are plossl eyepieces good
Plossl eyepieces have an eye relief equal to about 80% of their focal length. 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. As for Barlow Lenses, take a look at this article. I want to help you select the best eyepieces for your budget and your telescope. The bottom line is that it is best to have several magnification choices so you can optimize the view. Of course, the entire eyepiece must be manufactured and finished correctly to realize the design's full potential. The Big Bang Optics was started because of our love for astronomy and to help others like us find the best telescope and accessories. It doesnt matter what type of telescope you have, as long as your scope takes these standard sizes. This is a good thing, because normally the shorter the focal length of the eyepiece, the less eye relief you have. How do you focus - I would have expected helical focusers in the eyepiece holders but don't see any? This number can range from 30 degrees to 120 degrees. The difference isnt that severe, and I often track more often than is strictly necessary to keep the object centered anyway. Gosky Plossl 40 mm Telescope Eyepiece - 1.25inch This is probably the worst eyepiece I can recommend. What is a Plssl eyepiece? | BBC Sky at Night Magazine That is up to you and your budget. A 32mm Plssl is worth it. If you had to choose 1 low-power 2 EP for chasing deep sky objects (again, at 600mm f7.5), what size piece would you go for? Be aware of the focal ratio of your scope. Kellner eyepieces work perfectly with small and medium-sized telescopes. 4. I saw Jupiter today and its 4 moons but when I looked at saturn I struggled to get a really clear image and it was very small. A key thing to remember is that eyepieces are universal. I have several 10mm eyepieces in my eyepiece boxalmost all of them are eyepieces that came with some telescope I boughtand I will almost always choose to use one of the Kellners over one of the Plossls, because the Kellners have a longer eye relief, which is comparable to the focal length. They are usable, but your eye will be extremely close to the top lens glass. Another really helpful article, Ed. Understanding and using a Barlow Lens Regular Plossl eyepieces with maybe just a slightly better coating or build quality. They have a pop-up eye guard and they are threaded to accept filters. Good quality. A decent barlow might cost as much or even more. The focal length range for 1.25 Plossls is about 6mm to 45mm. For astronomical observations, such as viewing craters on the moons surface from Earth, high-magnification models are preferred because they offer more detail. This can be very helpful for star hopping. The design uses a planoconvex, two cemented-element eye lens and a large convex field lens. Is it just about finding and framing, or do wide fov EPs create a more immersive experience? You might be able to find a Kellner, or perhaps a high-quality Orthoscopic. For what it's worth: I believe the Omni 1.25 inch 2x Barlow is one of the Shorty Barlows manufactured by GSO. Celestron 2026 Erecting Prism Barlow Lens Set is another great choice for those looking to get a variety of magnifications. 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! I have seen some gatekeeping in this hobby about Kellners, and Im not sure I understand it. I once had to use a 6mm Plossl to attempt to perform a star-test collimation for a telescope at the observatory. All registered. This gives us more flexibility at the low end of the magnification range. Plossl eyepiece is one of the reasonable options when it comes to telescope eyepieces for stargazing or astronomy. This Super Plossl design was better than regular Plossl eyepieces, but not by much. What I can say is that, in general, eyepiece characteristics are inherent to the eyepiece. Celestron 1,25 pollici Omni Plossl telescopio astronomico britannico 32 Do you think it would be sensible for me to look at getting a higher magnification specific eyepiece? That is a really interesting picture. This is your Lexus, Acura, and Infinity types that offer more features, better build, and a bit more polish. So its best for use during duller times when there isnt much brightness visible. Every review suggests replacing the 10mm Kellner eyepiece (and possibly 25mm Kellner) that comes with it. All the rest will likely be 1.25. PayPal, cash, bank transfer are all acceptable. I owned an XT8 Intelliscope which is the same optical tube on a PushTo mount. The Plossl eyepiece has 4 lenses, consisting of 2 identical double lenses. Lets take a look. This will become more apparent the wider the AFOV is of the eyepiece, in my experience. 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. Each eyepiece gives you a unique magnification based on the formula listed at the start: Why do you need more than two eyepieces? Not really. Because of this setup, you might also hear a Plossl eyepiece referred to as a symmetrical eyepiece. Newer multi-coatings are better, I suppose, but newer does not always mean better in the ocular game. Super Plossl eyepieces are generally a little smaller than this at around 16-20 mm in size, which is why theyre sometimes referred to as wide-angle or low power plossls. Kellner vs Plossl - Comparison table. Tip Its almost always cheaper to buy directly from Agena Astro. 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. Look those up, seeing and transparency in the context of astronomy. 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. But are they really? This eye piece provides the maximum true field of view in the 1.25 inch format. This is where the second formula comes into play. 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. As I discussed earlier, the zoom lets you explore your target over a wide range of magnifications without having to change eyepieces. The magnification range that is appropriate to your scope. i still use the binos. Plossl vs Kellner Eyepieces. - Little Astronomy Fully coated optics provide crisp and bright views of the cosmos. But for the targets requiring higher mag Im still undecided between: Your eyepieces do not need to be the same brand as your telescope. Kellner eyepieces, on the other hand, are generally pretty close to each other in terms of quality so theres little chance you will get much variance in image definition between brands. This is just a planning target. In your case, I would do this for the 30 and the 20. 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. It should list what size eyepieces you can use. When you add eyepieces to your collection, you will want to consider what field of view you want and how much you are willing to pay for it. Meade telescope maksutov eyepiece ETX-105EC Super Plossl 6.4mm 1.25" w capsule. Very worth it for me, as I like to use bino-viewers. And you don't even have to get the full set if you don't want to. I guess my curiosity is mostly about the diagonal. And that is pretty much what Super Plossl are today. If you cant use 2, that 32 mm Plossl, which has a 50 degree AFOV, will give you about as wide a field of view as you can get in a 1.25 eyepiece. What happens if you use an eyepiece that has a the wrong exit pupil? For the price, I think the eyepiece is still a good pick. This is where the cheap eyepiece will frequently fail to deliver a good image, around the edges. https://telescopicwatch.com/celestron-8-24mm-zoom-eyepiece-review/. I do not miss beating my eyelashes against a 9.7mm Meade Plossl that I used to own. The Plossl is a good all-around eyepiece design, is well suited for generic use and is relatively inexpensive to make. I really enjoy usingPlssls. Pay attention to the eye relief, especially if you will be observing with glasses. But your point is well taken. Nothing will stop you from trying to go higher, but in all likelihood, the image will be poor and not worth the cost of eyepieces to achieve it. Plossl eyepieces are great. 100-300X, 2X Barlow. 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. Choose three focal lengths. I have seen elsewhere discussions about the exit pupil of eyepieces. A Plossl eyepiece has a field of view thats very wide, so if youre looking at the full moon or some other object in space with it, chances are youll see the entire thing. Any 1.25 diagonal should work. And, the quality of the eyepiece clearly comes into play here. Modified vs Unmodified DSLR Astrophotography: The Ultimate Showdown! thanks for all your help. SVBONY Telescope Eyepiece Set Telescope Accessory Kit with 2x Barlow Lens 4 Element Plossl Design 6.3mm 32mm 40mm for Astronomical Telescopes. Im also uncertain about what to expect from an additional investment? Some optics brands have taken the next step and launched some eyepieces they have labeled as Super Plossl. In the early days of telescopic astronomy, refractor telescopes were designed with a single lens at the front and a single lens at the back. Eyepieces under $100 each are generally considered budget or low-cost eyepieces. a breath of fresh air! There is no problem using a Celestron eyepiece in a Meade telescope, for example. This has nothing to do with your scope or eyepiece. But the conventional way of expressing it is in terms of eyepiece focal lengths. I would recommend the Orion Q70 series over that. Now looking for a couple of decent eyepieces. Read our full affiliate disclosure here. Can you give me any specific recommendations on what to buy and from where? All focal lengths offer 50 field-of-view except the 40mm which offers 42 I took notes and now can shop with confidence But what are the other differences? They offer a 52-degree apparent field with clean, high-contrast images. You can build a full set of these with good results, but be aware of eye relief, especially if you wear glasses. Some will offer longer eye relief which can be important to eyeglass wearers. They also offer more eye relief than Plossls at the shorter focal lengths. I had a newer - purchased in 2016 Meade 32mm (white lettering) that was no better than the older 32mm 4000. Heres the short answer Plossl eyepieces are generally better than Kellner eyepieces, but they also tend to be more expensive. Using this 40 mm Plossl eyepiece is an excellent way to get a wide field of view with your telescope. Was $38.99 - $99.99 Now $31.19 - $84.99 Compare Orion Edge-On Planetary 1.25" Eyepieces These tend to run toward the more expensive price range. Do you need a 10 mm planetary and a 10 mm DSO eyepiece? Free shipping for many products! 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. However, your budget must guide your purchases. You are looking through a LOT of atmosphere which distorts the image. Kellner Vs Plossl | What's The Difference? - Starry Nova A Barlow lens will not reduce the CA in a low FR achromat refractor so to speak of it changing the focal ratio would, I think, introduce confusion in most situations. dnrmilspec is right. It comes with two Barlow lenses, one Newtonian eyepiece, and three Plossl eyepieces in the set. Again, this is more noticeable in lower focal ratio scopes. I had a TV 20mm Plossl once. 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. A zoom eyepiece works like the zoom lens on a camera. They deliver sharp images in almost all telescopes. But the difference in price to get to the next level is high, and the performance difference may be small. 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. Good quality plossl eyepieces - Discussions - Stargazers Lounge Your email address will not be published. These and the essentially identical AT Paradigm are universally praised as good quality eyepieces with a wider 60-degree apparent field of view. But the longer FL units are certainly useful. The big problem with Plssls is that the eye relief is about 0.75 times the focal length. It is as simple as that. 40mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepiece | Orion Telescopes . As the clear cut worlds best eyepiece manufacturer, their name should at least be mentioned in an article like this. If you plan to go longer than that you can get an AC adapter or a power tank. Now we just divide it up and fill in some sample focal lengths. None of my fancy EPs have enough contrast for this application. Offering a wide 52 apparent field of view, these 10mm, 17mm, and 25mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepieces provide extremely sharp images of impressively high contrast. Again thank you very much for all the information in the page, excellent notes. I have used these in my F6 and F5 Dobs and find them a good value for the price. Even if you did need a 4mm focal length (for high powers in an f/4 telescope, of course), neither a Kellner nor a Plossl would have long enough eye relief for that to be comfortably usable! Over $250, I will label premium eyepieces. Type above and press Enter to search. But these are only intended to get you started. Celestron - 1.25" Eyepiece and Filter Accessory Kit - 14 Piece Telescope Accessory Set - Plossl Telescope Eyepiece - Barlow Lens - Colored Filters - Moon Filter - Sturdy Metal Carry Case. So we say that an F5 scope benefits from better corrected eyepieces more than the F10 scope. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our team of experts has reviewed and ranked 180+ telescopes based on price and quality. You use the 8-24 zoom for the midrange. This four-element Plssl design is the most popular eyepiece optical design that gives you excellent image quality, good eye relief, and a 50 to 56 degrees apparent field of view. For planetary viewing, comfort is essential in helping to increase viewing time . Think of these as your Ford, Chevy, and Toyota of eyepieces. For modern eyepieces, the differences between Plossl and Super Plossl is going to depend on the manufacturer. They also have good eye relief, making them comfortable to use for extended periods. Since each eye has a different focal point, I suspect pulling the eyepiece out until reaching focus and then tightening the set screw. Generally, Plssl eyepieces are best suited to Newtonian and fast telescopes. There is no shortage of accessories for the Nexstar series. FOR SALE! there are of course options to plossls which are about the same prices as GSOs such as the BST Discoveries and TMB type eyepieces (new from Skies the Limit on Ebay) which have a wider field and better eye relief than plossls and are probably as good as most things non-premium. In this article, we will only focus on the differences between Plossl and Kellner eyepieces. I would recommend the Baader Hyperion Zoom for any telescope. I generally use my 40 to search for DSOs so Ill probably replace that one at some point too. You will see these under many brands, including Orion, Celestron, GSO, and others. I have the 38 mm and recommend it often. I also just bought the Celestron Starsense 102mm refractor (650mm focal length, f/6.5) as a first scope for me and my kids. Plossl eyepiece is good for astronomy and microscopy. Comparing Orion Telescope & Binoculars options, it appears that a Kellner can be found for almost half the price of a Plossl of the same focal length, although there are also equally cheap Plossls available from various sellers on Amazon that are highly comparable. There is one aspect in which a Kellner can actually outperform a Plossl: eye relief. 1200 mm FL scope / 10 mm FL eyepiece = 120X, 40 degree AFOV / 120X = .33 degrees (less than 1 full moon wide), 60 degree AFOV / 120X = .5 degree FOV (about one full moon with no space around it), 82 degree AFOV / 120X = .68 degree FOV (about one full moon with a star field around it to frame it). Plus the FOV expands as you zoom to the higher powers. Hello sir, thanks for your article its realy helpful. Focus on the magnifications rather than the mm of the eyepieces. The three-lens eyepiece that came out of this was much better at controlling false color fringing and other distortions, even in telescopes with short focal lengths. Here we focus on becoming a knowledge hub for astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. These come in focal lengths from 2.3 mm to 25 mm. It includes two high-magnification Plossl eyepieces and five lower magnification zoom oculars with an adjustable focus in the kit. Edited April 23, 2010 by russ teh_orph Members 28 198 Author To get the best performance, you have to be willing to pay the price. 9 Best Eyepieces For Telescopes (Beginners Guide)(2023) The larger barrel allows them to create an eyepiece with a higher AFOV. You have selected a very good starting telescope that will serve you for many years to come. Orion Q70 38 mm works well. The computerized pad and motor work on AA batteries which can last you a few hours. All are good eyepieces and diagonals, and would be excellent for star party use. If you wish to find a short-focal length eyepiece with a longer, more comfortable eye relief, you could use a long-focus eyepiece with a separate, high-quality barlow lens (an achromatic or apochromatic fully multi-coated barlow would be necessary), or you could purchase one of the several designs incorporating a smyth/barlow lens into the eyepiece design. The components of a Plossl eyepiece are the two groups of lenses. Orion Sirius Plossl 10mm telescope eyepiece 1.25" $17.01 thanks Ed. For shorter focal lengths, the StarGuider BST series eyepieces have greater eye-relief, so are better suited. However, I have eyepieces that have larger exit pupils than 7 mm and they work well. Lets illustrate with an example using a 1200 mm FL telescope. In some cases, the eyepieces are waterproof to protect them from internal contamination caused by heavy dew conditions.
are plossl eyepieces good