Binoview EP's options

[Deadlake]

I've recently acquired a MaxBright II BV. I'm planning to use it in an LZOS 130/F6 scope with a FT3545 focuser, so hope fully weight will not be an issue or focus range. The AG tube is 4 cm shorter than the standard KUO tube to help with BV usage. 

I have 24 mm UFF for wide field and given the focus range no GPC is required. 

I would like to add two more sets of EP's in the 17.5 mm and 10 mm range.

I realise to get higher magnifications a GPC will be required, the 2.6 GPC has been suggested.

For the 17.5 mm range Baader Morpheus  look an obvious choice, any others I could look at. Tele Vue spring to mind?

In the higher magnification range either 

• 10 mm APM UFF or
• 9 mm Takahashi Abbe EP's

Any others worth consideration?

Thanks,

Martin

[Louis D]

Is eye relief an issue for you since you chose long eye relief eyepieces at 24mm and presumably 17.5mm?

The 2.6 GPC (or simply a high quality Barlow element in my experience) would work great with the 24mm and 17.5mm eyepieces to yield higher powers.

I would look into a pair of zoom eyepieces because swapping eyepiece pairs is a royal pain, especially at high powers; although I suspect you're using a tracking mount.

[Franklin]

I've been using a pair of Baader MkIV zooms in my, new to me, WO binoviewers and I'm well impressed. Just got to remember to hold the lower barrel when zooming so as not to turn the diopter adjustments. The Baader Maxbright bino's won't have this issue though as the diopter is helical. I got the WO quite cheap just to try binoviewing and see if I liked it. Well, it's blown me away and now I am saving up for a pair of Maxbrights. I do have the Baader BCO's and was planning on pairing them up at some point but now I'm not so sure, as the zooms are working so well. I use the x1.6 nosepiece for very high power. Jupiter and Saturn in 3D the last few nights have been amazing. All in a Starwave 102ED f11 with split tube.

[Space Hopper]

I've been happy with my own APM Ultraflats (15mm)

Good value and performance. I thought i'd try the 10's but decided on the 12mm version

which are a slightly different design. These are 60º fov rather than 65, and have a different 

eyecup design that twists up. I think i paid £89 each for them as they were reduced and end of line.

But when the seeing  cooperates, they've impressed.

More often than not i find my 24 and 19 Panoptics  + the 15 APMs cover most of my magnification requirements.

Magnifications of 106, 134 and 169x    If i need more power, the seeing is unusually good and that doesn't happen often !!

 

[Space Hopper]

APM flat field 12mm / 60º fov

(with their twist up eyecups)

 

[Deadlake]

3 hours ago, Space Hopper said:

19 Panoptics

vs 17.5 mm Morpheus I'll have a look at the difference. Thanks 

[Louis D]

The 19mm Panoptic was designed with BVing in mind.  They are compact and light weight.  However, eye relief is too short for eyeglass wearers.

[Deadlake]

5 minutes ago, Louis D said:

The 19mm Panoptic was designed with BVing in mind.  They are compact and light weight.  However, eye relief is too short for eyeglass wearers.

I'm short sighted, no eyeglasses required. Presume the Panoptic would be the pick? 

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, Deadlake said:

I'm short sighted, no eyeglasses required. Presume the Panoptic would be the pick? 

A lot of it will depend on the shape of your face.  I have deep set eyes with a prominent nose bridge such that I can't fit it between Morpheus width eyepieces (55mm).  The 19mm Panoptic would probably not be an issue for me due to its narrower width (43mm) and conical top.

[Deadlake]

Ok, so maybe just the high power ones to figure out. Going to wait for noisejammer to finish his review of the 12.5 HI-FW, heavy however for the price could be very good.

[JTEC]

10 hours ago, Deadlake said:

For the 17.5 mm range Baader Morpheus  look an obvious choice, any others I could look at. Tele Vue spring to mind?

In the higher magnification range either 

• 10 mm APM UFF or
• 9 mm Takahashi Abbe EP's

Any others worth consideration?

Hi Martin,

I use a Zeiss bino with my TEC140.  (Yuri Petrunin of TEC opts for a par of 10mm Delos with that scope.)  I have one 10mm Delos and find it a standout eyepiece but can’t quite bring myself to fork out for a second ….  My go to eyepiece pairs are the 18mm Tak LEs, which I much prefer to the pair of 17.5 Morpheus I tried (I kept one), and the 9mm Tak ortho.  (Plenty of people, of course, do like the Morpheus in the bino role and supposedly they were designed with that in mind.) I also have Tak ortho pairs in 12.5 and 6mm.  They are all excellent. The 18mm LE and the Tak ortho 9mm get the most use in the TEC and in my 12” f6 Newtonian. I always use them with either the x1.7 (gives about 1.5, reportedly) GPC or the x2 2” Powermate ahead of the prism. Hope that’s some use, from one Surrey Hills dweller to another.

[Space Hopper]

I've tried Delos Martin, but they were just too big and cumbersome for me

Balance was problematic, eye placement was difficult to get right, and the cost was prohibitive.

My personal opinion and others may disagree, but i much prefer something smaller and compact for two eyed viewing.

As mentioned both the Panoptics are well thought out with their conical tops and one of the things that make them so well suited to binoviewing.

Heres one of the Deloi in situ. I brought 2x 10mm, both second hand, tried them, and then sold them on without too much of a hit in the wallet dept.

 

[JTEC]

For interest, here’s Yuri’s choice of eyepieces for bino and TEC140. 

[Space Hopper]

@JTEC quite interested to see the above image, but i'm afraid it won't open, and shows a file not found error message.

[Don Pensack]

22 hours ago, Deadlake said:

I'm short sighted, no eyeglasses required. Presume the Panoptic would be the pick? 

No,  The 19mm and 24mm Panoptics, and the 10mm and 15mm APM Ultra Flat Field are not compatible with glasses.

The 18mm and longer in the Ultra Flat Field are compatible, as are 27mm and longer Panoptics.

Other Glasses-compatible eyepieces from TeleVue:  Delites, Delos, 32mm and 40mm Plössl, 22 and 31mm Nagler

Other glasses-compatible eyepieces from APM: 12.5mm Hi-FW 84°

Some others: Baader Hyperions, Baader Morpheus, Pentax XW to name a few.

 

But, no eyeglasses required, then great binoview eyepieces include the 24mm and 19mm Panoptics, the 16mm Nagler,

The APM Ultra Flat Field 18mm, The Type 6 Naglers, to name a few.

Edited September 9, 2021 by Don Pensack

[JTEC]

Here’s another go with Yuri Petrunin’s eyepiece choices for the MkV binoviewer and the TEC refractors.  Hope it works this time!

[JTEC]

5 hours ago, Space Hopper said:

quite interested to see the above image, but i'm afraid it won't open, and shows a file not found error message.

Sorry about that - please see repost 👍🏻

[Deadlake]

1 hour ago, Don Pensack said:

APM: 12.5mm Hi-FW 84°

Thats meant to be a great EP, however some people complain about the EoFB, while others do not. And then they compare it to a Doctor or Nikon HW. 
Reading around this EP seems to be on it's own as the only EP's to compare it to are unicorns or 2.5-3x the price.
Only downside is the weight....

[Don Pensack]

I lent the 12.5mm APM to a friend and he commented, unsolicited,  "the edge is brighter".

He noticed it right away.

I have seen a lot of eyepieces with EOFB, and on a scale of 10. 10 being the worst, this one is a 4--noticeable, but not so bad the eyepiece is unusable.

It is comfortable to use and quite sharp, with well-controlled field curvature and chromatic aberration.

I suggest soliciting comments from users to develop a consensus on the eyepiece.

 

[Deadlake]

15 minutes ago, Don Pensack said:

I lent the 12.5mm APM to a friend and he commented, unsolicited,  "the edge is brighter".

He noticed it right away.

I have seen a lot of eyepieces with EOFB, and on a scale of 10. 10 being the worst, this one is a 4--noticeable, but not so bad the eyepiece is unusable.

It is comfortable to use and quite sharp, with well-controlled field curvature and chromatic aberration.

I suggest soliciting comments from users to develop a consensus on the eyepiece.

 

Sure, lots of BV users are positive on this EP, e.g. denis007dl on CN. Waiting for noisejammer on CN to comeback from the desert and finish his review on this EP before making a decision. 

Edited September 10, 2021 by Deadlake

[Highburymark]

Congrats - the Maxbright II is a lovely thing. Light, excellent EP holders and the views as good as the MKV to my eyes. I also have the Zeiss Apo binoviewer and will often choose the Baader if I want a wider view.
In the range you require, I mostly use 18.2 and 11mm Delites. As others have commented, the fov seems wider than 62 degrees in a binoviewer. I don’t think you’ll find anything on the market that beats them on transmission or sharpness. But - and it’s quite a big but - they are quite wide at the top, and, without removing the eye guard, not as comfortable as some other eyepieces for binoviewing. For example I find eye positioning and comfort much improved with Panoptic 24s, or TV Plossls (at least between 11mm and 25mm). So I’d advise, if possible, trying before buying.

[Deadlake]

Anybody else used the Takhashi 18mm LE? maybe @JeremyS

Thinking about longer eye relief for other people I know to make use of the EP's.

Thanks 

[JeremyS]

18 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

Anybody else used the Takhashi 18mm LE? maybe @JeremyS

Thinking about longer eye relief for other people I know to make use of the EP's.

Thanks 

Yes, I use the LE 18s and find them comfortable although I don’t have particular ER requirements 

[callisto]

Hi all,

Don't mean to hi jack the thread...has anyone used a pair of these in a Binoviewer? 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-eyepieces/skywatcher-uwa-planetary-eyepieces.html

 

Mark

[JeremyS]

11 minutes ago, callisto said:

Hi all,

Don't mean to hi jack the thread...has anyone used a pair of these in a Binoviewer? 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-eyepieces/skywatcher-uwa-planetary-eyepieces.html

 

Mark

I haven’t Mark. I note they are quite short FL. Many ppl, including myself, find it more comfortable  to get high mags using longer FL eyepieces (which generally have better ER) with a Barlow (or GPC) in front of the binoviewer.