A new wide field eyepiece - 19mm Panoptic or 18mm Radian?

[neilmack]

I have convinced myself that by foregoing unnecessary luxuries like food I can afford one really good eyepiece in the 18mm-19mm focal length range for the new season. Candidates are the Panoptic 19mm and the Radian 18mm. Which would suit my f/6 apo better?

Many thanks

Neil

[ollypenrice]

I don't know the 18 Radian but have the 10. I have a 19 Panoptic though, and it is the most used EP in the box. It's an absolute peach in all our scopes from 20 inch f4.1 to little apos. I would describe the view through the Panoptic as somehow more engaging than that of the Radian. The field is a bit wider and the view feels really alive. However, if you need long eye relief the Radian is the one, I'd have thought.

Olly.

[roundycat]

Ditto the above. I read a review that said the 19mm Pan will be the eyepiece you always reach for first. I don't do much staring at stars but if I do the Panoptic is the first one out of the box.

Dennis

[John]

I used to have a 24mm Panoptic and it was SUPERB. I've no reason to believe that the 19mm is any less good. The Radian would only be the better choice if you wear glasses when observing becuse it's eye relief is much longer than the Panoptic.

John

[neilmack]

A consensus in favour of the Panoptic!

Thanks for the help chaps.

[iancandler]

Definatly the panoptic and as luck would have it, I'm selling mine and a few other eyepieces ideal for your scope, sadly I have to give up visual astronomy now, but suffice to say the 19mm panoptic got used every session.

[Ben Ritchie]

Another vote for the Panoptic from me, I loved the 24mm too and wish i'd held on to it ... one of those "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" eyepieces. The 19mm is equally good, the 15mm Pan was the only one I didn't really like as the eye relief became a bit short.

I'm not much of a Radian fan, they're good eyepieces but overpriced (IMHO) for what they are.

[James]

Pretty much echoing what others have said, if you need the long eye relief go for the Radian, otherwise the Panoptic for the wider field.

However, my neighbour has a 18mm Radian and I must admit it's a real pleasure to use. It seems to me that the Radians for some reason are very underrated.

James