In general terms, the higher the AFOV number, the more the eyepiece will 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. As new anti-reflection coatings were developed, it became possible to actually make use of complex lens arrangements (not just in relatively simple 4-element systems but also in convoluted, extreme wide-field eyepieces such as the TeleVue Nagler). . This series of eyepieces may provide better value in this price range. One learns by observing. 100-300X, 2X Barlow. Combining a cheap eyepiece with a cheap barlow isn't a elegant solution. So save yourself this future unnecessary expense and just buy a Plossl. You alluded to them, but you never mentioned Tele Vue. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-telescope-mounts-for-astrophotography/, https://telescopicwatch.com/best-astrophotography-telescopes/, https://telescopicwatch.com/best-barlow-lens-and-how-to/, https://telescopicwatch.com/celestron-8-24mm-zoom-eyepiece-review/, 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, https://telescopicwatch.com/orion-skyquest-xt8-intelliscope-review/, https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/baader-hyperion-mark-iv-8-24mm-universal-zoom-eyepiece.html, https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Orion+Q70&ref=nb_sb_noss_2, https://telescopicwatch.com/best-telescope-eyepieces/, https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8829-Wide-Field-Telescope-Eyepiece/dp/B000M89H7C/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Orion+Q70&qid=1606584502&sr=8-2, https://www.amazon.com/Explore-Scientific-68%C2%B0-40mm-Eyepiece/dp/B007LMG3F6/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=explore+scientific+68&qid=1606584676&sr=8-1. a breath of fresh air! 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. Even if the scope comes with the more acceptable Kelner or . I still have it and still use it from time to time. This eye piece provides the maximum true field of view in the 1.25 inch format. Also work very well with my binoculars that have removable focal reducers built into. A Plssl is probably as good as any 32mm eyepiece in a 1.25 inch focuser. Every review suggests replacing the 10mm Kellner eyepiece (and possibly 25mm Kellner) that comes with it. Also, atmospheric conditions can limit how much magnification you can use on a given night. You could say Super Plossls are not much more than a marketing tactic these days. We will now discuss the specifications of eye relief and apparent field of view. I hope I can say that someday. Tele Vue has eyepieces that approach $1000. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-telescope-mounts-for-astrophotography/, Then you look at the optical tubes. 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. In some cases, an object is so large (i.e., the Moon, the Pleiades, the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy) that a narrow field of view can only show you part of the object, whereas a wider field of view could show the whole object at the same magnification. Every new skill takes time. These eyepiecesproduce a 'standard apparent feld of view' of between 50 and 56 with most set at around 52. Telescopes Cost: Acceptable, Good, and Really Good Telescopes, Used Telescopes Buying Guide The Complete Guide, Different Types of Asteroids (C, S, and M) The Definitive Guide, Top 10 Night Sky Objects for Astronomy Beginners, Asteroid Mining Know Everything About It, German Equatorial Mounts (GEMs) Overview and Working. 8.5-ish mm (75x & 150x) Most likely it will be used as a loaner eyepiece to go with one of my two loaner telescopes. Sirius Plossls offer a 52-deg apparent field of view for clear, sharp images. I generally use my 40 to search for DSOs so Ill probably replace that one at some point too. The Regular Plossl eyepiece is made to be a basic type of scope for viewing objects that are nearbysay within two feet or so from where youre looking through it. Kellners tend to have narrower apparent fields of view (40 degrees rather than 50 or 52 degrees in a Plossl), and in short focal length telescopes (focal ratio f/5 or shorter) they can have more false color fringing, but for the most part it is hard to notice the difference between a well-made Kellner and a well-made Plossl in terms of image quality. A Kellner eyepiece has 3 lenses, while a Plossl has 4. The Big Bang Optics participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for websites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Most people prefer the wider TFOV. There is a little bit more to it than that and there are other design . But those EPs mentioned were all great too! In my scopes a simple zoom eyepiece like the Celestron 24-8mm or the Baader has replaced the higher powered plossls. Kellners are often sold with cheaper, even more entry-level telescopes than Plossls. In some cases, the eyepieces are waterproof to protect them from internal contamination caused by heavy dew conditions. They are all made by the same OEM manufacturer. But I have one little niggle. Even big telescopes are subject to limitations imposed by the atmosphere. This can be debated 100 ways, but that is my advice. Also, children do not often have highly developed motor skillsso I would avoid the frustration of switching out eyepieces, and consider a zoom lens. The only one not in the article is the Orion Q70 which is available in 38 mm, 32 mm and 26 mm. Youd have to look into more complex designs which include a barlow lens, or simply use a longer focal length eyepiece with a quality barlow. However, sometimes i am at the end of the range of the binocular focus adjustment. For example, if you put a 30 mm eyepiece in a 3X Barlow, it will triple the magnification you get from that eyepiece. And certainly, if you are getting into AP you are going to need that big budget. Kellners are the other popular design for amateur stargazing, go ahead and check out that article if you want to dive deeper into the subject. If you are upgrading, avoid ones that say correct image as these add a prism system into the diagonal which can reduce the light transmission. Plossl eyepieces have a wider field of view that can go from 50 to 56 degrees. In the box you'll receive 5 1.25 eyepieces at following sizes, a 32 mm Plossl Eyepiece, 17 mm Plossl Eyepiece , 13 mm Plossl Eyepiece, 8 mm Plossl Eyepiece, 6 mm Plossl Eyepiece, a 2X Barlow Lens 1.25. I decided to jump in with both feet and get an Orion ED80 (600mm f7.5 with a 2 focuser, So that I can move into astrophotography down the road. I want to help you select the best eyepieces for your budget and your telescope. Here we have very good eyepieces with some extra features. 6mm Kellner eyepiece that I enjoyed a lot. Generally, to maximize the number of stars you see in an eyepiece with a given telescope, both the magnification and field of view should be maximized. Best suited for telescopes with f-ratios f6 or slower. In stargazing, eyepieces are as important as telescopes are. Now we can establish a target magnification range. They work great every day and get you where you want to go, but dont have what the higher priced models have. Many brands of eyepieces are available, including SVBony UltraWide, Astromania UltraWide Angle, Agena Astro StarGuider Enhanced UltraWide Angle and others. It may be a bit less than that in reality but for practical purposes that is close enough. 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. short answer: yes. We will use 10 mm as the eyepiece focal length, but we will look at three different 10 mm eyepieces, each with a different apparent field of view, AFOV. My Barlow is a 2X with a removeable Barlow element that can be screwed right onto an eyepiece giving a 1.5X effect. Lets take a look. I often had to drop back to about 180X because of poor seeing and transparency. That's hard to beat IMO. Your email address will not be published. And new proprietary designs come out from time to time. The Plossl optical design is very good for long and medium focal length eyepieces, delivering a sharp, flat field and an apochromatic image. These eyepieces have about 35 to 50 degrees apparent fields of view and reasonable eye relief, though quite short for high magnifications. If youre still wondering between a Kellner vs Plossl, my advice to you would be invest a little extra cash and go for a good quality Plossl. I guess my curiosity is mostly about the diagonal. If you go this route, you can always add single focal length eyepieces along the way to serve specialized purposes. 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. Overall, I would highly recommend the goldline eyepieces. It's no surprise that the eyepieces in our Sirius Plossl line are our best-selling telescope eyepieces. Better edge correction with a short-focus telescope is one of the things you pay extra money for, and sophisticated eyepiece designs have as many as eight elements. Many approach the quality of the premium brands. What apparent field of view and eye relief do I want? Finally, a wider field of view just makes it easier to find stuff. I have an SCT and my eyepiece case only hasPlssls (and one Ortho) in it. There was an old Meade Super-Plossl design that used an additional lens element and could reach a wider field of view. Lets just say that once you get below F5, it is really hard for the eyepiece to deliver a clean image to the edge. In simple terms, high focal ratio scopes, say those over F6, tend to be less demanding on eyepieces than those below F6. 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. These are two very important considerations when you are looking for eyepieces. In that respect, they are similar to the Explore Scientific 82 degree mentioned earlier. Note that as we get into the higher magnifications, the millimeter jumps between eyepiece focal lengths gets smaller. Of course, for the cost of the two Plossls, you could justify having them as spares or outreach EPs. As is outstanding in the workmanship, a Plossl type eyepiece is a moderately wide field eyepiece involving two colorless doublets in which the crown components generally face each other. However, the BH Zoom is by far my most used eyepiece. It was named after Peter Barlow who invented it in the 1800s, so it is usually capitalized. None of my fancy EPs have enough contrast for this application. You use the 8-24 zoom for the midrange. Thanks so much. Plossl and Kellner eyepieces are two very common examples of a simple eyepiece design, and they are probably the most common type of eyepiece you are likely to come across when eyepieces have been bundled with a telescope; they are also a very common aftermarket accessory. Wide view and well-corrected view, even in F5 scopes. I have CPC 925 and I currently own Hyperion 10mm, Hyperion 17mm and Celestron plossl 40mm. Kellner eyepieces were first designed by Carl Kellner in 1849. The Hyperions work well in SCTs and you can't beat that large eyelens and eye relief ,JMO. It also was considerably more expensive. Kellners can be as little as half the price of a Plossl in the same focal length, but they are generally very comparable, especially in recent years as telescope prices have fluctuated in response to changing supply chains and demand. But dont fear that you will waste your investment as eyepieces are standard sizes. Some will offer longer eye relief which can be important to eyeglass wearers. It will also make your life easier if youre out observing on windy days that would otherwise blow off the front cover of your telescope. Generally, dont mess around with solar projection unless youre okay with damaging the instrument. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But some people demand the very best, and it is available, at a price. Theres a reason Plossls are usually kept at 52 degrees. In our example, we targeted 200X as the top magnification. Compared with a zoomable telescope eyepiece, they are pretty much the same in terms of the quality of the image. Thanks all. This is my all-time favorite eyepiece and the one I use more than all the others put together. What diameter eyepieces will my telescope accept? I dont own nor have I used it, but Orion has a very good reputation. I do not miss beating my eyelashes against a 9.7mm Meade Plossl that I used to own. Plssl eyepieces are good all-around performers, producing sharp images at the center of the field, but they have only four lens elements. You might be able to find a Kellner, or perhaps a high-quality Orthoscopic. 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. The computerized pad and motor work on AA batteries which can last you a few hours. I often recommend it. Im also uncertain about what to expect from an additional investment? . Even if we were next-door neighbors this would take weeks of discussion and planning. This 10 mm Orion Sirius Plossl Eyepiece is a great, moderately high power ocular for observing small planetary nebulas and globular star clusters, as well as for planetary probing when seeing conditions don't permit higher magnifications. My understanding of eyepieces was very limited until I read this article, you explain things in a clear and understandable way which made my understanding so much clearer. Well-made lenses are expensive though, so in general the more lenses, the higher the price of the eyepiece. Typically a Barlow does not add or subtract from this, but there again we have bad Barlows and Good Barlows. I have seen some gatekeeping in this hobby about Kellners, and Im not sure I understand it. Pay attention to the eye relief, especially if you will be observing with glasses. We will talk more about the field of view later, but note that if you can use 2 eyepieces, you will typically only have one or two for very low power wide field views. The 4000 SWA's were way overpriced for their performance IMHO. Comparing to Plossl, the Expanse eyepiece is a lot more expensive. 70 mm scope will have a max of 140X for planning purposes. But the conventional way of expressing it is in terms of eyepiece focal lengths. Edited April 23, 2010 by russ teh_orph Members 28 198 Author That is why I suggest, if you can use 2 eyepieces, you will want one or two low power wide view 2 eyepieces. Excellent, thank you for the breakdown, very much appreciated. It costs three to four times as much as the Celestron Zoom, but if you have the budget, this is the one to get. Just search on Astronomy Club and you will probably find one in your area. 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. Customer reviews Average Rating (16 Reviews): Write a Review and share your opinions! The view being presented to your eye in a low power eyepiece minimizes everything from optical aberrations in the telescope, to distortions from thermals or atmospheric conditions. The Astrovid 40X60mm Zoom Telescope Camera Lens Kit is a great choice for those looking to get a variety of lenses, at different magnifications. Another really helpful article, Ed. Focal length telescope / focal length eyepiece = magnification or power. They have a 50-56 degrees field of view, better eye relief, and cost more than Kellners. Another useful aspect of a wider field of view is that, assuming the entire eyepiece is sharp enough to show good images right to the edge, you dont have to nudge the telescope to track the rotation of the Earth as often with a Plossl (50 degrees) compared to a Kellner (40 degrees). Warranty Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for one year from date of purchase. If there is a local club, I would suggest you visit and consider joining. Good evening everybody. We have compared Plossl against Kellner eyepieces in a previous article. It uses two symmetrical pairs of glass elements (one convex and one concave) to pass the light. Worth it is a tough question to answer. I had a TV 20mm Plossl once. The TFOV of the Hyperion will be greater than the TFOV of the Plssl, but the magnification will be about the same. It sounds cool, they must be better than regular Plossls with that name, right? I am not aware of an ES branded 70 degree series in the USA, but they do have a Bresser branded 70-degree series. But, at least get the 32mm Plssl. Number of Lenses. 30 = 60 = 1.3 However, i can read very well without my glasses with almost microscopic vision and can use my binoculars without glasses. 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.