View with a 4mm UO ortho

[mdstuart]

Well I tried out my 4mm ortho last night. It has a very small lens and about 3mm of eye relief so no glasses and almost touching the lens to see.

BUT

What an awesome sharp clear view. I tried M13 in Hercules and it just fils the view with zillions of small stars. So amazing for x 300.

Tracking was fun as the globular cluster moved accross the FOV fairly quickly but by getting ahead of it and watching it drift accross was very pleasant.

I also tried a few doubles. I found the colour was much more obvious in this eyepiece than others. Lovely deep blues on Albeiro and that one at the end of Andromeda.

I tried M29 and again a special view. M29 filled the FOV so you knew exactly what you were looking at, other lenses you have to say that little group of stars that looks like Pleides in the centre of the view...Mind you if you want to show someone else the view you need to set the scope up so that in 30 seconds the object will be in view now thats tricky...

So folks perhaps we should start an F5 or lower eyepiece review list. The 4mm ortho which is as basic as they come was great as long as you do not want lots of eye relief or a big FOV...sharp right accross the field and it does not take up much space in your eyepeice collection.

Regards

Mark

[John]

Thats interesting feedback Mark

Good old ortho's are excellent high power eyepieces in all scopes - is yours a branded one or one of the Japanese "volcano" tops ?.

Personally I think the volcano shaped ones make the short eye relief easier to deal with as they seem to fit the same of the face a little better than the "flat tops".

John

PS: I'm based at Portishead, not far at all from yourself !.

[Doc]

I have a 4mm UO Ortho Volcanoe top and it's a pleasure to use. Very sharp on planets and the moon.

[GazOC]

I have a full set of ortho volcano tops and they are excellent eyepieces.

[mdstuart]

Mini is a volcano top as you describe. It seems we all like them..

[mike bacanin]

Hi Mark, glad you like the 4mm!

Mike

[mdstuart]

Now where can I get a 7mm one!

[Doc]

I found the best is the 12.5mm. Very sharp indeed.

[nitram100]

My 12.5 mm has always been my favourite eyepiece, so sharp and contrasty.

[SteelRat]

Voltop orthos are great for the price

[lunator]

I have a full set of orthos.

You can't beatthe performance for the price

My fav is the 12.5mm, this gives x180 in the OMC250 so the level of magnification is right for higher power views.

Cheers

Ian