Which eyepieces should I go for?

[kelly324]

I’m currently looking to buy my first set of eyepieces, but my budget isn’t very high and i’m torn between these two (both by svbony)

It isn’t stated on the website, but the first set has a field of view of 42degrees

Thank you for your help 

https://www.svbony.com/plossl-eyepiece-kit/

https://www.svbony.com/68-degree-eyepieces/#F9152A-F9152B-F9152C-F9152D

 

EDIT:

I completely forgot to state my telescope, it’s the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130m

Edited December 27, 2022 by kelly324

[PeterCPC]

I only do imaging but I think that it would help if you said what telescope you will be using.

[Franklin]

BST Starguiders are an excellent first upgrade. 60deg Fov, good eye-relief and available in many focal lengths (you don't need them all). Around £50-£60 new but can be picked up used for around £35. I used the 25mm, 12mm, 8mm and 5mm and they served me well.

[Mr Spock]

You don't need an eyepiece kit, a few well aimed focal lengths would be better. 

I'd suggest a 25mm, an 8mm and a x2 Barlow. That would give you x26, x52, x81, x163.

As suggested, the BST range is excellent value for money. From your links, I'm guessing you are in the US? In the US the eyepieces are known as Astro-Tech Paradigms and Agena Starguiders. Available for around $75 each.

[ollypenrice]

I totally agree with Michael. A smaller number of better eyepieces beats a larger number of more rudimentary ones. In my main visual scope I have just two eyepieces. Yes, I'd like a third but the one I'd like is about 500 dollars so it will have to wait for a moment of folly!

It is also better to concentrate on looking rather than finesse about which EP to use.

Olly

[Ricochet]

As above, eyepiece sets are generally not a good deal as you end up paying for extra eyepieces that you don't need. I would suggest that you look at buying the following eyepieces:

1. A finder eyepiece, typically with an exit pupil of around 5mm. For your f6.92 scope that gives 6.92x5 = 35mm. The best match here is a 32mm Plossl (with an apparent field of ~50°) which gives the widest true field possible for a 1.25" eyepiece. Any brand in your budget will a good choice here.
2. A main DSO eyepiece with an exit pupil in the range 2-2.5mm, so an eyepiece in the range of 14-17mm. I would recommend that most of your budget goes on this eyepiece as it is the one you will probably spend most of your time using. I don't recommend the 68° 15mm from your second link as I've used one and it was terrible. The rest of the range are supposed to be better though. A 15mm Starguider (under any branding) would be a nice comfortable choice. If you can stretch to it the 16mm from what we know as the OVL Nirvana range would be a great choice. At the cheaper end of the scale a 15mm Plossl would should still have a comfortable enough eye relief whilst still giving a good view.
3. A lunar and planetary eyepiece. Again, I'm going to suggest something that might be above budget, and that I haven't used, which is the new SVBony 3-8mm zoom. Early reports are quite promising and it would give you the ability to dial in the exact magnification that gives the best view for each object. You will probably only need the 5-8mm section with your telescope but having that extra magnification if you want to use it won't hurt.

The good thing about these not being a set is that you don't have to buy all of them at once, so where they are over your budget you can buy one or two now and then save up for the rest at a later date. Personally, I think I would start with 1 and 2 and then save for 3, although Jupiter and Mars are quite well placed at the moment.

[Ed the Fox]

I have a 130m and apart from the standard eyepieces I have an 8mm and 15mm BST Starguider eyepieces. They are an amazing addition for your 130m.

My next purchases will be a 32mm plossl for wide angle open cluster viewing and a 6mm planetary eyepiece. I personally would not go any less than 6mm as you'd really be pushing the 130m to its limits unless you are in bortle 1 skies.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Ed the Fox

[Mart29]

7 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

You don't need an eyepiece kit, a few well aimed focal lengths would be better. 

I'd suggest a 25mm, an 8mm and a x2 Barlow. That would give you x26, x52, x81, x163.

As suggested, the BST range is excellent value for money. From your links, I'm guessing you are in the US? In the US the eyepieces are known as Astro-Tech Paradigms and Agena Starguiders. Available for around $75 each.

Definitely agree, I only use 3 eyepieces and 1 barlow.  They cover pretty much everything.  I use Celestron zoom , TeleVu 11mm and Celestron Edge HD 10mm with x2 Omni barlow. 

I will add a 7mm TeleVu this year.  But that's all I will ever need in eyepieces. 

[Mart29]

8 hours ago, kelly324 said:

I’m currently looking to buy my first set of eyepieces, but my budget isn’t very high and i’m torn between these two (both by svbony)

It isn’t stated on the website, but the first set has a field of view of 42degrees

Thank you for your help 

https://www.svbony.com/plossl-eyepiece-kit/

https://www.svbony.com/68-degree-eyepieces/#F9152A-F9152B-F9152C-F9152D

 

EDIT:

I completely forgot to state my telescope, it’s the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130m

Don't buy a kit , a couple of decent with a good barlow is all you need. My kit is ridiculous small and all I need ! Will add a 7mm TeleVu soon but thats it.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Mart29

[Mr Spock]

Although I have many eyepieces, I only take a few out with me for a session. I seem to be a collector these days 

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi @kelly324 and welcome to SGL. 

Another that says: "Forget about an eyepiece kit/set!"

42deg FOV is not a lot. Generally Plossl are 50deg, Ortho's are 46deg. 

As previously mentioned above by other SGL'ers, BST Starguider's... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html - They are quite generous in the AFOV and eye-relief departments.

Slightly cheaper are the Vixen NPL's... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/vixen-eyepieces/vixen-npl-eyepieces.html

If you want to push the 'boat out' then there is no harm in getting a zoom e/p. SVBONY do zoom e/p's too and the 8-24mm is not to bad apparently. I think it is model number: SV171.

At the time of writing, I purchased the SVBONY SV215, a 3-8mm zoom at the end of October [2022] and was delivered at the beginning of December [2022]. I have not yet had chance to use due to work, cloudy skies, etc. It is going to be interesting to see how it compares against my TeleVue Nagler 3-6mm zoom and I shall and will look forward to using them. All I am going to say at this point is the SV215 zoom is going to give the Nagler zoom some serious competition.

Edited December 28, 2022 by Philip R

[Ratlet]

8 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

You don't need an eyepiece kit, a few well aimed focal lengths would be better. 

I'd suggest a 25mm, an 8mm and a x2 Barlow. That would give you x26, x52, x81, x163.

As suggested, the BST range is excellent value for money. From your links, I'm guessing you are in the US? In the US the eyepieces are known as Astro-Tech Paradigms and Agena Starguiders. Available for around $75 each.

I think the 130m is a 900mm focal length rather than 650mm focal length @Mr Spock.  I only say this because I have the 130pds which is a 650mm focal length.

For OP just swap out the 8mm for a 12mm starguider and you'll get the high power.  There isn't a lower power eyepiece from BST than 25mm, but I'd say still get it.  My most used (by a gigantic margin) eyepiece is a 32mm plossl and the 25mm BST gives almost the exact same fov as the 25mm BST.

I'm a 6 month noob but I've gotten this far and not felt the need to get another eyepiece till now using this combination of fields of view/magnification with an x2 Barlow, 8mm starguider and 32mm plossl.  Heck I don't even Barlow the 32mm because the eye relieve is too long for me so if you get 25mm starguider you'll basically have an extra eyepiece over me!

Fun fact as well, the after 6 months of observing the first eyepiece I bought gave me x55 power which is almost exactly what I was missing from Mr Spock's recommendation.

Get the 12mm and the 25mm Starguider/paradigms and an x2 Barlow.  If you already have a Barlow see how it works before buying a new barlow.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Ratlet

[Joef]

I replaced my stock eyepieces for BST Starguiders, a 12mm and a 5mm, I found them to be a big difference to the supplied eps, and wearing glasses found them to be ideal. 

[jjohnson3803]

I have 15mm and 25mm Paradigms / Starguiders / Whatevers and I find them to be a good value for the price - about US$65 now IIRC.  Relatively wide fields and good eye relief since I wear glasses while observing.

I also have a couple of Vixen SLVs and IMO they're noticeably better, but they do cost 3X as much as the Paradigms.

I'm about to order an Astronomics PF 10.5mm to try in my little 50mm finder-turned-refractor.  They're not definitely not premium EPs, but have received some good reviews.  

Good luck!

Edited December 29, 2022 by jjohnson3803