Meade 3000 series

[Moon-Monkey]

Good afternoon gang does anybody use the 3000 series meade plossls ? I have been on the search to try and find some but would like some opinions on anyone who has or does use them many thanks Phill 

[graham56]

i still use the 3000 series 40mm plossl in a max bright2  narrow field but crystal clear ,27mm field stop so no vignetting a lot better than the 4000 series imho

[graham56]

got a pair off 3000 series 25mm plossls as well, really good, as well for what you pay second hand can't go wrong

[Moon-Monkey]

Yes inwill

hopefully have a 40mm soon still looking for a 25 and a mid range something about 16mm I think ?? Good to know you rate them and I’m not going crazy in my old age 

[Moon-Monkey]

28 minutes ago, graham56 said:

got a pair off 3000 series 25mm plossls as well, really good, as well for what you pay second hand can't go wrong

Assuredly this is for bino viewing ??

[Louis D]

5 hours ago, graham56 said:

i still use the 3000 series 40mm plossl in a max bright2  narrow field but crystal clear ,27mm field stop so no vignetting a lot better than the 4000 series imho

Which 4000 series?  The original Japanese 5 element smoothies, the same in a rubber grip barrel, or the various 4 element Chinese made versions?  Don't quote me, but I think there was even a Japanese made 4 element version.

[Moon-Monkey]

7 hours ago, Louis D said:

Which 4000 series?  The original Japanese 5 element smoothies, the same in a rubber grip barrel, or the various 4 element Chinese made versions?  Don't quote me, but I think there was even a Japanese made 4 element version.

If I’m correct the Japanese smoothies were a pseudo- masuyama design they also did a more conventional 4 element from Japan which was also very nice and above average . The China and Taiwan versions (4 element) were ok but nothing special as far as I’ve read however having never tried any side by side I’m quoting others not personal experience 🙂

[RT65CB-SWL]

I have a series 4000 / 8.8mm UWA ‘smoothie’ and it is damn good!

[Moon-Monkey]

20 minutes ago, Philip R said:

I have a series 4000 / 8.8mm UWA ‘smoothie’ and it is damn good!

Now that’s something I’d like to try !!! Wowza bet it’s amazing for planetary 

[graham56]

topic seems to have side tracked on to the 4000,s  my 3000,s are all smoothsides. i still keep my 6.7 and 4.7 4000 smoothsides having let go the 14 uwa and 8.8  if you can try find yourself celestron ultimas 30mm really nice ,i have a pair

[Moon-Monkey]

2 minutes ago, graham56 said:

topic seems to have side tracked on to the 4000,s  my 3000,s are all smoothsides. i still keep my 6.7 and 4.7 4000 smoothsides having let go the 14 uwa and 8.8  if you can try find yourself celestron ultimas 30mm really nice ,i have a pair

I lost out on a 40mm 3000 series last night so today I’m sad 😞 lol oh well I’m sure I will pick some of these up soon currently I only have the 6.7mm 3000 and it’s absolutely on point !!!!! 

[Louis D]

Does anyone know if the 3000 series was intended as a value line by Meade?  Was it ever repackaged into a rubber grip barrel like the 4000 line?  I wonder if the later 4 element 4000 series was really a repackaged 3000 series.

[Ceramus]

I've had a 25mm, 16mm and 9.5mm Mead 3000 for many years now and still use them. I find them better than my 6.4 mm 4000.

[Moon-Monkey]

1 hour ago, Ceramus said:

I've had a 25mm, 16mm and 9.5mm Mead 3000 for many years now and still use them. I find them better than my 6.4 mm 4000.

Yes I posted a wanted add on here for exactly those I know a lot of people don’t particularly find them amazing but the 3000’s were particularly sharp so I’m told and I wnat them for double star and solar observing so field of view isn’t as important to me 🙂

[Moon-Monkey]

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

Does anyone know if the 3000 series was intended as a value line by Meade?  Was it ever repackaged into a rubber grip barrel like the 4000 line?  I wonder if the later 4 element 4000 series was really a repackaged 3000 series.

The original 4000 series was a 5 element then a jap 4 element and then went to China so perhaps it was seen as that at the time but they were good plossls 

[Don Pensack]

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

Does anyone know if the 3000 series was intended as a value line by Meade?  Was it ever repackaged into a rubber grip barrel like the 4000 line?  I wonder if the later 4 element 4000 series was really a repackaged 3000 series.

Yes, it was intended to be a value line for Meade.  They never had rubber grippers around the exterior.

Like the 4000 Series, the first ones had no rubber eyecups but the later ones did.

I don't think Meade brought then in very long because they disappeared about the same time Meade started bringing in the Series 5000 eyepieces from Jing Hua.

The Series 4000 "Super Plössls" had maybe 7 or 8 different versions, the first 3 from Japan: 5 element no rubber eyecup, 5 element with rubber eyecup, and 4 element with rubber eyecup.

When the S4000 became the "value line", the S3000 disappeared.

[graham56]

i beg to differ I've got 2 40mm 3000s with rubber grip and 1 25mm with a rubber grip

[graham56]

it seems the 40mm and 25 had rubber grips and lower focal lengths had none, weird

[Steve]

I started my astronomy hobby with a number of made in Japan Series 3000 Plossl eyepieces. They were very nice. Cheap too! Manufacturing later moved to China. I hear Chinese-made versions were not quite as good as Japanese-made but I never had an opportunity to compare so cannot confirm. Mine had rubber grips. 

HTH

[Louis D]

A Japanese made Meade 4000 4-element vs 3000 comparison would seem interesting.  I wonder what distinguished them from each other.

[Don Pensack]

I never saw one with a rubber gripper on it.

The rubber grip ring sticks out beyond the barrel on that eyepiece, i.e. there isn't a machined groove for it, so I wonder if the factory added them later upon request?

The 25mm in the image has no rubber grip ring on it.  Did it break off?

It also looks like the longer one had a rubber eyecup at one time that might have fallen off from age, maybe?

[graham56]

don the  one the left is a 25 mm  3000 later model  with the rubber eyecup removed ,   the one on the right is the early smoothside (japan) .the 2 40mm 3000s  have rubber grips as well looks like they have not been added later both japan

[graham56]

you can say it,s a poor mans black and green

[Moon-Monkey]

1 hour ago, graham56 said:

you can say it,s a poor mans black and green

Ok so I’m noticing a lot of people with pairs of these 3000’s are you all using them to binoview then ?? I can’t even find a single anywhere of any FL apart from 6.7mm (of which I own) 🤦‍♂️🤣

[graham56]

yes i use mine solely for Bino viewing ,super sharp field stop , moon monkey most people who have them tend to keep hold off them