What is yours, and why?
What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
- Arctic
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What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
What is yours, and why?
Scopes: Meade LX10 8" SCT, Explore Scientific AR102 Refractor on ES Twilight 1 Mount, Oberwerks 15X70 Binos, Nikon Action Extreme 10X50 Binos.
Eyepieces: ES 68* 24mm, ES 68* 20mm, ES 82* 11mm, ES 82* 8.8mm
Observing: Messier Objects--110/110, H1 Objects-- 400/400. Hundreds of additional NGC Objects. Significant Comets: Kohoutek, West, Halley, Hyakatake, Hale-Bopp, McNair, Neowise. Transits of Mercury and Venus.
2017 Total Solar Eclipse
- Thefatkitty Online
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
For me, my Fujiyama KK 18mm ortho. Why? The eye relief, magnification, unreal sharpness right to the edge... I have the set from 9mm to 25mm, but the 18 is just perfect in all my scopes, from my 60mm
Yes, it has a small field of view, but the quality of that view is worth the small field it's in
I love my
All the best,
"The Hankmeister" Celestron 8SE, orange tube Vixen made C80, CG4, AZ-EQ5 and SolarQuest mounts.
Too much Towa glass/mirrors.
Solar:
H/A - PST stage 2 mod with a Baader 90mm ERF on a Celestron XLT 102 (thanks Mike!)
Ca-K - W/O 61mm, Antares 1.6 barlow, Baader 3.8 OD and Ca-K filters with a ZWO ASI174mm.
W/L - C80-HD with Baader 5.0 & 3.8 Solar film, Solar Continuum 7.5nm and UV/IR filters with a Canon EOS 550D.
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- notFritzArgelander
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
If I am sweeping for
If I want to use narrow band filters to enhance nebulae then I've had terrific results with the Baader H beta filter the TV Panoptic 35mm and the
For galaxy hunting in the Z12 it's the 19mm TV Panoptic at 0.86* TFOV and 79x. Same task VMC110L it's the BCO set. In the
For intra galaxy details I find the BCOs as a set are wonderful. They give the most distinct internal details.
On lunar and planetary the KK fujijamas. End of story. Best contrast to my eyes.
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
Mine is an Orion Stratus, it's no longer sold.
But
-Jeff
Member; ASTRA-NJ
Orion 80ED
Celestron C5, 6SE, Celestar 8
Vixen Porta Mount ll
Coronado PST
A big box of Plossls
Little box of filters
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1000101)
The only culture I have is from yogurt
- Star Dad
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
Orion 203mm/f4.9/1000mm, converted TASCO 114mm/f9/1000mm to steam punk, Meade 114mm/f9/1000, Coronado PST, Orion EQ-G, Ioptron Mini-Tower and iEQ30, Canon 70D, ASI120MM,ASI294MC, Ioptron SkyHunter
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
as most of my observings of the faint diffuse nebulae in the Cepheus - western Cassiopeia skies have been through the 6"
my choice for the sweet eyepiece is the Leica
The next observing projects may reveal another "sugar
Best,
JG
Leica 82mm APO Televid
Eyepieces: Docter UWA; Leica B WW and WW Asph. Zoom; Leica HC Plan S and L, monocentric; Pentax SMC XW, O-, XO; Tak MC O, Carl Zeiss B WW, and Pl, E-Pl, S-Pl, W-Pl;
Swarovski SW; Baader Symmetric Diascope Edition; Nikon NAV SW, ; TMB supermonocentric; Rodenstock; Vixen HR; TV Delos
Filters: Astrodon, Astronomik, Baader, Balzers, Zeiss West and East, Lumicon
Binoculars (7x42 up to 15x85): Docter Nobilem, Leica Ultravid, Nikon Astroluxe, Swarovski EL Swarovision; BA8 (Kunming Optical)
- pakarinen
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
Man... That's some icky-tasting stuff!
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
I like the eBay Svbony 15mm Expanse for higher mag on
- Bigzmey Online
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Delos, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
- notFritzArgelander
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
I confess to lusting after Pentax XWs. Maybe after my scope ensemble is restored.Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:04 am Well, my main weapon is the same as yours - 8" SCT, so my most used EPs are also in 20mm range. I started with ES68 20mm, upgraded to Meade UWA 82 deg 18mm, and finally to Pentax XW 70 deg 20mm. This is my most used EP now since it pulls faint stuff like nothing else.
- Arctic
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
So, how does your Pentax XW 20mm compare to the ES68 20mm?Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:04 am Well, my main weapon is the same as yours - 8" SCT, so my most used EPs are also in 20mm range. I started with ES68 20mm, upgraded to Meade UWA 82 deg 18mm, and finally to Pentax XW 70 deg 20mm. This is my most used EP now since it pulls faint stuff like nothing else.
Scopes: Meade LX10 8" SCT, Explore Scientific AR102 Refractor on ES Twilight 1 Mount, Oberwerks 15X70 Binos, Nikon Action Extreme 10X50 Binos.
Eyepieces: ES 68* 24mm, ES 68* 20mm, ES 82* 11mm, ES 82* 8.8mm
Observing: Messier Objects--110/110, H1 Objects-- 400/400. Hundreds of additional NGC Objects. Significant Comets: Kohoutek, West, Halley, Hyakatake, Hale-Bopp, McNair, Neowise. Transits of Mercury and Venus.
2017 Total Solar Eclipse
- Doug James
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
Shorty 2x Barlow lens, Orion Stratus 8mm,13mm,21mm, Baader 36mm, Meade 6.5mm,
Binoculars, Nikon 10x50, Oberwerk 20x80 LW binos
- helicon
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
- Don Alvarez
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
EP: 5.5mm, 8.8mm, 14mm, 20mm, 24mm Meade 5000 UWA's, BCO's w/ Q-Turret, 26mm, 32mm, 40mm Meade 4000 Plossls, Orion Expanse, 30mm, 20mm, 15mm GSO Superview, Various others.
Binocs: 15x70 Celestron Skymaster, 10x50 Levenhuk Karma Pro, 10x42 Bushnell, 8x42 Sans & Streiffe
Mounts: Meade LX70 with dual axis motors, Celestron GT, More miscellaneous tripods than a Martian invasion.
"The heavens themselves, the planets, and this center observe degree, priority, and place,
Insisture, course, proportion, season, form, office, and custom, in all line of order.”
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
Eye relief on XW is better for observing with eyeglasses. I had difficulties with ES68 20mm to see the wholeArctic wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2019 12:28 pmSo, how does your Pentax XW 20mm compare to the ES68 20mm?Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:04 am Well, my main weapon is the same as yours - 8" SCT, so my most used EPs are also in 20mm range. I started with ES68 20mm, upgraded to Meade UWA 82 deg 18mm, and finally to Pentax XW 70 deg 20mm. This is my most used EP now since it pulls faint stuff like nothing else.
Optical quality of XWs is definitely better.
Does the incremental improvement in performance justifies the premium you have to pay to upgrade from
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Delos, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
- Arctic
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
Thanks, Bigzmey. I never use my glasses at the eyepiece, because I am nearsighted and can correct for it with the focus. Therefore, eye relief is not important.Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2019 6:10 pmEye relief on XW is better for observing with eyeglasses. I had difficulties with ES68 20mm to see the wholeArctic wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2019 12:28 pmSo, how does your Pentax XW 20mm compare to the ES68 20mm?Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:04 am Well, my main weapon is the same as yours - 8" SCT, so my most used EPs are also in 20mm range. I started with ES68 20mm, upgraded to Meade UWA 82 deg 18mm, and finally to Pentax XW 70 deg 20mm. This is my most used EP now since it pulls faint stuff like nothing else.FOV . In fact I consider tight eye relief a major weakness ofES EPs offering. They don't have a singleEP line with long eye relief.
Optical quality of XWs is definitely better.ES makes good optical quality EPs, no question about. But XWs are more refined: cleaner views with better contrast. On extra faint galaxies XWs beat all other EPs in my collection including Delites and BCOs and that says a lot.
ES 68 and 82 and Meade UWA are good quality EPs. I would not look for anything better if not for the tight eye relief. But, I am glad I did.
Does the incremental improvement in performance justifies the premium you have to pay to upgrade fromES to XWs? I would not skip my meals to get them. But as I am later in my life I can set a side a budget for my hobbies and indulge in some premium equipment guilt-free.
Having astronomy for a hobby can be expensive, but we only live once. A LOT of hobbies are expensive. Around here many folks don't think twice about buying multiple, $5,000 to $10,000 snowmobiles for their family members--and living in the Land of 10,000 Lakes (we have way more than that, by the way) ---we won't even talk about boats!
Scopes: Meade LX10 8" SCT, Explore Scientific AR102 Refractor on ES Twilight 1 Mount, Oberwerks 15X70 Binos, Nikon Action Extreme 10X50 Binos.
Eyepieces: ES 68* 24mm, ES 68* 20mm, ES 82* 11mm, ES 82* 8.8mm
Observing: Messier Objects--110/110, H1 Objects-- 400/400. Hundreds of additional NGC Objects. Significant Comets: Kohoutek, West, Halley, Hyakatake, Hale-Bopp, McNair, Neowise. Transits of Mercury and Venus.
2017 Total Solar Eclipse
- Bigzmey Online
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
Exactly! My wife claims that astronomy is my middle edge crisis. My response: "suppose it is, would you prefer me to by a Porsche instead?"Arctic wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2019 6:21 pmThanks, Bigzmey. I never use my glasses at the eyepiece, because I am nearsighted and can correct for it with the focus. Therefore, eye relief is not important.Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2019 6:10 pmEye relief on XW is better for observing with eyeglasses. I had difficulties with ES68 20mm to see the wholeFOV . In fact I consider tight eye relief a major weakness ofES EPs offering. They don't have a singleEP line with long eye relief.
Optical quality of XWs is definitely better.ES makes good optical quality EPs, no question about. But XWs are more refined: cleaner views with better contrast. On extra faint galaxies XWs beat all other EPs in my collection including Delites and BCOs and that says a lot.
ES 68 and 82 and Meade UWA are good quality EPs. I would not look for anything better if not for the tight eye relief. But, I am glad I did.
Does the incremental improvement in performance justifies the premium you have to pay to upgrade fromES to XWs? I would not skip my meals to get them. But as I am later in my life I can set a side a budget for my hobbies and indulge in some premium equipment guilt-free.
Having astronomy for a hobby can be expensive, but we only live once. A LOT of hobbies are expensive. Around here many folks don't think twice about buying multiple, $5,000 to $10,000 snowmobiles for their family members--and living in the Land of 10,000 Lakes (we have way more than that, by the way) ---we won't even talk about boats!
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Delos, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
Refractors None
SCT C5 on a SLT mount
Mak 150 Bosma on a EQ5
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Re: What's Your "Sweet" Eyepiece?
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