These will normally be higher priced and may be outside the price range we show here. The result in magnification is the same and the eye relief associated with the eyepiece is retained or, in some cases, actually lengthened a bit. Focus on the magnifications rather than the mm of the eyepieces. Thanks for your comment. 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. One of the TMB Planetary eyepieces are extremely nice for 50. Yes, eyepieces is a large and complex topic. 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. Prices can run from $20 to $200 so the field is pretty broad. 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. The category is over $300 and some of these are way over $300. It costs a lot to get that last 10% of performance. 40mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepiece | Orion Telescopes With the XT8i I usually used the zoom configured with a 1.5X Barlow giving me a 75X to 225X which I found to be nearly perfect for that scope. 1:10 . Your email address will not be published. I already got the 10mm super wide because of the added eye relief but at 15mm both have the same eye relief. This is just a planning target. Gold line eyepieces are available in 6mm, 9mm, 15mm, and 20mm focal lengths. Remember that visual and AP have very different requirements, so plan on at least two different optical tubes. However, because they have more glass elements than other designs, like Kellners, their manufacturing becomes extremely important to get high-quality optics. A Televue Plssl may be better than a generic one, but the difference is probably not worth the additional cost. For astronomical observations, such as viewing craters on the moons surface from Earth, high-magnification models are preferred because they offer more detail. Plossl eyepieces are often included in better telescope packages as the starter eyepieces. Plossl vs Kellner Eyepieces. - Little Astronomy So you ended up with: But, if you have a plan, you can fill in those slots, working toward a well-balanced set of magnifications. The eye relief is the distance between your eyes and the eyepiece where you are able to view the whole image comfortably. The larger barrel allows them to create an eyepiece with a higher AFOV. Over time, you will likely spend more on eyepieces than on the telescope. Do you think it would be sensible for me to look at getting a higher magnification specific eyepiece? In the case of the Celestron, you get all the focal lengths from 24 to 8mm in one eyepiece that costs $100. What is a Plssl eyepiece? | BBC Sky at Night Magazine Many brands of eyepieces are available, including SVBony UltraWide, Astromania UltraWide Angle, Agena Astro StarGuider Enhanced UltraWide Angle and others. But the longer FL units are certainly useful. Offered in both 2 and 1.25, these are excellent eyepieces. 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. These are highly sought after ep's, and hold their value well. If you don't like the reflections, there really aren't many other budget options at its focal length beside a Plossl which will be super uncomfortable to use, or spending over $100 for something like a Meade UWA. Celestron Telescopes Reviews: Should you buy? - Little Astronomy You can enjoy wide-angle views without giving up any of the clarity or sharpness when using Plossl eyepiece while Kellner will give you more magnified views but at less than half the brightness levels in comparison to other lens designs on this list if light pollution was involved. Look those up, seeing and transparency in the context of astronomy. a Celestron 8-24 Zoom with a 2x Barlow Also, atmospheric conditions can limit how much magnification you can use on a given night. But the one I am recommending here is the Tele Vue Nagler series. I generally use my 40 to search for DSOs so Ill probably replace that one at some point too. There is no problem using a Celestron eyepiece in a Meade telescope, for example. Skywatcher SP Plossl lenses - Discussions - Stargazers Lounge SVBONY Telescope Eyepiece Set Telescope Accessory Kit with 2x Barlow Lens 4 Element Plossl Design 6.3mm 32mm 40mm for Astronomical Telescopes. Pentax 10.5mm Eye Piece Excellent Condition (#314374986239) r***d (1910 . Best suited for telescopes with f-ratios f6 or slower. As for Barlow Lenses, take a look at this article. Their 50 to 52 degree AFOV is wide enough for general observing. Perhaps you should seek out help from your local astronomy club. 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. Well-made lenses are expensive though, so in general the more lenses, the higher the price of the eyepiece. Free shipping for many products! The telescope comes with a 2x Barlow so I was thinking of getting one of the zooms you recommended. Glad you found it helpful. Plssl's were top of the line at one time, and are still being sold today, so that says something too. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Since 2011, we've published astronomy related content and reviews to help guide the community better. Goldline series of eyepieces provides the best value in this price range, better than Plossls. 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. For it's cost, a 32mm Plssl eyepiece is hard to beat. Plssl eyepieces are good all-around performers, producing sharp images at the center of the field, but they have only four lens elements. And certainly, if you are getting into AP you are going to need that big budget. 100-300X, 2X Barlow. With regards to budget, whatever works well and is on par with the quality & capability of the telescope. Even though the design has existed for more than a century, it has stood the test of and is still today the standard against which other eyepiece designs are measured. 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. 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. Are Plossl eyepieces good? This is not a hard and fast rule, just a cautionary note. Choose three focal lengths. Plossl eyepieces are perfect for astronomical viewing because the field of view is wider. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Some accept 2 and have an adapter that allows you to also use 1.25. With a 8" dobsonian, a 6mm is very versatile. Gosky 1.25inch Plossl Telescope Eyepiece - Amazon.com Would a higher magnification eyepiece help do you think or am I already pushing my telescope (XT8) to highest sensible magnification I can with BH zoom on setting 8mm and 2x Barlow? The Hyperions work well in SCTs and you can't beat that large eyelens and eye relief ,JMO. They have a narrow AFOV but have a reputation for being very sharp.. You will see these under many brands, including Orion, Celestron, GSO, and others. In order to help you narrow down your choices, weve created a short guide that can help you figure out what the best viable option is. Sorry but I am not offering a configuration and pricing service. Buy Astromania 1.25" 4mm Plossl Telescope Eyepiece - 4-Element Plossl Design . Can you help me. Type above and press Enter to search. At shorter focal lengths they have less eye relief, and at all focal lengths they have a narrower field of view, than newer types. Good quality plossl eyepieces - Discussions - Stargazers Lounge I hope I can say that someday. My other eyepieces, ES and Meade 82 degree, stayed in the eyepiece case most of the time. Plossl vs Super Plossl Eyepieces. Which One is Better? - Little Astronomy Then there is a pair of 32mm and 20mm TV Plossls which make my binoviewers work well with a Daystar Quark H-alpha solar filter. 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. I am considering buying another eyepiece, maybe 6mm, and a Barlow, maybe 2x, to give me a wider and higher range of magnification. Yes, the wider field of view of a Plossl is very helpful, but 40 degrees of Kellners isnt a soda straw (unless you are used to looking through very wide field eyepiece. However, the BH Zoom is by far my most used eyepiece. In comparison, Aspherical lenses generally have no color distortion but might not work out well if the telescope user needs really high magnification. Non-eyeglass wearers can usually tolerate Plossls as short as about 10-12mm before their eyelashes start brushing the ocular lens. This might contain more of what you need. A common problem are eyepiece kits, which are big boxes that some telescope suppliers will sell you with half a dozen eyepieces, most of which include annoyingly short focal length Plossl eyepieces. You can buy eyepieces specifically focused on a particular scope or you can buy eyepieces that you expect to use with this and all future scopes. I have a custom-built 32mm Plossl that has been opened up as wide as possible to 60 or 70 degrees, for use as a 2 eyepiece, although in my 10 Dobsonian at f/5 the edge distortions prevent it from seeing much use. High-quality Plssl eyepieces provide high contrast and sharpness across the entire field of view. These and the essentially identical AT Paradigm are universally praised as good quality eyepieces with a wider 60-degree apparent field of view. Kellner vs Plossl - Comparison table. I dont own nor have I used it, but Orion has a very good reputation. very happy. Over $250, I will label premium eyepieces. 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. Focal length telescope / focal length eyepiece = magnification or power. 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. 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. For one thing, a wider field of view is almost always more pleasant. The quality of a Plossl eyepiece completely depends on the brand and model, so be very careful in our selection. Of course, the entire eyepiece must be manufactured and finished correctly to realize the design's full potential. Then set your maximum based on your aperture and split it up. The field of view of the eyepiece has a few effects when it comes to actually using it in the telescope. I have an SCT and my eyepiece case only hasPlssls (and one Ortho) in it. Im just starting out with astronomy and this really helped my understanding. For our experience level, would you recommend changing anything right now? 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.) There was an old Meade Super-Plossl design that used an additional lens element and could reach a wider field of view. This wider field of view will make it easier to find your targets, allow you to view larger deep-sky objects, and provide a more immersive experience for everything that you view. Because the eyepiece was still similar enough to a Plossl and still kept the symmetrical design, they called it Super Plossl. What Is A Barlow Lens For A Telescope? Even when I upgraded to a 6mm Goldline, I kept the Kellner around because of pretty annoying kidney-bean blackout issues on the Moon with that eyepiece. If you do upgrade, youll probably want to go for a different eyepiece design than a Plosslsomething with a sharper image or a wider field of view or a longer eye relief (or all three.). If you upgrade the telescope or add a second one, the eyepieces will work on that telescope too. 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. What happens if you use an eyepiece that has a the wrong exit pupil? If that is the case, it will give me another reasonably good, inexpensive zoom to recommend to beginners. Let us know in the comments if there is anything else you want to ask or share your thoughts on this post, always looking forward to feedback from others who will benefit from it as well! Eyepieces are a religion. For modern eyepieces, the differences between Plossl and Super Plossl is going to depend on the manufacturer. Other eyepieces of more advanced design can have better eye relief and field of view. Something in the 30 to 38 mm range with a 65 to 70 degree AFOV. Note that as we get into the higher magnifications, the millimeter jumps between eyepiece focal lengths gets smaller. The Astrovid 40X60mm Zoom Telescope Camera Lens Kit is a great choice for those looking to get a variety of lenses, at different magnifications. Just search on Astronomy Club and you will probably find one in your area. Overall, I would highly recommend the goldline eyepieces. I dont think so. Here are a few types of eyepieces you may read about and their typical AFOV. thanks Ed. eyepiece shows signs of use with caps and bolt case, 32 mm Plossl very good cond. Why two sizes? Perhaps another review would be helpful. Even though the design has existed for more than a century, it has stood the test of and is still today the standard against which other eyepiece designs are measured. 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. In this case, I am going to define this by the focuser and eyepiece size. Between $100 and $250, I will call it mid-range. However, if you want to optimize your viewing experience, youll need to invest in a better-quality eyepiece. We are a reader-supported organization. Perhaps you have read about planetary eyepieces, DSO eyepieces, and other types of specific eyepieces. Note that we also gained a 16 mm magnification at no additional cost. Hi Ed, To achieve six magnifications, you can have six eyepieces. Celestron Eyepieces | Celestron Telescope Eyepieces - High Point Scientific Between Kellners and Plossls, this means a 32mm Plossl, which maximizes the field of view in the 1.25 barrel diameter format, will show more stars than either a 32mm Kellner with the same magnification but a smaller true field of view, or a 40mm Kellner (or 40mm 1.25 Plossl, which has a 40 degree apparent field of view) with a lower magnification and the same true field of view. Note that the price categories are approximate, as prices can vary between retailers. In that respect, they are similar to the Explore Scientific 82 degree mentioned earlier. The longer FL Plossls (>15mm) have some distinct advantages over more complex designs without the major disadvantage of Plossls which is short ER. The one exception I would keep in mind would be when working with Newtonian reflector telescopes below F5. At one time Plssls were premium eyepieces. Do you need to have the best to enjoy astronomy? The 66-degree AFOV of the Gold Line series provides a 32% wider field than Plossl eyepieces. Here we have very good eyepieces with some extra features. I agree. I think some of these kits even include 4mm eyepieces, and thats ridiculous! Where a difference can show up is that a lower number focal ratio scope will make it harder for an eyepiece to provide a uniformly good, in-focus image all the way across the field of view due to the steeper angle that the light arrives at the edges of the eyepiece with a low focal ratio scope, as compared to a high focal ratio scope. 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. Question: would an 18mm Baader Classic Ortho mostly used for Moon and planets loose sharpness and contrast if used with a short F5 telescope like the Celestron Astro-Fi 130? In your case, I would do this for the 30 and the 20. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-telescope-mounts-for-astrophotography/, Then you look at the optical tubes. A good modern eyepiece like a BST starguider 12,8 and 5mm are excellent eyepieces. Plossl eyepieces are often included in better telescope packages as the starter eyepieces. We have compared Plossl against Kellner eyepieces in a previous article. Interesting points Philip. Orion 12 mm Sirius Super Wide Angle Correct Image Eyepiece has a rubber eyecup that holds in light, which enables you to enjoy this powerful telescope eyepiece at night without glare or reflections from any external sources. Some reviews also suggest replacing the diagonal. What focal length eyepieces should I buy? Every review suggests replacing the 10mm Kellner eyepiece (and possibly 25mm Kellner) that comes with it.