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Vixen NPL Plössl eyepieces


starscy

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Ah Ha - well strange you ask that as I am testing out (inadvertently) that very choice right now.

I wanted a wider angle EP for my Mak and Have tried a Celestron standard Plossl (e-lux), a Sky-Watcher SP and currently have a Vixen NPL in 30mm to try out.

So whats good ? Well I havent had much eyetime with them. The Celestron is about what I would expect its ok - neither good nor bad, pretty standard fare really. The Sky-Watcher SP I tried was a 40mm and the Mak didnt like it much - kidney beaned badly which was more to do with the scope than the EP. The EP was very well made, looked solid enough and doubtless in a different scope or a smaller focal length EP would have been nice. Its coatings seemd ok and the views it rendered were quite good when not kidney beaning all over. Nice crisp view I thought. Better than a standard Celestron I think.

The NPL I have got today - the coatings look very good on it but the construction seems a bit wimpy to me - it seems quite plasticy. I havent had a chance to view with it so the acid test is yet to come.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Still havent tried it out - been a bit busy of late. The NPL is mostly metal but the twict up bit is a rather tacky placky - the overall feel is nowhere near as nice as the SkyWatcher ones - I am hoping the views will be better though.

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  • 3 months later...

Ahh sorry thought I had posted about the NPL on another thread. Heres a mini review of three wide angled eyepieces in the budget market.

Celestron Omni 32mm - sound, low price eyepiece. Better than what you get with mostt scopes and as a starter eyepiece rather good. Views were ok and all round good for the money.

TAL 25mm (Series II). Available from time to time at silly money which belies its performance. Usually only sold by the unitiated or by people who have build up a collection of them from TAL-mania. The 25mm is beautifully made, solid as a rock and the views are crystal. Its as good a 25mm in 1.25" as you will find at even double the price.

Skywatcher SP Plossl in 32mm - well made, beautifully finished. Better than the Celestron in its views (at least I thought so), good contrast and lens coatings looked better than the Celestron. I quite liked it and at £19 its a bargain. Slight kidney tendency.

Vixen NPL in 32mm. Casing is a bit tack and plastic. Twist up eyecup is comfortable but feels fragile. Not sure it would take much rough handling. Eyerelief is good and twist up eyecup makes the long eye relief easy to cope with. Coatings on the lens are the best of the batch tested. Views probably the best. Deep contrast and good sharp images.

Overall -

All of the eyepieces delivered acceptable results for the money they cost. The TAL and the Vixen were slightly sharper but the Vixen had the best contrast. What would I buy - well I DID buy the NPL and the TAL. The skywatcher went back and the Celestron was on loan. If I was going to keep just one I would probably keep the Vixen. I'm a bit nervous about its fragile build quality but the views were easily the best.

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  • 7 months later...

I am the owner if a Vixen NPL and a Vixen NLV and i agree with AB. For such a bulky EP the build is slightly flimsy and would not take much to destroy but the views through them are top quality.

Dont get me wrong...............if you treat them right they will last years. They are pretty robust.

Easily the best two EP's in my collection.

They are very contrasty as AB says and sharp views right to the edge of the fov

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  • 3 years later...

Massive thread bump of over 3 years I know but cheers Astrobaby! I'm looking at getting some decent plossls but can't affored Televue plossls. These Vixens look like good middle ground :)

I've had the 30mm NPL on loan from First Light Optics for a while now and I've developed a real liking for it  :smiley:

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  • 1 month later...

I also have a 30mm Vixen NPL eyepiece, bought after reading reviews on here. Some of the reviews stated that they're good starter pieces, all I can say, is that if the views you get from these are from the budget end if the market, then the ones costing hundreds of pounds must be out of this world!

Buy one and you won't be disappointed.

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  • 6 months later...

The FOV is 50°.

You can find them here.

I've no idea with regards to the binoviewer question, I'm sure someone else will help.

What aspects are important?

The eye relief is stated as 24mm, but size wise, other than being taller, they look much the same size as the 20mm or 25mm. :smiley:  

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As this thread has sprung back into life, I'll stick it into the eyepiece discussion area but leave a link in the original location :smiley:

Dave - the FoV is 50 degrees but the top section of the NPL 30mm is quite fat. I could measure it for you if that would help ?

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The FOV is 50°.

You can find them here.

I've no idea with regards to the binoviewer question, I'm sure someone else will help.

What aspects are important?

The eye relief is stated as 24mm, but size wise, other than being taller, they look much the same size as the 20mm or 25mm. :smiley:  

The manufacturer quotes 50°, but my measurement suggests about 46°.  The field stop of the 30mm is 24.6mm.  The field stop is removable to give a slightly wider field, which is how I generally use mine, in place of a finder, for my 70mm.

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The manufacturer quotes 50°, but my measurement suggests about 46°.  The field stop of the 30mm is 24.6mm.  The field stop is removable to give a slightly wider field, which is how I generally use mine, in place of a finder, for my 70mm.

Thats interesting. The example I have is just the same FoV as TV plossls. Maybe they vary a bit or maybe the TV plossls are out too ?

My 30mm NPL is notably wider than the Baader Classic 32mm plossl which, although stated to be 50 degrees is closer to 45 I reckon.

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Hi guys

Thanks for the input:-)

John, it was your review of the NPL 30mm vs the Baader 32mm that got me interested in the NPLs..I had a short FL one before and found it to be a nice EP.

My bv's have 23mm clear aperture so at 24.5mm field stop on the NPL they shouldn't vignette much..

I would be using them in my F15 D&G, whose tube I am having shortened to allow BV use without a Barlow. I have a pair of 26mm Bresser (Meade 4000)s, so will trry them first once I get the scope back, hopefully next week:-)

Cheers

Dave

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Thats interesting. The example I have is just the same FoV as TV plossls. Maybe they vary a bit or maybe the TV plossls are out too ?

My 30mm NPL is notably wider than the Baader Classic 32mm plossl which, although stated to be 50 degrees is closer to 45 I reckon.

Interesting, indeed.  I would check the field stop but it has been put "some where safe" and so is lost, temporarily only I hope. 

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