Note that the full moon appears to be approximately .5 degrees across, so use that as a mental reference when looking at the numbers. I had a TV 20mm Plossl once. I wont go into all the types of aberrations that can be there. Note to spectacle wearers: Plssl eyepieces with 15mm and longer focal lengths are good choices for spectacle wearers. If you stumble the first few uses, dont be discouraged. The Big Bang Optics is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. The combination of high-quality optics and accessible prices have made them the favorite design for amateur astronomers and even professionals. With modern multi-coated optics that thwart internal reflections, Plossls and Kellners have little difference in glare or transmission/opacity. Offered in both 2 and 1.25, these are excellent eyepieces. i dont have 1 of everything, and i bought the best i could afford on a low budget; meade and orion. Read our full affiliate disclosure here. Planetary eyepieces: Ploessl or Orthoscopic and which brand Warranty Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for one year from date of purchase. It also gives the widest possible exit pupil in my dob and SCT, very handy when using nebula filters. Thanks. Eye relief is the distance from the eye lens to your eyeball, and the higher the better (within reason). If the above guide has helped you understand the terms and workings of eyepieces, scroll up and make a selection from our recommendation list. You really understood the material. We often end up spending more on eyepieces than we did on the telescope. Are plossl eyepieces still worth it? - Eyepieces - Cloudy Nights The 21mm is simply amazing, I can't believe that TV decided to discontinue this little gem, it is better than the newer version in every category including eye comfort, the overall shape along with fit and finish is one of the best from TV. Some experience with Baader Aspheric 31mm/36mm? - Eyepieces - Cloudy Nights Whether it is cars or telescope eyepieces, there are inexpensive ones, upgraded models, and very expensive ones. Pay attention to the eye relief, especially if you will be observing with glasses. All of the Omni eyepieces have a 1.25" barrel size with the exception of the super low power 56 mm, which has a barrel size of 2". People may have heard, and rightly so, that Huygens or Ramsdens are crummy eyepieces and that they should get a Plossl instead, and they may believe the same applies to Kellners, but the truth is that Kellners are often good eyepieces. This can be debated 100 ways, but that is my advice. So your 600 mm example (f/6) becomes, in effect, an 1800 mm focal length, f/18 but it does not change the focal length of the eyepiece. The Astrovid 40X60mm Zoom Telescope Camera Lens Kit is a great choice for those looking to get a variety of lenses, at different magnifications. They also offer a generous 16 mm of eye relief which is most important in the shorter focal lengths. 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. Again, does it create a more immersive viewing experience? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Quality this good usually costs a lot more. But I think you will feel more confident about your purchases and be less likely to be disappointed if you read through the guide. 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). In my opinion, you do not. But these are only intended to get you started. As to a more immersive experience, yes, I would say a wider FOV does provide a more immersive experience. In some cases, the eyepieces are waterproof to protect them from internal contamination caused by heavy dew conditions. But those EPs mentioned were all great too! My love affair with space began in a field in India at the age of 7, when I looked up at the Milky Way for the first time. Sooooo helpful! Ah I see what you are saying, I had wondered whether this might have had an impact as Ive seen it mentioned before but dont fully understand it so will do some research, thank you . You see the object in a wider expanse of space with more stars. You can find the eyepieces I use and recommend in this article. One more thing if you havent purchased a telescope yet, I would recommend a tabletop version, since they are easier for kids to move than the fiddley ones with spindly legs and complicated dials. I dont think so. They are also good for those who have astigmatism because they are designed to be more forgiving with eye placement. Do you think it would be sensible for me to look at getting a higher magnification specific eyepiece? Despite this, I also have some Plossls which are indispensable. The 50 apparent field of view is plenty for me. So, for your 30 mm, 82/60 = 1.36 degrees. I think I will go for the BHZ because, as you say, I will be able to use it now and into the future. I have not had an opportunity to test it yet but the general discussions have favorable. You can still get eyepieces, but there are few choices. Its quite long but that is what we are aiming for and hopefully, it was useful to you. SVBONY Direct . no caps come in bolt case. I have had a good experience with the SVBony brand and the Agena Astro brand. I took notes and now can shop with confidence eyepiece shows signs of use with caps and bolt case, 32 mm Plossl very good cond. In retrospect, I should have included Tele Vue. The difference in TFOV will be significant at this focal length. A key thing to remember is that eyepieces are universal. FOR SALE! Ive read, and re-read, and re-re-read this page. 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. Be sure to read the following as you consider your eyepiece purchases. There are three types of Plossl eyepiece: the regular, Super, and Orthoscopic. Yes, eyepieces is a large and complex topic. They have a 50-56 degrees field of view, better eye relief, and cost more than Kellners. I just added the 4.7 mm. 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. The Japan made 16mm Meade 3000 was a very nice medium power plossl and the 40mm in that series was surprisingly nice as well. If you are very demanding and must have the very best, this is where you want to be. Worth is a subjective evaluation, so here is my subjective input: 1. What happens if you use an eyepiece that has a the wrong exit pupil? Have Any Astronauts Been Lost in Space Forever. You have a very wide choice of brands and styles to choose from. An Austrian inventor Georg Simon Plossl came up with the Plossl eyepiece design in 1860. Are Plossl eyepieces any good? 2x Barlow At this point, a Plossl and a Kellner are so close in price and performance that you may as well get the Plossl. But the longer FL units are certainly useful. But will the Baader CO with 1.5-2-3x Barlows deliver a visibly sharper and more contrast view of the Moon and planets than the zoom lens with a 2x Barlow, to compensate for the zooms convenience that is the question! Rating (max 5): Compared with a zoomable telescope eyepiece, they are pretty much the same in terms of the quality of the image. The Celestron Omni Plossl eyepiece range offers a nice entry-level range into the higher quality 4-element Plossl design. Take the AFOV of the eyepiece (provided by the mfg) in your case 82 degrees 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. All the rest will likely be 1.25. Plossl eyepieces are often included in better telescope packages as the starter eyepieces. Centuries of improvements led to achromatic refractors, where the primary lens is made up of two lenses of different types of glass, which reduces false color fringing and allows the telescope to be made considerably more compact. Astromania 1.25" 4mm Plossl Telescope Eyepiece - amazon.com or a Baader Classic Ortho 18mm with both a 1.5/2x Barlow and 3x Barlow. When you are shopping, if you need long eye relief, make sure you are selecting the correct ones. I purchased the Celestron Starsense 102mm refractor, focal length 660mm, stated highest useful magnification is 240x; it should arrive in about 2 weeks. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-telescope-eyepieces/. This will give you a maximum target for planning purposes. There is a little bit more to it than that and there are other design . But in this scope, the 32 mm doesnt work well. What Is A Plossl Eyepiece?(Thoroughly Explained!) - Scope The Galaxy Omni 9mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. I have just one Meade product currently and that is a series 4000 1.25 inch UHC type filter which I use for outreach. Some accept 2 and have an adapter that allows you to also use 1.25. did i pass? Gosky 1.25inch Plossl Telescope Eyepiece - Amazon.com When I started, I purchased less expensive eyepieces to learn about them and how I would use them. Your eyepieces do not need to be the same brand as your telescope. However, some lateral color error is apparent when looking at bright subjects, such as Jupiter or Venus, against a dark sky. It was grueling, because I couldnt even get the entire field of viewI had to keep my eye hovering above the exit pupil. OK that makes sense, many thanks. Even though both eyepieces are very common in beginner telescopes, it has become harder to find Kellner eyepieces on their own in the last two years, whether they come from a brand name or the original equipment manufacturer or a reseller. No other type can compare with it when it comes to that quality. I have Celestron and the Baader Hyperion. Even if we were next-door neighbors this would take weeks of discussion and planning. Plossl vs Kellner Eyepieces. - Little Astronomy Any 1.25 eyepiece will work with the BH Zoom 2 adapter. https://telescopicwatch.com/orion-skyquest-xt8-intelliscope-review/. I often recommend the use of a barlow to achieve the higher range of magnifications. You can use the same eyepiece on planets and deep-sky objects (DSOs). Other eyepieces of more advanced design can have better eye relief and field of view. You can email me also. It all comes down to cost-benefit. I generally use my 40 to search for DSOs so Ill probably replace that one at some point too. Higher than 3X is usually reserved for astrophotography. While it covers the same range as the Celestron zoom, it offers better optics, better mechanical operation, and a wider field of view. By correcting for aberrations, the field of view of these eyepieces could be much larger than the soda-straw field of view in a Ramsden or Huygens, around 40 or perhaps up to 50 degrees. 20 = 90 = .8 Your email address will not be published. I have owned wider eyepieces, but ultimately I just prefer the Plssls (must be a mental defect). For example, if you put a 30 mm eyepiece in a 3X Barlow, it will triple the magnification you get from that eyepiece. In High School, they told me that F=MA In college I learned that F=dp/dt But F=MA works well enough for most situations and that is how I think of it. Required fields are marked *. To achieve a maximum of 200X (2X the aperture of 100 mm), we solve for the focal length. They can be recognized by a thin gold line just below the eye cup. Best Telescope Eyepieces For Viewing Planets [Top 8 Picks For One of the TMB Planetary eyepieces are extremely nice for 50. Explore Scientific 68 34 mm or ES 82 30 mm would also be good choices at a significantly higher price but with better edge correction. Are Plossl eyepieces good? It includes two high-magnification Plossl eyepieces and five lower magnification zoom oculars with an adjustable focus in the kit. And the zoom provides every magnification in that range without having to change eyepieces. Perhaps you should seek out help from your local astronomy club. Then set your maximum based on your aperture and split it up. Plossls and Kellners, like other simple eyepiece designs, have moderate fields of view and tend to have short eye relief as you scale them down to shorter focal lengths. If you plan to go longer than that you can get an AC adapter or a power tank. What should one opt for a 2 EP over a 1.25? How important a consideration is this when deciding on an eyepiece? They also offer more eye relief than Plossls at the shorter focal lengths. When a beginner is choosing eyepieces on a budget, there are a number of possible designs they may choose between. It costs a lot to get that last 10% of performance. So I sincerely hope that this article helps you understand the similarities and differences between Plossl and Kellner eyepieces so that you can an informed decision and choose the best one for yourself. 600 mm / 200X = 3 mm This will be the focal length of our highest power eyepiece. See if you will observe with or without your glasses. And of course, NEVER look through a telescope pointed at the sun that does not have a safe solar filter covering the front. Plossl eyepieces are perfect for astronomical viewing because the field of view is wider. The Big Bang Optics was started because of our love for astronomy and to help others like us find the best telescope and accessories. I continue to be very pleased with the ES82 eyepieces. While eyepieces with relatively complex, proprietary, or bespoke designs are becoming more commonly available in the beginner price bracket, there is often good reason to choose a much simpler design. 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. But some people demand the very best, and it is available, at a price. Or, you can have three properly sized eyepieces and use a Barlow lens to achieve three more magnifications, which is usually a less expensive way to go. To achieve six magnifications, you can have six eyepieces. Comparing to Plossl eyepieces, Super Plossl is somewhat better for astronomy. 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! As we go along, I will refer back to these, so dont worry if you cant answer the questions or understand the formulas now. PayPal, cash, bank transfer are all acceptable. The 5-lens-element pseudo-Masuyamas that telesonic mentioned are/were fine eyepieces. The availability of good quality relatively wide field-of-view inexpensive eyepieces has kind of put them in the second tier of eyepieces, but they still hold their own in the longer focal lengths and excel if one does not demand a wide field-of-view. That's how cost-efficient the entire package is! Hi Ed, I would wait till you get the scope and use the included eyepieces. Here we focus on becoming a knowledge hub for astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. It sounds cool, they must be better than regular Plossls with that name, right? However, for your extra money you get the finest manufacture, the best polish and coatings available. These eyepieces have about 35 to 50 degrees apparent fields of view and reasonable eye relief, though quite short for high magnifications. Many approach the quality of the premium brands. In the beginning, you are not going to know what the atmospheric conditions might be 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. 5 Best Telescope Eyepieces in 2023 [+Beginner's Guide] Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You use the 8-24 zoom for the midrange. Omni 12mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. It uses two symmetrical pairs of glass elements (one convex and one concave) to pass the light. As we continue, what would you recommend adding first? Many thanks. They can also be found as Orion Expanse sporting a blue line rather than gold. The way a Plossl eyepiece works is by using the convex lens and concave lenses to create an image that has both total magnification of what youre viewing, as well as erect images. I just ordered Hyperion 13mm and 21mm but I really like how sharp and crisp view is in plossl 40mm. 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. You can buy a range of these from Modern Astronomy. You can accomplish a longer eye relief by barlowing a longer f/l plossl, so that is something to think about as well. Eyepieces under $100 each are generally considered budget or low-cost eyepieces. You could base this on 3, 4, 5, 6 or more focal lengths/magnifications. . . Heres the short answer Plossl eyepieces are generally better than Kellner eyepieces, but they also tend to be more expensive. If you want to observe the fine details of a specimen, Plossl eyepiece has a higher magnification than an ocular with lower lenses. So, basically a Plossl eyepiece is a type of eyepiece that enables the viewer to see a wider field of view than would normally be the case, but at the cost of him/her having to physically put his eye very close to the lens of the eyepiece. My 20, 26, and 32mm Plossls will probably stay around. This was very useful, I got a meade infinity 90mm ( after read the review here -. 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. Orion Sirius Plossl 10mm telescope eyepiece 1.25" in very good to excellent 185794462395 But for AP you should really start your planning with the mount. Astro Essentials Super Plossl Eyepiece | First Light Optics Gosky Plossl 40 mm Telescope Eyepiece - 1.25inch This is probably the worst eyepiece I can recommend. A good modern eyepiece like a BST starguider 12,8 and 5mm are excellent eyepieces. Focus on the magnifications rather than the mm of the eyepieces. And certainly, if you are getting into AP you are going to need that big budget. Stargazinghelp.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com. Note that we also gained a 16 mm magnification at no additional cost. Achromatic vs Apochromatic refracting telescopes. What diameter eyepieces will my telescope accept? If you want a very good eyepiece with a bit wider field of view but are on a budget, these are very good choices. This has nothing to do with your scope or eyepiece. Features : 5 superior-grade Plossl eyepieces: 1.25-in, 4-element design with a 52 AFOV (32mm has 44)4mm, 6mm, 9mm, 15mm, and 32mm . 70 mm scope will have a max of 140X for planning purposes. 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! Stargazing Help is a participant in Amazon Associates program. The original design for Plossl eyepieces has existed since 1860. My Barlow is a 2X with a removeable Barlow element that can be screwed right onto an eyepiece giving a 1.5X effect. But what are the differences between these two and how do you know which one to choose? You mentioned regarding ORTHO eyepieces: Excellent specialty eyepieces, usually for planets. The big problem with Plssls is that the eye relief is about 0.75 times the focal length. Oh the pain of uh having access to really cool eyepieces.). I still have it and still use it from time to time. As the clear cut worlds best eyepiece manufacturer, their name should at least be mentioned in an article like this. Is it just about finding and framing, or do wide fov EPs create a more immersive experience? At shorter focal lengths they have less eye relief, and at all focal lengths they have a narrower field of view, than newer types. However, if you want to optimize your viewing experience, youll need to invest in a better-quality eyepiece. But just because an eyepiece is 2 doesnt mean it has a wider field of view than one that is 1.25. 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. Later in the article, I will also give my top recommendations for both the best Kellner as well as the best Plossl eyepieces. 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. Plssl eyepieces are affordable and they're outstanding additions to amateur telescopes. I believe the 5000 UWA's are good as well. They offer a 52-degree apparent field with clean, high-contrast images. We can see that 2 eyepieces have an advantage over 1.25 eyepieces when designers are making wide-view eyepieces. 40mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepiece | Orion Telescopes Top 10 Best Best Plossl Eyepieces 2023 - Complete Buying Guide That's hard to beat IMO. If you were considering a Super Plossl made by an entry-level brand, just use those extra funds to instead get a regular Plossl made by a more reputable manufacturer. This may be enough for many eyeglass wearers. However, you may see them at higher prices for the short term. 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. Plossls are the clear winner here in most cases, unless you have one of the wider-field 50-degree Kellners. In essence the design differences between Kellner and Plossl comes down to the number of lenses within the eyepiece barrel. 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.
