Do you have a vintage jewel?

[Louis D]

6 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

The Vixen LVW is a similar 6 element design.

Which, the 42mm?  The rest are 7 or 8 element negative/positive designs as far as I can recollect.

6 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

As the Wild design preceded the Panoptic by 30 years I think you meant the Panoptic is reminiscent of the Wild design

The only non-Nagler patent cited by Al in that patent application was for the Scidmore.  I thought he might have cited the Wild design, but he didn't.

Edited February 22, 2022 by Louis D

[Don Pensack]

Here are the Japanese company's specs for the LVWs:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/445618-how-many-elements-in-a-vixen-lvw/?p=5767670

5,6,7, or 8 lenses.

[Louis D]

So, the 22mm LVW could conceivably be similar to a Panoptic design (4 groups, 6 elements):

I wonder if anyone ever did a shootout between it and the 22mm Panoptic. 🤔

[F15Rules]

A classic "jewel" from a classic, now discontinued range..

Just great on doubles, planets and lunar (x173 in my FS128). Also barlows really well, giving me x346 on very good night's...it's the UK's seeing, not the scope/ eyepiece combination that limits the power that can be used.

I used to have several other BGO's.. 9mm, 12.5 and 18mm..all great performers..and NO undercuts!👍

Dave

Edited February 22, 2022 by F15Rules

[HollyHound]

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

A classic "jewel" from a classic, now discontinued range..

I used to have several other BGO's.. 9mm, 12.5 and 18mm..all great performers..and NO undercuts!

Nice one 👍

Love mine and wish I had more… a really lovely eyepiece 😀

Edited February 22, 2022 by HollyHound

[mikeDnight]

This morning I received from Starman53 a 32mm Celestron Erfle, which is an identical match to the one I already have. These are really little jewels, and can run rings around more pricey name brands from high end suppliers.  Obviously these two will now be used as a binoviewer pair, and should be sweet in my 6" F10. 

[Saganite]

Good result Mike...👍

[Louis D]

3 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

This morning I received from Starman53 a 32mm Celestron Erfle, which is an identical match to the one I already have. These are really little jewels, and can run rings around more pricey name brands from high end suppliers.  Obviously these two will now be used as a binoviewer pair, and should be sweet in my 6" F10. 

Is that a circle-V maker mark for Vixen I spy on the Celestron?  Vixen sure did make a lot of really good eyepieces back in the day.

[F15Rules]

4 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Is that a circle-V maker mark for Vixen I spy on the Celestron?  Vixen sure did make a lot of really good eyepieces back in the day.

Yep, it is indeed👍.

Vixen made a lot of stuff for Celestron back then, including a version of their classic SP102 F10 refractors and GP mounts.

Dave

[mikeDnight]

44 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Is that a circle-V maker mark for Vixen I spy on the Celestron?  Vixen sure did make a lot of really good eyepieces back in the day.

Thanks for pointing that tiny detail out Hawkeyed Louis.   I hadn't seen that, as I was just thrilled to find a matching eyepiece.  I fell in love with the first 32mm Erfle, which belonged to a friend at the time, after it gave a better observing experience and sharper stars across the field than my 30mm Tak LE which cost a relative fortune.  

[wookie1965]

47 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

Yep, it is indeed👍.

Vixen made a lot of stuff for Celestron back then, including a version of their classic SP102 F10 refractors and GP mounts.

Dave

I have one of those SP102 and these two eyepieces.

[Alan White]

On 19/02/2022 at 20:44, mikeDnight said:

I'd truly love to get my hands on an authentic Zeiss Astroplanar.

So would I, but somehow I would think this unlikely to happen.

[Don Pensack]

I'm not sure  I remember exactly the several hundred post thread on Cloudy Nights back in 2002-2005, but I don't think Zeiss actually produced the Astroplanokular.

It appeared after WWII as a product licensed to Ohi Optics (Masuyama).

As late as ten to 15 years ago Kasai Trading in Japan was selling the Kasai Astroplan eyepiece, also from Ohi Optics,

with the same internal design as the Astroplanokular of Zeiss.

[markse68]

I didn’t buy these- they were originally from a printing machine apparently.

 

[Pixies]

On 23/02/2022 at 13:08, mikeDnight said:

This morning I received from Starman53 a 32mm Celestron Erfle, which is an identical match to the one I already have. These are really little jewels, and can run rings around more pricey name brands from high end suppliers.  Obviously these two will now be used as a binoviewer pair, and should be sweet in my 6" F10. 

The one of the left looks like a mini-me version of an old 2" Circle-V I used to have:

 

[GavStar]

The Vixen lvw22 was my first quality eyepiece bought about 10 years ago. It’s so comfortable to observe with, I bought some others as a result. 
I’ve not used these for ages, but I think I should try them out again. 

[Mr Spock]

7 minutes ago, GavStar said:

The Vixen lvw22 was my first quality eyepiece bought about 10 years ago. It’s so comfortable to observe with, I bought some others as a result. 
I’ve not used these for ages, but I think I should try them out again. 

 

I have the 17mm too, but not the 5mm. I'd love to find one, then that space where the Barlow is can be more effectively utilised 😜

Oh, and there's a vintage Meade 4000 32mm Plössl in there too! Lovely crisp views from that.

[MalcolmM]

I have no 'vintage' jewels having only recently got into this hobby in earnest but I tend to keep things I like so I'm hoping some of my Tak eyepieces will become jewels in 20 years time

I do note however that Tak eyepieces do not seem to have the same devoted following as the telescopes.

Malcolm

[part timer]

Blimey, I think all my eyepieces are 'vintage' .

 

Wouldn't change any of them for the world though!

The big one is ex military 36mm very wide field, and my only 2". got it years ago at Leeds astromeet (also now defunct!). It doesnt have an eyecup so I tend to use a large LEGO tyre! (picture included!). Looks bonkers, but works really well and is almost made to measure.

Some others came from here. Seem to recall buying the 10.5 from F15?

The !.25" set are :- Tal 25mm, TV Plossls in 17, 13 and 10.5 and a Baader Ortho.

 

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by part timer
spelling!

[part timer]

Sorry but you can't not see the tyre!

Edited May 17, 2022 by part timer

[markse68]

I recently completed my vintage nagler collection with this 7mm- it’s a beauty! Been after one for years now narrowly missing a couple stateside. It’ll sit next to it’s 4.8mm brother which is superb. I’ve got the other more common longer couple but find them a bit of a pain to use with their SAEP but these 2 shorties are very useable and very sharp. Looking forward to comparing the views on the planets with the 7XW which is my goto planetary ep later this year.

Mark

[mikeDnight]

2 hours ago, markse68 said:

I recently completed my vintage nagler collection with this 7mm- it’s a beauty! Been after one for years now narrowly missing a couple stateside. It’ll sit next to it’s 4.8mm brother which is superb. I’ve got the other more common longer couple but find them a bit of a pain to use with their SAEP but these 2 shorties are very useable and very sharp. Looking forward to comparing the views on the planets with the 7XW which is my goto planetary ep later this year.

Mark

The 7mm smooth Nagler was my first Nagler eyepiece, and in my view optically better than the version that followed it.  Back in 2003 I made all my observational sketches of Mars using that 7mm Nagler, which gave me 148X in my Tak FS128. It was a stunning combination. The entire Moon fit into the field of view with room to spare, which at 148X was quite impressive. I wish I'd never sold it, but I have a habit of making dumb decisions.

 

[markse68]

19 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

The 7mm smooth Nagler was my first Nagler eyepiece, and in my view optically better than the version that followed it.  Back in 2003 I made all my observational sketches of Mars using that 7mm Nagler, which gave me 148X in my Tak FS128. It was a stunning combination. The entire Moon fit into the field of view with room to spare, which at 148X was quite impressive. I wish I'd never sold it, but I have a habit of making dumb decisions.

 

I think the secret is to never sell eyepieces Mike - I just put them in boxes till its their time again  That's good to hear though- I haven't had much chance to look through it yet but I do really like the 4.8 despite its lack of eye relief and the 2 of them are so cute and small- very jewel like. Maybe another will turn up for you soon- hope so

Mark

[mikeDnight]

2 hours ago, markse68 said:

I think the secret is to never sell eyepieces Mike - I just put them in boxes till its their time again  That's good to hear though- I haven't had much chance to look through it yet but I do really like the 4.8 despite its lack of eye relief and the 2 of them are so cute and small- very jewel like. Maybe another will turn up for you soon- hope so

Mark

That's sound advice Mark. And it would be nice if another 7mm smooth Nagler turns up again one day. 

[Highburymark]

How often do we read that modern coatings make the difference between today’s eyepieces and those of previous generations? And yet many of the jewels pictured in this thread seem to more than hold their own against current offerings.