Thanks all. It offers good color correction and high-contrast images. My 20, 26, and 32mm Plossls will probably stay around. We also joined our local Astronomy Club and look forward to joining others under the night sky when the opportunity presents itself again. Plossl eyepieces are often included in better telescope packages as the starter eyepieces. Perhaps you should seek out help from your local astronomy club. Eyepiece Field of View Simulator astronomy.tools Field of View Simulator Change Telescope Reset Change Target Add Equipment As I mentioned earlier in the article, not all Plossls are created equal, which simply means that there are good Plossls and then there are bad Plossls. Here we focus on becoming a knowledge hub for astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. A Televue Plssl may be better than a generic one, but the difference is probably not worth the additional cost. While many people will stay with and add Plossls to their eyepiece set, I would recommend not going below 10 mm focal length as the eye relief gets quite short. Under my sky it was rare that I would be able to get over 225X and still maintain a good quality image, except on the Moon. If you are buying your first telescope, and you are choosing between the telescope that includes a Kellner or a telescope that comes with a Plossl, with all the other specs being similar, pick the telescope thats offering you the Plossl, even if its slightly more expensive. You will get varying opinions on this but I would not worry too much about this. Today, most beginner telescopes of any quality are sold with either Kellner or Plossl eyepieces. My most used eyepiece is an 8-24 mm zoom. As Im sure you know, a Barlow actually narrows the cone of light that enters the eyepiece, hence it affects the apparent focal length and thus the f/ratio of the telescope objective. no caps come in bolt case. How you divide up your magnification range is up to you. If you plan to go longer than that you can get an AC adapter or a power tank. You see the object in a wider expanse of space with more stars. Consider something between 35 and 40 mm in focal length with an AFOV of 65 degrees or wider for your lowest power eyepiece for your telescope. This is why we recommend you try to locate the object first at low power, then use a higher magnification if you likethe wider field of view on the sky provides more context in terms of asterisms and reference stars and makes it more likely that youll catch the object you are looking for. 1200 mm FL scope / 10 mm FL eyepiece = 120X, 40 degree AFOV / 120X = .33 degrees (less than 1 full moon wide), 60 degree AFOV / 120X = .5 degree FOV (about one full moon with no space around it), 82 degree AFOV / 120X = .68 degree FOV (about one full moon with a star field around it to frame it). Meanwhile, Plossl eyepieces are much more common and easy to find. But the difference in price to get to the next level is high, and the performance difference may be small. If the above guide has helped you understand the terms and workings of eyepieces, scroll up and make a selection from our recommendation list. Very worth it for me, as I like to use bino-viewers. Kellners are often sold with cheaper, even more entry-level telescopes than Plossls. Offering a wide 43 apparent field of view, this 40mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepiece provides extremely sharp images of impressively high contrast. Choosing the most appropriate can completely change your experience in using telescopes. Plossls are available from many suppliers in a wide range of focal lengths in 1.25 and 2 sizes. Because some objects look better at low power, some at medium power, some at high power, and some at very high power. In essence the design differences between Kellner and Plossl comes down to the number of lenses within the eyepiece barrel. I often recommend it. That is a wonderful expression. Or we say that F10 would be easier or less demanding on the eyepiece than the F5. (Svbonys Plossls, for example, are optically identical to Orions Sirius Plossls). Was compairing the Apertura standard 15mm Plossl with their 15mm super wide angle eyepiece (70 afov). The Plossl was also called a Kellner Type III in some earlier references; in the 1950's, Edmund Scientific sold a "Kellner" eyepiece made from war surplus lenses, but it actually consisted of two achromats in the classic Plossl configuration. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase. I still have it and still use it from time to time. Not all are Plossls, but excellent eps at f/10. Theres a wide range of quality when it comes to Plossls and trusting the brand you are getting one from matters a lot if you dont want to get an eyepiece with lots of reflection or optical issues. It was named after Peter Barlow who invented it in the 1800s, so it is usually capitalized. This might contain more of what you need. I really like the simplicity and compactness of these simpler designs (ie: Plssls, Orthos, Kellners, etc). But for AP you should really start your planning with the mount. The Big Bang Optics is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Unless you are a professional astronomer or extremely demanding, you can select your eyepieces based on magnification, the apparent field of view, eye relief, and price. This series of eyepieces may provide better value in this price range. This has nothing to do with your scope or eyepiece. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our team of experts has reviewed and ranked 180+ telescopes based on price and quality. If that surface is wobbly the scope will be almost useless. Thus the 30 mm eyepiece in a 600 mm telescope produces 600/30 = 20X magnification while with the Barlow, we have 1800/30 = 60X. How does that field of view impact the viewing experience? Thanks for going through the entire post. I want these as possible as wide, magnification and astrophotography purpose. They are referring to how much or how little distortion is visible as you look from the center of the image out toward the edge. As long as you take good care of them, Plossls can last you a lifetime, and you will be able to use them with your next telescope if you upgrade at some point. Ive read, and re-read, and re-re-read this page. But with 2 eyepieces and a Barlow, you have the full effective range of your telescope. But the conventional way of expressing it is in terms of eyepiece focal lengths. 50 150X, no Barlow Or is this overkill and am I better off saving money and going forward something like the Celestron Zoom? Despite this, I also have some Plossls which are indispensable. Fortunately, the investment can be leveraged with future scopes since eyepieces are standard sizes so they work in almost any telescope. i didnt have all this simply-put information when i bought my orion st-80 as my christmas present to myself in 2020. i started out with several pair of binoculars i bought used off ebay, then bought the scope. This is important to keep in mind because it means brands have to try really hard to one-up each other because the competition in a niche hobby such as astronomy can be fierce. They have a 50-56 degrees field of view, better eye relief, and cost more than Kellners. When I was getting my start in the hobby, I bought an ultra-cheap ($15?) Do you need a 10 mm planetary and a 10 mm DSO eyepiece? Eye relief of less than 10mm gets really uncomfortableyou tend to rub your eyepieces against the eyepiece or lens, and you have to hold your eye at just the right distance to keep from touching the lens. Lets just say that once you get below F5, it is really hard for the eyepiece to deliver a clean image to the edge. These are often compared to the higher priced offerings. And new proprietary designs come out from time to time. All focal lengths offer 50 field-of-view except the 40mm which offers 42 Second? SV207 30mm Super Plossl Eyepiece. I really enjoy usingPlssls. So save yourself this future unnecessary expense and just buy a Plossl. But your point is well taken. I also have an older smoothtop 20mm Meade 4000 that is also 5 element, and it is a fine eyepiece too, compared to another 20mm of the same vintage. I have several 10mm eyepieces in my eyepiece boxalmost all of them are eyepieces that came with some telescope I boughtand I will almost always choose to use one of the Kellners over one of the Plossls, because the Kellners have a longer eye relief, which is comparable to the focal length. Another way to look at it is that a 30 mm eyepiece in a 3X Barlow works like a 10 mm eyepiece. I like my 38/70. It appears to be a custom-made 90 degree binocular built from two 90 degree diagonals and binocular-size objectives attached in place of the usual OTA. Note that many cheap eyepieces promise a wide AFOV but deliver a view with a lot of distortion or aberration as you move away from the center of the field of view. Cheap to try, and if you don't like it, easy enough to sell also. Plssl eyepieces are affordable and they're outstanding additions to amateur telescopes. Goldline series of eyepieces provides the best value in this price range, better than Plossls. In my opinion, there are no wrong exit pupils. I have a 4 element (traditional) and a 5 element 32mm Meade, both from the same era in Japan, and the 5 element is much better by quite a bit. https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8879-1-25-Inch-Enhanced-Telescope/dp/B000BMPBLK/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3KKUJRXYYN7DI&dchild=1&keywords=telescope+diagonal+1.25&qid=1610887695&sprefix=telescope+diagonal%2Caps%2C512&sr=8-8, Excellent article and very good recommendations. Note that as we get into the higher magnifications, the millimeter jumps between eyepiece focal lengths gets smaller. Between $100 and $250, I will call it mid-range. These and the essentially identical AT Paradigm are universally praised as good quality eyepieces with a wider 60-degree apparent field of view. These will eventually be used in an 8in dob whenever it arrives. If you are looking at eyepieces that are wider than 55 degrees AFOV, you will again need to consider looking at the better corrected, and typically more expensive, eyepieces. It was grueling, because I couldnt even get the entire field of viewI had to keep my eye hovering above the exit pupil. You can find the eyepieces I use and recommend in this article. Omni 56mm Eyepiece - 2" Learn More. Your email address will not be published. Even though there are more sophisticated types of EPs, Plossls hit the right spot between high-quality optics and price. I had a newer - purchased in 2016 Meade 32mm (white lettering) that was no better than the older 32mm 4000. I would suggest you also get a 2 low power wide view. I believe the 5000 UWA's are good as well. The stock 9 and 15mm Omnis were very good. Correct image diagonals are easier for beginners and they are great for using the scope during the day, but experience people dont use them for astronomy. Kellner eyepieces work perfectly with small and medium-sized telescopes. It should list what size eyepieces you can use. Comparing to Plossl eyepieces, Super Plossl is somewhat better for astronomy. There are many more designs that are associated with specific brands, but the ones above are designs that are produced by many companies in one form or another. Finally, the worldwide pandemic has led to shortages and price jumps on many items. I have seen some gatekeeping in this hobby about Kellners, and Im not sure I understand it. For planetary viewing, comfort is essential in helping to increase viewing time . A 15mm Plssl might be worth it, if you dont wear glasses. My other eyepieces, ES and Meade 82 degree, stayed in the eyepiece case most of the time. And you don't even have to get the full set if you don't want to. Again, this is more noticeable in lower focal ratio scopes. You could base this on 3, 4, 5, 6 or more focal lengths/magnifications. This was very useful, I got a meade infinity 90mm ( after read the review here -. Your email address will not be published. They offer a 52-degree apparent field with clean, high-contrast images. So speaking of the Barlow as if it modifies the FL of the eyepiece, while technically not correct, does provide an easier model to understand the net effect. What should one opt for a 2 EP over a 1.25? IF you like your Hyperions , you could get a 2 inch visual back and 2 inch diagonal / or 2 inch SCT diagonal and add the 31 or 36 Baader eyepieces in 2 inch . > Click here to jump to the Best Eyepieces section. Are plossl eyepieces still worth it? The price ranges we show here are the typical prices. https://telescopicwatch.com/celestron-8-24mm-zoom-eyepiece-review/. (Compare, for instance, 20mm of each type, or 10mm of each type.) But the one I am recommending here is the Tele Vue Nagler series. This may be enough for many eyeglass wearers. Many thanks. Does having a 70 vs 52 fov make a noticeable difference for double the price? A Plssl is probably as good as any 32mm eyepiece in a 1.25 inch focuser. By the 1980s, amateur astronomy equipment suppliers were still selling new telescopes with Huygens and Ramsden eyepieces, not merely because they were cheap but because they lacked internal reflections. At least you'll have one budget eyepiece that will give you a larger part of the sky at low magnification. I started with the Celestron zoom. They work great every day and get you where you want to go, but dont have what the higher priced models have. - 32mm plossl. I foolishly destroyed it while experimenting with solar projection, because I hadnt realized the metal-and-glass construction was aided by a plastic retaining ring on the field stop, and I hadnt realized you do not need to change the eyepiece focal length when doing solar projection. Is there anyway you could include links to the eyepieces you mentioned in the last paragraph of your reply as Im totally new so worried about buying the wrong thing! If you would prefer to buy him $60 eyepieces or even $30 eyepieces because he is only 7 and he can upgrade later, that is also OK. THANK YOU x 12! As a result, this can cause aberrations in the image as you move from the center of the view toward the edges. Major telescope brands such as Celestron supplies Kellner eyepieces with their r least expensive telescopes and still may. Many thanks, Sophie. I need some eyepieces with long FL for low magnifications. How do you focus - I would have expected helical focusers in the eyepiece holders but don't see any? In the case of the Celestron, you get all the focal lengths from 24 to 8mm in one eyepiece that costs $100. As you saw in the article, they eyepieces that would be best for you, or your child, is based on your budget and what your goals are. We will now discuss the specifications of eye relief and apparent field of view. How important a consideration is this when deciding on an eyepiece? In 1849, Carl Kellner invented the Kellner eyepiece, which is essentially a Ramsden eyepiece where one lens has been replaced with an achromatic doublet made of two different types of glass. Are Plossl eyepieces good? Even if you did need a 4mm focal length (for high powers in an f/4 telescope, of course), neither a Kellner nor a Plossl would have long enough eye relief for that to be comfortably usable! A standard Plossl eyepiece is typically between 20mm to 25mm but can range anywhere from 15mm up to about 40mm in diameter. Later in the article, I will also give my top recommendations for both the best Kellner as well as the best Plossl eyepieces. This can be debated 100 ways, but that is my advice. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I also just bought the Celestron Starsense 102mm refractor (650mm focal length, f/6.5) as a first scope for me and my kids. They can also be found as Orion Expanse sporting a blue line rather than gold. The 50 apparent field of view is plenty for me. I would wait till you get the scope and use the included eyepieces. They have a pop-up eye guard and they are threaded to accept filters. As of the past couple years, it seems possible that the choice between Kellners and Plossls has been made for usyou either get what you get with your beginner telescope, or you will have to find a Plossl. This is just a planning target. Modified vs Unmodified DSLR Astrophotography: The Ultimate Showdown! 2019-2023 Little Astronomy. Now we just divide it up and fill in some sample focal lengths. Free shipping for many products! In the 1990s Meade instruments came up with a new design for the Meade 4000 line similar to Plossl that added a fifth glass element on top of the two pairs (4 total). These are effectively simple designs like Plossls, Kellners, Konigs, and RKEs, with long focal lengths, that have a lens included to increase their focal length. Excellent, thank you for the breakdown, very much appreciated. A wide range of focal lengths are available, all in 1.25-inch size. The tradeoff was that each lens surface added another internal reflection, reducing contrast and adding glare. You are talking about the technical details of how a Barlow works, and I agree. They are a good brand with high-quality eyepieces, you just dont need to spend the extra money for almost no gain in performance. Edited April 23, 2010 by russ teh_orph Members 28 198 Author Very often, those eyepieces will be in the outdated 0.965 format rather than the modern 1.25 or 2 diameter barrel format. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Meade 32mm 2" 5-element Super Plossl Wide Field Eyepiece at the best online prices at eBay! Omni 9mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. As you learn more about astronomy and you gain more experience with time, you may want to move to Plossls or even higher-quality eyepieces. They also have good eye relief, making them comfortable to use for extended periods. This SVBONY eyepiece review should get you up to speed with the budget stargazing options. Tele Vue offers several series with apparent fields of view from 50 degrees to 120 degrees. They are not that expensive I would pay about $100 for both eye pieces. They deliver sharp images in almost all telescopes. Thanks so much. A Barlow lens is an optical device that goes between the eyepiece and the focuser. They have a 60deg apparent field, long eye relief, adjustable eye shield and extremely well corrected. A long eye relief is also important for those who wear eyeglasses at the eyepiece, whether thats a member of the general public at a star party or an astronomer with astigmatism, which, unlike near- or far-sightedness, cannot be corrected with the telescopes own focuser. I must also warn you that some of these bad Plossls may actually turn out to be worse than any run-of-the-mill Kellner. A 32mm Plssl is worth it. This is perfect for a 25mm Plossl (an extremely common standard) and downright luxurious with a 32mm Plossl, but when you get below about 12.5mm or 10mm, it can begin to get difficult to use. 32 mm = 18.75X 16 mm = 37.5X (32 mm eyepiece with a 2X barlow), 12 mm = 50X (If you have a 25 mm that came with your scope, use Barlow for 12.5 mm), 4 mm = 150X (8 mm eyepiece with a 2X Barlow), 3 mm = 200X (6 mm eyepiece with a 2X Barlow), 24 mm = 25X (the low power end of the zoom), 8 mm = 75X (24 mm zoom setting in a 3X Barlow), 2.66 mm = 225X (8 mm zoom setting in a 3X Barlow), True field of view or FOV = Apparent field of view (AFOV) eyepiece / magnification. Tele Vue has eyepieces that approach $1000. FOR SALE! I would expect it to be similar to the Celestron in image quality. However, Orion has managed to make one that is quite compatible with most styles of telescope. I also like to have my face physically in contact with the eyepiece (or the eyepiece cup) so the tight eye relief of the shorter focal lengths actually works really well for me. It may be a bit less than that in reality but for practical purposes that is close enough. Plossls provide very good eye relief for eyeglass wearers in focal lengths of about 25mm and longer. While I also have the Baader Hyperion Zoom, mentioned later, I continue to make use of the Celestron, especially in my smaller scopes. Do you think it would be sensible for me to look at getting a higher magnification specific eyepiece? EP-mm = magnification = afov Etc.? This was my first zoom eyepiece and the one that caused me to fall in love with zoom. Best suited for telescopes with f-ratios f6 or slower. Divide that by the magnification of that eyepiece in that scope. As we go along, I will refer back to these, so dont worry if you cant answer the questions or understand the formulas now. If your scope uses eyepieces that are closer to 1, then you have an old style .965 that is now obsolete. In this article, were going to talk about what is a Plossl eyepiece, what are its components, how do they work, how many types are there and how youd buy a good Plossl eyepiece. Us big kids like zooms too. I have Celestron and the Baader Hyperion. What Is A Barlow Lens For A Telescope? 2. Newer multi-coatings are better, I suppose, but newer does not always mean better in the ocular game. Orion SkyQuest XT8 Intelliscope Review The BHZ in a 2X Barlow will take an XT8 to 300X. Age is not part of the equation. I dont know if they make anything like this anymore, but as a kid, I had plastic slides with images on them (the Milky Way, Horse Head Nebula, etc.) I must say Im quite confused about eyepieces. These are the workhorse eyepieces of today. If you look up transparency and seeing in the context of telescopes you can learn more about how atmospheric conditions will affect what magnifications you will choose on any given night. Kellner vs Plossl - Comparison table. Like going from a 32 TV to a 65? The TFOV will be as wide as your 40mm Plssl, but with greater magnification and a slightly darker sky background. These "other" ones I speak of, aren't technically that, they are a 5 element eyepiece, of a different design. For that purpose it is probably easier to find one to borrow. I have not had an opportunity to test it yet but the general discussions have favorable. Prices can run from $20 to $200 so the field is pretty broad. The larger barrel allows them to create an eyepiece with a higher AFOV. If we look at the range I provided above, we see that we could replace several eyepieces with one zoom. Comparing to Plossl, the Expanse eyepiece is a lot more expensive. These companies rebranded them under their own names. Worth it is a tough question to answer. I can say that most of my plossls have been replaced by other eyepieces for various reasons. Tip Its almost always cheaper to buy directly from Agena Astro. This can be especially helpful in telescopes of focal ratios below F8. Typically a Barlow does not add or subtract from this, but there again we have bad Barlows and Good Barlows. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get a good image of any given target at that level of magnification on any given night.
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