Travel eyepiece setup (for 100mm Takahashi)

[Neutrinosoup]

I’m wanting to get a couple of smaller eyepieces to use with a Takahashi FC-100DC

My current hoard are mainly the excellent TV Delos which are hefty!!

Option 1 - Buy an 11mm and 5mm delite and add in my 24mm Panoptic.

Option 2 - Baader 8-24mm zoom and 5mm delite

( have a few eyepieces I never use like the 17.3mm Delos and Nagler 13mm that I would try and sell to offset the cost of two new eyepieces).

My gut tells me the 3 lens solution will be better than the zoom +1?? Also I’ve no idea if I will like delites as I’ve never used one!! ( e.g. I didn’t like Radians at all…). Plus would I be better with the 4mm rather than 5mm delite for high power? (I get nervous about small exit pupil and dimness)

Any advice welcome

NC

[Mr Spock]

You have a 24mm, so why not add a Svbony 3-8 zoom? Then you have x31, and x91 to x211.

[Stu]

If just wanting to travel light, I would take  these with mine:

3 to 6 Nagler Zoom

     or

SvBony 3 to 8mm Zoom

Leica 8.9mm to 17.8mm Zoom

24mm Panoptic

I would likely choose the SvBony vs Nag as they are very similar quality and the Sv has the extra range, although eye relief is a consistent 10mm on the Nag which is nicer.

The Leica is pricey, but in my experience equals top notch eyepieces certainly over most of the fov, and it has between 60 and 80 degrees afov so doesn’t feel too constricted. Better than the Baader too from a limited side by side I did.

There is also the APM 7.7mm to 15.4mm Zoom which is highly rated, with a fairly consistent 66 degree afov. Cheaper than the Leica but range not quite as good.

It’s worth having the 24mm Pan along as it is one of the best eyepieces out there, a little gem in my book and the Baader Zoom at 24mm wouldn’t replace it.

[Second Time Around]

In my head to head tests I found the APM 7.7-15.4mm zoom better than the Baader zoom.  Moreover the actual field of view at 15.4mm is bigger than the Baader at 24mm.

I'd then add 1 or more Barlows where the lens cell can be screwed off and screwed into the filter thread of the eyepiece.  This is because the amplification of Barlows is greater than normal with the APM zoom, particularly in 1.25 inch mode (it can be used in 2 inch mode as well).  However the APM needs more infocus than usual. I don't know how much infocus the TAK needs, but using just the cell of a Barlow it's likely fine.  Can someone please confirm?

Here are the results of some tests I did of several Barlows on the APM zoom giving the amplification factors both with just the cell and the complete Barlow.

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/782373-apm-super-zoom-eyepiece/page-45#entry13165411

[Davey-T]

I use the Leica and having tried a few others it beats them all into a top hat 😃

Dave

[John]

My choice would be similar to @Stu's except I don't have the Leica Zoom now so I'd use a Delos 14mm and an XW 10mm between the 24 Pan and the Svbony 8-3mm zoom.

 

[JeremyS]

My lightweight set that I took to the Texas eclipse ( sometimes use the Pan 24 instead of the Tak LE 24) for my Tak FC 76DCU

The Leica Zoom is impressive. Sometimes use that. 

[Paz]

My heavy set ups use Delos and Naglers and my light set ups use SLVs and NPLs.

If I'm travelling I'll take 3 or 4 eyepieces with fairly big jumps between them, typically one for a large field of view  one with a good exit pupil for deep sky (depends on how dark the skies are) and one to give about 100x as the most magnification if I've got a light mount that vibes, or more if I have a sturdier mount.

I have one of those Baader MkIV zooms but I've gone back to fixed eyepieces as taking 3 or 4 of those doesn't take up much space and I'd rather have the longer eye relief.

[Neutrinosoup]

Sorry for the slow reply to the helpful suggestions!!

My bias is that I once owned the TV 2-4mm zoom and hated it (and sold it). However this was 14? years ago and I was using from within a town (street lights) in a 72mm and 98mm refractor. I found it hard to dark adapt and the image too dim. 
I’m  now in Bortle 3 skies and a bit more experience.  I’m presuming my zoom bias is  based on using too high a magnification in that setting, plus I was brand new to astronomy??

The SvBony 3-8mm paired with my Panoptic 24mm seems a good option cost wise

or more expensive - The TV 3-6mm zoom paired with the Baader zoom (and leave my Panoptic at home).

Edited May 27 by Neutrinosoup
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