https://uk.telescope.com/Telescopes/Orion-E-Series-7-21mm-Zoom-Telescope-Eyepiece/rc/1306/p/132442.uts

 

More than likely by the looks of it.  At least Orion didn't double the price like they usually do with their rebrandings.

[Franklin]

The Vixen Lanthanum 8-24 zoom works very well in my grab n go F6 refractor, especially for solar with the Lunt wedge. Giving mags of x20 - x60 in the F6 scope. Double them up with a 2x Barlow for higher power if seeing permits. Not sure if they still make them but they come up used from time to time. I think I paid around £65 for mine. Very good quality optics but a small field of view. 40 degrees at x20 up to 60 degrees at x60. At first I did not like the smaller AFOV, being spoilt with super wide angle eyepieces, but through use I have realised that at these low powers it doesn't really matter. I don't even bother with a finder scope. An 80mm F6 scope refractor IS a finder scope so I just sight along the tube with the zoom set at 24mm. I've read in various reviews that the generic 8-24 zooms are of a better quality than the 7-21 ones.

[Louis D]

5 hours ago, Franklin said:

The Vixen Lanthanum 8-24 zoom works very well in my grab n go F6 refractor, especially for solar with the Lunt wedge. Not sure if they still make them but they come up used from time to time. I think I paid around £65 for mine.

Multiple vendors in the US report them as being discontinued.  Last price was $169.  I think the Chinese made 8-24mm knockoffs pushed them out of the market.

[Franklin]

For once a bargain. That's definitely a keeper then.

[Franklin]

BTW, great article "Planetary Filter Shootout". Bought a Baader CB filter based on your findings and do not regret it. Best MV filter in my opinion, especially in the 6" f8 synta.