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How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:09 pm
by Seeker
I am interested to know what others think on this subject.
My personal opinion is it's OK to own as many as we prefer to afford.
For many I assume eyepieces are a bit like owning gold. They are part of your astronomy portfolio. You may own more or less. The value may go up or down, but you enjoy just knowing you that you have them. You can fall back on them whether needed or not. It's just part of the satisfying acquisitive nature of this or of any hobby.
What do others think? For me the ideal number is as many as you like! Help yourself!
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:14 pm
by notFritzArgelander
Seeker wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:09 pm
I am interested to know what others think on this subject.
My personal opinion is it's OK to own as many as we prefer to afford.
For many I assume eyepieces are a bit like owning gold. They are part of your astronomy portfolio. You may own more or less. The value may go up or down, but you enjoy just knowing you that you have them. You can fall back on them whether needed or not. It's just part of the satisfying acquisitive nature of this or of any hobby.
What do others think? For me the ideal number is as many as you like! Help yourself!
I can't disagree with that.
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:26 pm
by Bigzmey
Ideal number of EPs = EPs you already have +1
Same rule applies to scopes.
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:28 pm
by MistrBadgr
Seeker wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:09 pm
I am interested to know what others think on this subject.
My personal opinion is it's OK to own as many as we prefer to afford.
For many I assume eyepieces are a bit like owning gold. They are part of your astronomy portfolio. You may own more or less. The value may go up or down, but you enjoy just knowing you that you have them. You can fall back on them whether needed or not. It's just part of the satisfying acquisitive nature of this or of any hobby.
What do others think? For me the ideal number is as many as you like! Help yourself!
That is basically what I think as well. I know people who have told me that all you need is three well thought out eyepieces and a couple of Barlows. The main person who has told me that used to have a lot of eyepieces and spent a lot of time switching back and forth and not really viewing an object. I can understand what she was saying. I may only use a few eyepieces, depending on what kind of objects I am going after. However, I normally have quite a few with me, because I like the option of using them, even if I don't actually do it.
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:29 pm
by Ruud
Forty-two.
That is enough. Less will do, but a proper astronomer has forty-two eyepieces.
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:47 pm
by Lady Fraktor
How about groups of 42?
I agree with you Seeker. I have many but I do rotate through them, some more than others though.
It also depends on which telescope I am using that evening as some work better than others at certain focal lengths/ apertures/ objects
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:55 pm
by Seeker
Seeker wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:09 pm
I am interested to know what others think on this subject.
My personal opinion is it's OK to own as many as we prefer to afford.
For many I assume eyepieces are a bit like owning gold. They are part of your astronomy portfolio. You may own more or less. The value may go up or down, but you enjoy just knowing that you have them. You can fall back on them whether needed or not. It's just part of the satisfying acquisitive nature of this or of any hobby.
What do others think? For me the ideal number is as many as you like! Help yourself!
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:05 pm
by Seeker
42 sounds good to me! Even better, 42 +1! As long as I don't have to go to divorce court over it. I DO love my wife!
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:50 pm
by John Fitzgerald
About 23: 4mm,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,22,24,28,30,32,40mm.
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 11:10 pm
by AstroBee
I have 6 and that pretty much covers my needs. 4mm is the highest mag and 30mm the lowest.
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 11:22 pm
by Bigzmey
AstroBee wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 11:10 pm
I have 6 and that pretty much covers my needs. 4mm is the highest mag and 30mm the lowest.
But you are doing mostly
AP, right?
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 11:53 pm
by Ozypic
Well I have a 10 and a 25 and a Celestron 8/24mm Zoom EP,
I know thats a pretty miserable effort and I have looked into buying others but it all comes back to the same thing.... when I look through them I squint and my eyes tear and go blurry. I just think well whats the use of buying another ? But I keep squinting away... haha..... Phill
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:00 am
by AstroBee
Bigzmey wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 11:22 pm
AstroBee wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 11:10 pm
I have 6 and that pretty much covers my needs. 4mm is the highest mag and 30mm the lowest.
But you are doing mostly
AP, right?
When I'm by myself, yes. But with our club, we are always doing monthly star parties for the public. But I generally only pull out two eyepieces at those. The 30mm and 6.7mm Explore Scientific.
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 3:51 am
by Lady Fraktor
John Fitzgerald wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:50 pm
About 23: 4mm,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,22,24,28,30,32,40mm.
You need to round that set out with a 1.6, 2, 2.4, 2.5, 3, 3.8, 4.4, 5.4, 6.4, 7.4, 12.5, 16.5, 25.
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 7:14 am
by Jones
Do not count eyepieces, count sets of lenses.
You need a planetary set,
An 82 degree set for galactic targets,
An ortho/plossl set, maybe 2 cause you can get a whole lot of lenses in a small case.
A zoom set, maybe 2 of these,
A sun set, do not want to expose expensive lenses to the heat of the sun.
A travel set, sort of a minimal set since you don't wanna travel with a large case.
If you like Barlow's maybe a case just for these.
And then you need a case for your diagonals,
Then there are 2 inch eyepieces,
And on and on you can go...
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 10:10 am
by j.gardavsky
Jones wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 7:14 am
Do not count eyepieces, count sets of lenses.
You need a planetary set,
An 82 degree set for galactic targets,
An ortho/plossl set, maybe 2 cause you can get a whole lot of lenses in a small case.
A zoom set, maybe 2 of these,
A sun set, do not want to expose expensive lenses to the heat of the sun.
A travel set, sort of a minimal set since you don't wanna travel with a large case.
If you like Barlow's maybe a case just for these.
And then you need a case for your diagonals,
Then there are 2 inch eyepieces,
And on and on you can go...
This is the correct approach to the eyepieces.
What's needed are the sets for the specific observing projects.
Otherwise people end with hoarding too many eyepieces, and eventually missing some eyepieces needed.
Best,
JG
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 10:55 am
by OzEclipse
Glib answer: one more than you currently have.
When using my 18" f5.5, I mainly use
Nagler 31mm 17mm and 21mm & 14mm Denkmeiers.
When seeing is excellent, I will occasionally use a Pentax XW10 and 7mm Nagler. A Pentax XW5 will give 500X. Even if the atmosphere is super stable, the push to scope is hard to track along at 500X. I have only owned the 5mm for about a month. Have not yet had an excellent night to try it out, but I think I won't like it.
When using my 6"f7 I only use 1.25" eyepieces
40mm Kellner, 21mm &14mm Denkmeier, Meade 25mm & 12mm Orthoscopics, Pentax XW5 & XW10, and 7mm Nagler.
Joe
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 11:20 am
by KathyNS
N+1
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 1:09 pm
by pakarinen
I have a 40, 25, two 15s, 12, 10, 9, and a 6. I'm a minimalist wannabe, so I think I could get by with a 25, 15, and a 2X Barlow.
Or maybe one really good zoom?
Dunno, never tried one.
Re: How many eyepieces should we have?
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 5:57 pm
by MistrBadgr
John Fitzgerald wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:50 pm
About 23: 4mm,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,22,24,28,30,32,40mm.
You really need a 26 to keep the order from looking snaggle-toothed and a 36 to keep the 40 from feeling lonesome!