are plossl eyepieces good
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. Finally, the worldwide pandemic has led to shortages and price jumps on many items. Hayppy that now I have more facts to put in my decision. My Barlow is a 2X with a removeable Barlow element that can be screwed right onto an eyepiece giving a 1.5X effect. Magnification or power = focal length telescope / focal length eyepiece, Focal ratio = focal length telescope / aperture telescope, maximum practical aperture = aperture X 2, Edges of the optics are blackened for increased contrast, which prevents internal reflections, Anti-reflection, fully multi-coated optics provide enhanced light transmission for bright and clear images. You mentioned regarding ORTHO eyepieces: Excellent specialty eyepieces, usually for planets. They deliver sharp images in almost all telescopes. I am not aware of any such solutions for Newtonian reflectors. 4. Perhaps you have read about planetary eyepieces, DSO eyepieces, and other types of specific eyepieces. That is a wonderful expression. I would wait till you get the scope and use the included eyepieces. The basic design hasnt changed much, but the real costs of manufacturing have dropped. The views through it are very impressive, and it always amazes me when I get that one out. If you were considering a Meade Super Plossl, in that case just get the regular one also by Meade. However, sometimes i am at the end of the range of the binocular focus adjustment. Is it just about finding and framing, or do wide fov EPs create a more immersive experience? I was looking on a OPT website and they have celestron 32mm and 15mm plossl. Best suited for telescopes with f-ratios f6 or slower. This was very useful, I got a meade infinity 90mm ( after read the review here -. 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. 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 . A 2 barrel on the eyepiece will allow the manufacturer to create an eyepiece that provides a wider field of view. Or, if you are buying from an online like Amazon, then look at the eyepieces I recommend and see if any suit your needs. 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. Plossl eyepiece is good for astronomy and microscopy. (Compare, for instance, 20mm of each type, or 10mm of each type.) I have CPC 925 and I currently own Hyperion 10mm, Hyperion 17mm and Celestron plossl 40mm. For the price, I think the eyepiece is still a good pick. A Plossl eyepiece is one of the most decent general-purpose eyepieces that are available on the market. A Plssl is probably as good as any 32mm eyepiece in a 1.25 inch focuser. Despite this, I also have some Plossls which are indispensable. Eye relief of less than 10mm gets really uncomfortableyou tend to rub your eyepieces against the eyepiece or lens, and you have to hold your eye at just the right distance to keep from touching the lens. A decent barlow might cost as much or even more. I loved my Baader Mark-IV 8mm-24mm Zoom+Barlow combo in my 8" EdgeHD. 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. 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". I think some of these kits even include 4mm eyepieces, and thats ridiculous! Also worth mentioning i wear glasses which I will wear while observing. Also, atmospheric conditions can limit how much magnification you can use on a given night. When I started, I purchased less expensive eyepieces to learn about them and how I would use them. Some reviews also suggest replacing the diagonal. However the package includes a 1.25 to 2 adapter so if you have a 2 focuser you can treat this like a 2 eyepiece leaving the adapter normally included with the scope for use with other 1.25 eyepieces. My other eyepieces, ES and Meade 82 degree, stayed in the eyepiece case most of the time. Generally, Plssl eyepieces are best suited to Newtonian and fast telescopes. I think Id really enjoy a zoom for all the reasons you mention, But Im having a difficult time assessing how much weight to put on the field of view of given eyepieces. Now put the zoom on a 3X barlow and you have: Using the zoom approach with a Barlow your eyepiece set would consisit of a 32 mm low power eyepiece. Heres the short answer Plossl eyepieces are generally better than Kellner eyepieces, but they also tend to be more expensive. Tip Its almost always cheaper to buy directly from Agena Astro. Plossl eyepieces have 4 lenses that are paired in two doublets. Over time, you will likely spend more on eyepieces than on the telescope. Now you can get good eyepieces for under or around $50. This is not a hard and fast rule, just a cautionary note. It was grueling, because I couldnt even get the entire field of viewI had to keep my eye hovering above the exit pupil. If you are a glasses wearer and plan to keep your glasses on while you are observing, then you will likely want eyepieces with at least 17 mm of eye relief, and some glasses wearers prefer at least 20 mm. Well-made lenses are expensive though, so in general the more lenses, the higher the price of the eyepiece. However, you may see them at higher prices for the short term. As a kid, I loved looking at the moon (which can be seen any time of day, regardless of ones bedtime) so make sure that the field of view is wide enough to see the whole shebang. These come in focal lengths from 2.3 mm to 25 mm. 3. Do you think it would be sensible for me to look at getting a higher magnification specific eyepiece? You are looking through a LOT of atmosphere which distorts the image. PS. Sony A7III vs A7RIII Astrophotography: Which One to Shoot Infinity! 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. Any 1.25 eyepiece will work with the BH Zoom 2 adapter. Plossl against Kellner eyepieces in a previous article, 5 Budget Telescopes That Are Sneakily Powerful. As you learn more about astronomy and you gain more experience with time, you may want to move to Plossls or even higher-quality eyepieces. Every new skill takes time. Required fields are marked *. It is all about your budget, your goals, and your objectives, as outlined in the article. My Baader Hyperion Zoom is my most used and favorite eyepiece. Again, this is more noticeable in lower focal ratio scopes. This saves money and helps you shop in an organized manner. Such eyepieces are able to offer great performance, i.e., satisfactory degrees of deviations, to about a 50.degree field. A 32mm Plssl is worth it. They also offer more eye relief than Plossls at the shorter focal lengths. https://telescopicwatch.com/celestron-8-24mm-zoom-eyepiece-review/. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The 26 and 32 are usually the first ones I reach for. Well, I'll just say it. They are a good brand with high-quality eyepieces, you just dont need to spend the extra money for almost no gain in performance. I agree. If you do not have your Hyperions yet I recommend you wait until you have these and try them out before you buy the Plossls. For our experience level, would you recommend changing anything right now? If you are new around here and you want to get started with the hobby, check out our astronomy for beginners guide or the recommended gear page. The design of a Plossl eyepiece consists of an objective lens with one side that is convex (wider than its length) while the other side is plano-convex or flat in shape. How you divide up your magnification range is up to you. You could say Super Plossls are not much more than a marketing tactic these days. That said, I should also tell you that not all Plossls are created equal. I need some eyepieces with long FL for low magnifications. Plossl telescope eyepieces are the most popular type of eyepiece on the market. Comparing to Plossl eyepieces, Super Plossl is somewhat better for astronomy. This type of design also helps provide for eye relief; its a better experience if your eyes. A 15mm Plssl might be worth it, if you dont wear glasses. Kellners are often sold with cheaper, even more entry-level telescopes than Plossls. The "sharpness" you are seeing may well be better explained by the focal length of the ep than the quality of Plossls in general. Brilliant article and I thank you for it, I was literally really confused prior to reading it. Meanwhile, Plossl eyepieces are much more common and easy to find. Most modern telescopes use a focuser, or diagonal, that accepts 1.25 eyepieces. a breath of fresh air! Combining a cheap eyepiece with a cheap barlow isn't a elegant solution. I possess an embarrassing array of fine eyepieces with names like Ethos and Nagler and Delos. Thanks for going through the entire post. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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). The biggest advantage is much better ER in a large ocular. 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. Videos for related products. Since there are so many different types of eyepieces available on the market, choosing the right one for your situation can prove to be a harrowing task. You alluded to them, but you never mentioned Tele Vue. But in this scope, the 32 mm doesnt work well. To achieve a maximum of 200X (2X the aperture of 100 mm), we solve for the focal length. The Plossl design has become the mainstay of the modern ocular business and probably represents the best value in terms of performance and price, especially in medium and long focal lengths. I really enjoy usingPlssls. These are considered to be the least expensive eyepieces for serious astronomy and are offered in focal lengths from about 6mm to 40mm. I expect such eyepieces are available but I have never seen or used one. It comes with 1.25 Plossls 25mm (26x) and 10mm (66x) eyepieces. I dont own nor have I used it, but Orion has a very good reputation. You can buy a range of these from Modern Astronomy. But for the targets requiring higher mag Im still undecided between: This is the link to the eyepiece I am looking at potentially buying, would you recommend this over the Orion one or vice versa do you think? By default, expect a 40-degree field of view in a Kellner and a 50-52 degree field of view in a Plossl. There are three types of Plossl eyepiece: the regular, Super, and Orthoscopic. I would suggest you also get a 2 low power wide view. However, your budget must guide your purchases. Look those up, seeing and transparency in the context of astronomy. Omni 12mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. The TFOV will be as wide as your 40mm Plssl, but with greater magnification and a slightly darker sky background. . very happy. I am going to use 6. What apparent field of view and eye relief do I want? Even big telescopes are subject to limitations imposed by the atmosphere. It also was considerably more expensive. In the beginning, you are not going to know what the atmospheric conditions might be in your area. 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. As for tabletop scopes, dont forget that you need a table, stool, or bench to place them. did i pass? Learn more about our story and the team behind the scene. I want these as possible as wide, magnification and astrophotography purpose. SV207 30mm Super Plossl Eyepiece. 2x Barlow This eye piece provides the maximum true field of view in the 1.25 inch format. Eyepieces under $100 each are generally considered budget or low-cost eyepieces. Elena is a Canadian journalist and researcher. Overall, I would highly recommend the goldline eyepieces. A rubber safety cap protects the lens when not in use while also providing additional grip on this 35 mm Plossl eyepiece. Orion SkyQuest XT8 Intelliscope Review It's one of the best choices you have when it comes to budget stargazing. These are often compared to the higher priced offerings. I just added the 4.7 mm. You are asking about a very specific eyepiece in a very specific scope combined sometimes with a Barlow. 100-300X, 2X Barlow. Ever since, I have been attempting to cram in every fact about the Universe, I can find into my head. Plossls provide very good eye relief for eyeglass wearers in focal lengths of about 25mm and longer. 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. They include links to them where they can be ordered. 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. dnrmilspec is right. In essence the design differences between Kellner and Plossl comes down to the number of lenses within the eyepiece barrel. 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, The Explore Scientific 68 degree series would be better but at a much higher price. They work great every day and get you where you want to go, but dont have what the higher priced models have. Fully coated optics provide crisp and bright views of the cosmos. If you are investing for the future, get the BH zoom. So, I think it worth your while to try the Plssls. or a Baader Classic Ortho 18mm with both a 1.5/2x Barlow and 3x Barlow. What focal length eyepieces should I buy? If you want to buy him $200 eyepieces so he can grow into them, that works. A Televue Plssl may be better than a generic one, but the difference is probably not worth the additional cost.