New to Binoviewing.

[Franklin]

I have a question for anyone with experience of binoviewing. 

I've picked up a used WO bino set and am really pleased with it, the 20mm 66deg eyepieces that come with them work very well, the views are amazing almost 3D. So I was thinking of what other eyepieces to get for some different magnifications. I already have a BHZ MkIV and have just managed to get a second one used so I think these will do well in the WO binos. My question is, if I want to barlow the pair of zooms, is it best to use the 1.6x in the nosepiece of the binos or use two identical barlows attached to each of the zooms? I already have a 2.25x zoom barlow which works really well with the BHZ. Would it be worth while getting a second one? My concern is that the BHZ in 1.25" mode with 2.25x barlow attached is quite long and top heavy. Would two of these in the binos be too much weight hanging off the end of my scope?

Thanks.

[Cosmic Geoff]

I have a BST Starguider zoom which came with a pair of 30mm short-bodied Plossl eeyepieces and two Barlow nosepieces.

It worked well with the supplied eyepieces, but with the barlow lenses it was okay for looking at planets but not for anything widefield, as the extremes of the field had aberrations.   I had a 20mm Revelation plossl so bought a matching one, however the results were disappointing. One eyepiece had an undercut and the other did not, and it was almost imposible to make the two eye views synchronize.

My advice is not to use eyepieces of short focal length and not to attempt using a pair of barlows.  Use a Barlow nosepiece if you need more magnification.  If you are using a SCT or Mak, note that the added path length will also result in a significant boost of the magnification.

What is a BHZ?

Edited August 29, 2021 by Cosmic Geoff

[Franklin]

Thanks Geoff, I was kind of thinking the same, too much magnification and too much light path used. I will probably just get the 2x nosepiece for the binos and leave it at that. With the zoom 8mm setting I get x98 so the 2x nose will take me as high as I can go with the 100ed refractor. It is for lunar/solar/planetary use, for wide field sweeping I just use the 20mm wide angle pair that came with the binos. 👍

BHZ=Baader Hyperion Zoom.