Skywatcher Plossl's

[Jimmy Stix]

The Skywatcher plossls are OK but the Tele Vue ones are the best of that type available, in my opinion. You can use any brand of eyepiece in any brand of scope.

Have a browse around the eyepiece discussion and review threads - you will soon see a pattern emerging on the types that rate well as they get mentioned over and over again !.

I have already had a some help from John (thanks John ) on this matter but wondered if I could get any more of your opinions on how good Skywatcher's own plossls are.

I keep reading that there is a big difference from bottom end to top end plossls and judging by their price the SW ones seem to be at the lower end. I know there are several threads already on this subject but if the SW ones are reasonable I may try one of them for planetary work.

[Capricorn]

There are several ranges of plossl's and some will be poor, some fair, some good. You may find good ones for a low price but in general the price reflects the quality.

Antares and GSO's are at £20-25.

Vixen npl's are £30-35

TV plossl's are £75-80

You can get planetary eyepieces at £40-60 which may be better in your scope.

WO SWANS are £60.

Antares W70's are £65

No idea of the cost of the SW plossl's.

But if not at the lower cost end there may be better options for a similar price.

[Yeoman]

The SW ones are very cheap a FLO, not sure how good they are, I got two with my scope a 10mm and a 25mm I have heard the 25mm is "OK" but only ok and the 10mm isnt great at all, just what I read on other threads though...

[John]

The SW ones are very cheap a FLO, not sure how good they are, I got two with my scope a 10mm and a 25mm I have heard the 25mm is "OK" but only ok and the 10mm isnt great at all, just what I read on other threads though...

Don't get confused between the Skywatcher Plossls and the eyepieces that are supplied with Skywatcher scopes, which are not plossls in most cases but a modified achromat design. The plossls would offer some improvement over those I believe.

[msinclairinork]

I was plesently suprised by the stock EP's that came with my SW- ST80!

I was playing around one night trying to fill the EP with Jupiter, So the max mag i could achive was with a 2x barlow (stock) and a stock 5mm and seeing and transparency was very poor...and like I said i was plesently suprised!

I certainly wasn't expecting very much but I could make out plenty of detail and colour. It really did take me by suprise!

Granted i am sure there is no comparison if I was to look through say a tele vue or somthing. But to get you going, well it did me fine.

My advice though would be to take your time and build up your EP collection bit by bit, don't rush into it thinking you have to uprgade the stock ones to see anything...they do work.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Michael

[russ]

John, is absolutely right, the Skywatcher Super Plossl is definitely of a superior quality compared to the supplied eyepieces with a telescope.

We have a 20mm Skywatcher Plossl marked up as Skywatcher Apo Series Plossl, came with an Orion Optics dob. Quality wise it is hard to fault. Very sharp optics, nice coatings and ample eye relief. It's been a pleasure to use.

[Richard734]

Sorry to hijack (only a little!) but I see Plossl & Super Plossl lenses advertised - whats the difference? Or is it a marketing ploy?

[russ]

It used to be that a Plossl was a 4 element design and the Super Plossl (such as the original Meade 4000 Super Plossl) was a 5 element design.

But these days the waters are muddied. Meade for instance still stick with the Super Plossl moniker despite their range of 'Super Plossls' only being a basic low quality 4 element design and vastly inferior to the original Japanese 5 element model.

[Jimmy Stix]

Lot's of good advice and some things to think about as always my fellow "astro-nuts".

I do intend not to jump in straight away and start collecting EP's like a madman (actually I think I am mad anyway but that's beside the point ). I have been quite pleased with the things I have seen so far with my supplied SW EP's (10mm & 25mm) but there has been much discussion in the Astro Lounge this last week, re. Plossl's, that I was starting to get "itchy eye" .

[russ]

Plossls are one of those items you buy secondhand because they simply do not hold any value, other than the Televue Plossl. The rest can be bought for peanuts with some patience.