"Planetary" wide-field EP for an f/5 dob?

[cajen2]

I've decided I need a good-quality low-focal-length eyepiece for planetary viewing. I want the widest possible fov with the longest-possible eye relief 🙄 (I know, I know). With my f/5 dob, high mags mean lots of nudging and frustration.

I've had a look at specs from all sorts of manufacturers and it seems a toss-up between ES 82 Deg 4.7mm and Baader Morpheus 4.5mil. Obviously, the Baader is a lot more cash....

Which would you EP experts choose? Or maybe you have another option?

[mikeDnight]

Pentax XW's at 5mm & 3.5mm immediately jump to mind. They are excellent planetary eyepieces with 70° apparent fields. 

Edited December 23, 2021 by mikeDnight

[vlaiv]

Es82 and longest possible eye relief should not be used in the same sentence

You say widest possible FOV - have you seen this:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p9306_APM---Lunt-XWA-5-mm-110--x-treme-Wide-Angle-Eyepiece--2--1-25-.html

 

[Louis D]

Aside from the APM/Lunt/WO 110 degree 3.5mm and 4.77mm/5mm eyepieces mentioned above, I would go with the 3.5mm/5mm Pentax XWs or Morpheus 4.5mm.  The XWs and Morpheus are very eyeglass friendly.  However, if you don't mind tipping your head and rotating it to capture the view from edge to edge, you could probably make the 110s work for you for planetary viewing.

[Mr Spock]

Have you thought about an EQ platform? Maybe a cheaper option than a couple of premium wide field eyepieces 

[cajen2]

20 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Have you thought about an EQ platform? Maybe a cheaper option than a couple of premium wide field eyepieces 

Great idea...but I still need higher mags than I have.

[vlaiv]

2 minutes ago, cajen2 said:

Great idea...but I still need higher mags than I have.

Well, if you get eq platform, then you can choose any of these:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/vixen-eyepieces/vixen-slv-eyepieces.html

excellent sharpness and great ER (20mm)

Only drawback is AFOV but that is not issue with tracking mount

If you can stretch the budget, then of course, check out these:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/tele-vue-eyepieces/tele-vue-delite-62-degree-eyepieces.html

wider AFOV and of course excellent sharpness and eye relief

[Don Pensack]

My double star/Neptune/Uranus/small planetary eyepieces are the TeleVue Ethos SX in 4.7mm and 3.7mm.

Superbly sharp and I can watch the object drift across nearly the entire field before nudging the scope (almost a full minute at 495x in the 3.7mm).

I also own the 3-4-5-7mm Delites and they are fine, but the longer drift time in the Ethos SX makes observing at high powers very easy.

I wear glasses to obseve with 9mm or longer focal lengths, but not that at that small an exit pupil.

Edited December 23, 2021 by Don Pensack

[cajen2]

2 hours ago, vlaiv said:

Es82 and longest possible eye relief should not be used in the same sentence

You say widest possible FOV - have you seen this:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p9306_APM---Lunt-XWA-5-mm-110--x-treme-Wide-Angle-Eyepiece--2--1-25-.html

 

Um, the eye relief quoted for the 4.7mil is 13.6mm. Is that overly optimistic in your view? Not as good as the 20mm for the Morpheus, of course.

Thanks everyone for your ideas. Please keep them coming.👍

[Don Pensack]

1 minute ago, cajen2 said:

Um, the eye relief quoted for the 4.7mil is 13.6mm. Is that overly optimistic in your view? Not as good as the 20mm for the Morpheus, of course.

Thanks everyone for your ideas. Please keep them coming.👍

Well, if you need glasses at the short focal lengths, then look for 18mm+ eye relief.

But if you don't, 13.6mm is OK.

[cajen2]

2 minutes ago, Don Pensack said:

My double star/Neptune/Uranus/small planetary eyepieces are the TeleVue Ethos SX in 4.7mm and 3.7mm.

Superbly sharp and I can watch the object drift across nearly the entire field before nudging the scope (almost a full minute at 495x in the 3.7mm).

I also own the 3-4-5-7mm Delites and they are fine, but the longer drift time in the Ethos SX makes observing at high powers very easy.

The Ethos at £600-odd is just a smidgen over my budget!😥

[Don Pensack]

9 minutes ago, cajen2 said:

The Ethos at £600-odd is just a smidgen over my budget!😥

Then the equivalent APM XWA in 4.7mm (labeled 5mm) and 3.5mm, both 110°.

[cajen2]

16 minutes ago, Don Pensack said:

Then the equivalent APM XWA in 4.7mm (labeled 5mm) and 3.5mm, both 110°.

Good shout, Don, if again expensive....!😄

[cajen2]

The best compromise to me seems the Morpheus:

76deg fov, 20mm eye relief, and the cheapest of the expensive ones! 🤔😄

[cajen2]

The APM 5mm works out at about £245 imported by my calculations. Eye relief 15mm.

[cajen2]

Hmmm....RVO have the Williams Optics version at £199....I assume it's the same?

[vlaiv]

1 hour ago, cajen2 said:

Um, the eye relief quoted for the 4.7mil is 13.6mm. Is that overly optimistic in your view?

I have 11mm and 6.7mm and although ER is listed at being 15.5mm give or take - it is no where near that - at least that is my subjective feel.

That is probably only shortcoming of ES82 11mm - recessed eye lens and the fact that I often touch eye lens with my eyelashes and leave grease that later scatters light and need to be cleaned off.

Due to construction - 12mm Plossl somehow feels more comfortable to view thru (smaller eye lens and no chance of ramming eye lashes into it) and it has probably around 8mm of ER.

[Mr Spock]

Price of an ethos = EQ platform, plus a couple of SLVs or a box full of Plössls/Orthos 

[Don Pensack]

On 23/12/2021 at 13:34, cajen2 said:

Good shout, Don, if again expensive....!😄

Well, if the Ethos was a smidgeon over budget, the APM XWA would be within budget, and approximately 2 for 1 in price.

If that is too expensive, well, there are a myriad of cheaper options.

[Highburymark]

On 23/12/2021 at 21:42, cajen2 said:

The APM 5mm works out at about £245 imported by my calculations. Eye relief 15mm.

If you’re in the UK, Astrograph sells the APM range. Despite supposedly giving up large eyepieces a few years ago, I’ve just bought the 20mm for well under a third the cost of the 21mm Ethos. 

[cajen2]

Yes, thanks Don - the APM is now on my shortlist, though finding a UK stockist is a trifle tricky. Some places have it on their website but not in stock.

RVO hope to see some WO ones by the end of January. Otherwise, I might just go for the Morpheus.

Edited December 24, 2021 by cajen2

[cajen2]

2 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

If you’re in the UK, Astrograph sells the APM range. Despite supposedly giving up large eyepieces a few years ago, I’ve just bought the 20mm for well under a third the cost of the 21mm Ethos. 

Sorry, Mark, we typed simultaneously. Have you got a link for Astrograph? All I get is an astrology site!🤢

[cajen2]

Nobody has told me, but is the Williams Optics version exactly the same as the APM?

[cajen2]

22 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Price of an ethos = EQ platform, plus a couple of SLVs or a box full of Plössls/Orthos 

Quite.

Well, I decided to get a decent-quality EP first and then start saving for the platform.

Edited December 24, 2021 by cajen2

[Highburymark]

11 minutes ago, cajen2 said:

Sorry, Mark, we typed simultaneously. Have you got a link for Astrograph? All I get is an astrology site!🤢

Sure - astrograph.net