Heads up on a Vixen 2" 30mm

[Louis D]

4 hours ago, Froeng said:

This is a very interesting discussion. It highlights the subjectivity of each observer’s personal impression.

I did a direct comparison of the old LV30 and the new NLVW30 in a friend’s C11. The only significant difference to my eye was the slightly wider field of view.

Thinking further about this - it may have to do with my eyesight, as I have astigmatism. I am wearing glasses that correct for this while observing. Maybe the glasses level out the optical differences? Or maybe the view could be sharper in either of the eyepieces…?

Thank you for all input.

Frank

Or maybe it was the use of an f/10 system to make the comparison that leveled out the differences?  Had you made the comparison in f/6 or faster scopes, your impressions might have been different.

[Louis D]

4 hours ago, Franklin said:

I sold mine about 6 months ago, it was too long for my scopes and light pollution conditions here. Big chunky eyepiece!

 

I was thinking for use in my Mak to get to a 50mm/12 ~= 4mm exit pupil.

I wonder why the 45° AFOV?  55/56mm Plossls have 50° AFOVs.  Perhaps it's design was some sort of Abbe orthoscopic variant?

[Franklin]

1 minute ago, Louis D said:

I wonder why the 45° AFOV?

Not sure, but the LV30 was 60deg.

[Froeng]

3 minutes ago, Louis D said:

I was thinking for use in my Mak to get to a 50mm/12 ~= 4mm exit pupil.

I wonder why the 45° AFOV?  55/56mm Plossls have 50° AFOVs.  Perhaps it's design was some sort of Abbe orthoscopic variant?

I don't think the 45° is correct. It appears more like 50-55° to me...

[Franklin]

8 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Or maybe it was the use of an f/10 system to make the comparison that leveled out the differences?  Had you made the comparison in f/6 or faster scopes, your impressions might have been different.

True, I've had all the above mentioned eyepieces in the A80M @ f/11.4 at some time or other and they all worked well, but in the faster SD scopes not so good. That's why they got moved on and I kept the LVW42 as my low/widefield.

[Franklin]

4 minutes ago, Froeng said:

I don't think the 45° is correct. It appears more like 50-55° to me...

Not sure, all I remember was that the LV50 was quite a bit narrower than the LV30 and also the LV50 had huge eye relief which meant I had to hover my eye above the eye guard causing blackouts. I think both these eyepieces would be better suited to a big, slow reflector of some sort, rather than my small refractors.

[Froeng]

Thought I'd post a family picture... (including the black sheep 40mm Axiom):

[Froeng]

8 minutes ago, Franklin said:

Not sure, all I remember was that the LV50 was quite a bit narrower than the LV30 and also the LV50 had huge eye relief which meant I had to hover my eye above the eye guard causing blackouts. I think both these eyepieces would be better suited to a big, slow reflector of some sort, rather than my small refractors.

Sorry I mixed this up. The original LV50 had indeed a very narrow FOV, the newer NLV50 is more like 53-55°. Both NLV50 and NLVW30 work well in f/10 scopes - in my experience.

[Froeng]

NLV50 de-cloaked

Yes - the actual eyepiece is the tiny black thing!

[Franklin]

3 minutes ago, Froeng said:

the newer NLV50 is more like 53-55°

I've not seen that one before, I know they made an LV40mm with a 45deg field, but that was in the 1.25" size and quite rare so I've been told.

[Franklin]

54 minutes ago, Froeng said:

Thought I'd post a family picture... (including the black sheep 40mm Axiom):

 

Ooh, Vixen family photos, nice. Here's mine,