Explore Scientific ES1400 14mm 100' Eyepiece

[Coco]

Just ordered the Explorer Scientific 14mm from offshore... not sure whether I should have bought the 9mm version but at nearly half the price of Telescope House its going to be worth it..

If I'm impressed I'll have to get the 9 later

Great review BTW..

[John]

Just ordered the Explorer Scientific 14mm from offshore... not sure whether I should have bought the 9mm version but at nearly half the price of Telescope House its going to be worth it..

If I'm impressed I'll have to get the 9 later

Great review BTW..

Sounds great - look forward to hearing how it performs

Does the big saving include VAT / Import duty ?.

[AndyH]

Even if the eyepiece gets caught by customs, it's still a monster saving of close to £100 !!!!!

Andy.

[coffee_prince]

They are a lot cheaper int he USA than in Telescopehouse, has anyone else bought any?

I'm considering the 20mm from optcorp, is there a reason the 100 degree eps don't go longer than 21mm?

[Coco]

They are a lot cheaper int he USA than in Telescopehouse, has anyone else bought any?

I'm considering the 20mm from optcorp, is there a reason the 100 degree eps don't go longer than 21mm?

Yes I have,it's in transit and despite tax and clearance it's still cheaper than TH with bank holiday discount... They may be stuck with older more expensive stock and so cannot get near the prices the box shifting USA companies like OPT and many others.. They should go back to explore scientific and ask to rebate... Telescope House appear to be hanging onto the brand for themselves...

[John]

... is there a reason the 100 degree eps don't go longer than 21mm?

The 2" barrel size will ultimately limit the diameter of the field stop but I believe that a 25mm 100 degree EP would be possible in principle. Maybe it's in the pipeline somewhere ?.

I think Al Nagler has said that the Ethos range won't go beyond 21mm so I guess there is a niche there for someone.

[coffee_prince]

Thanks for the info guys ^

-

The es100 will cost only £280 all in to the UK without adding sales and tax etc, its still a hell of a lot cheaper than anything else.

Does 100 offer much more than 82 as I might just get the UWAN 28mm instead

[Moonshane]

the differences between eyepieces are not always about field of view of course. the Ethos whilst expensive do have excellent contrast and sharpness/colour rendition too but at a price. it seems the Explores are none too shabby either.

for me the differences in useful field are all about eye relief. e.g. with my 26mm Nagler it is much easier to see the whole field (which I have realised that I like) than with my 13mm Ethos as the 13mm has a shorter eye relief but really the 100 degree field is also about NOT seeing the field and seeing into 'endless space'. the overall feel is different. a 13mm Nagler has the same apparent field as the 26mm but again with shorter eye relief you have to work a bit to see the field. personally I won't be buying another 100 degree eyepiece (and will probably stick with Naglers) but am really glad I bought the 13mm.

in terms of comfort, do also be aware that apparently the 28 UWANs have a massive eye cup and some just don't get on with it so try and see and use one first if possible. the eyepieces I mention above are both very comfortable and fit into your eye socket where some mention the 28mm UWAN covers a much wider area.

[John]

I think Shane has nicely summed up why eyepieces are such a personal thing. There is no "right" or "wrong" way in this.

Personally I love the "endless pool of stars" idea and really don't want to see the edge of the field stop - I totally respect that others prefer their views served in a different way though

We are lucky today that there is such a wide choice of high quality eyepieces available to suit all our varying preferences

[Jinx]

Well just to chip in my penny worth, I decided to purchase a 9mm ES 100mm, based on the following reasons:

1. Throughout all of the reviews there appears to be no clearly defined or noticeable difference in quality - just personal preference.

2. The ES eps are waterproof therefore have potential for greater longevity.

3. They are cheaper, and if only by 40 quid, that is my autofocuser or a filter. Scale that to the whole set and you get the cost of my 250p OTA.

4. Buying for resale value seems odd unless you are a dealer. Everytime you buy then sell you should lose money regardless of it being Tv or ES. Better to buy an ep and keep it not chop and change surely.

5. Advertising, marketshare and competitor's previous reputation have little influence on how good a new product is. Just think Windows / Mac / Linux or even Intel / AMD.

Horses for courses and I live in a damp wet country without excess money to waste.

Just my opinion!