But, if you have a plan, you can fill in those slots, working toward a well-balanced set of magnifications. Gosky Plossl 40 mm Telescope Eyepiece - 1.25inch This is probably the worst eyepiece I can recommend. Orion SkyQuest XT8 Intelliscope Review So we say that an F5 scope benefits from better corrected eyepieces more than the F10 scope. 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. We are a reader-supported organization. Do you need to have the best to enjoy astronomy? We enjoy binoculars for the moon, but having never looked through another telescope, my kids and I do not know what internal reflection, ghosting, vignettes, or diffraction spikes look like! Low focal ratio scopes deliver the light rays to the eyepiece at an ever-increasing angle as the focal ratio number goes down. The field of view of the eyepiece has a few effects when it comes to actually using it in the telescope. Between $100 and $250, I will call it mid-range. thanks for all your help. 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". The BH zoom is optically a 1.25 eyepiece. 600 mm / 200X = 3 mm This will be the focal length of our highest power eyepiece. The Plossl eyepiece is a four-element design consisting of two doublets. For visual use, 1.5X, 2X, 2.5X, and 3X Barlow lenses are common. These will normally be higher priced and may be outside the price range we show here. And the zoom provides every magnification in that range without having to change eyepieces. I havent addressed .965 eyepieces in the recommendations. So plan this into such a purchase. It is all about your budget, your goals, and your objectives, as outlined in the article. Age is not part of the equation. But what are the other differences? 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. What I can say is that, in general, eyepiece characteristics are inherent to the eyepiece. My 20, 26, and 32mm Plossls will probably stay around. Us big kids like zooms too. My friend has one and he really likes it, and it is his third telescope. You can accomplish a longer eye relief by barlowing a longer f/l plossl, so that is something to think about as well. Quality this good usually costs a lot more. 3. Pentax 10.5mm Eye Piece Excellent Condition (#314374986239) r***d (1910 . If you are buying your first telescope, and you are choosing between the telescope that includes a Kellner or a telescope that comes with a Plossl, with all the other specs being similar, pick the telescope thats offering you the Plossl, even if its slightly more expensive. In most cases, these are eyepieces that are focused on wider AFOV or better correction for low focal ratio scopes. The price ranges we show here are the typical prices. But those EPs mentioned were all great too! 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. She has been looking at the sky for years and hopes to introduce more people to the wonderful hobby that is astronomy. These are two very important considerations when you are looking for eyepieces. very happy. EP-mm = magnification = afov A Plossl eyepiece has a lens thats plano-convex, which means it is flat on one side and convex on the other. I must say Im quite confused about eyepieces. We can see that 2 eyepieces have an advantage over 1.25 eyepieces when designers are making wide-view eyepieces. However, for your extra money you get the finest manufacture, the best polish and coatings available. Using your example: We will use a 100 mm telescope with a 600 mm focal length and Another way to look at it is that a 30 mm eyepiece in a 3X Barlow works like a 10 mm eyepiece.. . To say it a different way, in general, an F5 scope will place more demands on the eyepiece around the edge of the field of view than an F10 scope. Most telescopes come with one or two eyepieces. This doublet design has an apparent field of view of 50-degrees or wider but can suffer from short eye relief making them difficult to use for some . 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. These "other" ones I speak of, aren't technically that, they are a 5 element eyepiece, of a different design. Nice, thank you again for the additional inputs. Do you need a 10 mm planetary and a 10 mm DSO eyepiece? In essence the design differences between Kellner and Plossl comes down to the number of lenses within the eyepiece barrel. I have owned wider eyepieces, but ultimately I just prefer the Plssls (must be a mental defect). Thanks, Angelo M. You picked a great first scope. The original Meade 5-piece Super Plossl hasnt been in production for decades and at this point is more of a collectors item than a high-performance eyepiece. Once we are done, they will make sense. The Big Bang Optics 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 advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Take a look at your manual or users guide. i still use the binos. It may very well last you a lifetime and in the long term, you will definitely consider it to be a worthwhile investment. 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. 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. 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. 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. Plossls provide very good eye relief for eyeglass wearers in focal lengths of about 25mm and longer. Gold line eyepieces are available in 6mm, 9mm, 15mm, and 20mm focal lengths. These low-quality Plossls lack an internally blackened lens barrel with thread baffles and blackened lens edges and sophisticated anti-reflection multi-coatings, all of which are a necessity to produce an excellent image. Other than the limited AFOV, which you are apparently fine with, and limited eye relief in the shorter focal lengths there is certainly no reason not to choose Plssls. The biggest advantage is much better ER in a large ocular. And I continue to read excellent reports on the AT Paradigm and similar under different labels. My Baader Hyperion Zoom is my most used and favorite eyepiece. Omni 15mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. . Also, children do not often have highly developed motor skillsso I would avoid the frustration of switching out eyepieces, and consider a zoom lens. Depending on how fussy you are about having a completely clean image across the visual field, if you have a lower focal ratio scope you will want to look for eyepieces with a reputation for being better corrected in low focal ratio scopes. But I think you will feel more confident about your purchases and be less likely to be disappointed if you read through the guide. i dont have 1 of everything, and i bought the best i could afford on a low budget; meade and orion. I have seen wider-field Plossls. I dont have a specific diagonal to recommend and I am not aware of any specific issues with the one that is included with the scope. Are Plossl eyepieces good? A Plssl is probably as good as any 32mm eyepiece in a 1.25 inch focuser. If your focuser/diagonal only accepts 1.25 eyepieces, I would recommend you use a 32mm as your longest focal length, lowest power eyepiece. But dont fear that you will waste your investment as eyepieces are standard sizes. Most of Celestrons entry-level telescopes are sold with Kellners (and other cheap but reasonable-quality designs like RKEs or Konigs), whereas their more expensive SCTs tend to come with a single 25mm Plossl. Edited April 23, 2010 by russ teh_orph Members 28 198 Author 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. As to a more immersive experience, yes, I would say a wider FOV does provide a more immersive experience. A zoom eyepiece works like the zoom lens on a camera. No price limit? Any exit pupil between 7 mm and .5 mm is just fine. That's hard to beat IMO. Omni 9mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. Plossl eyepiece is good for astronomy and microscopy. Kellner eyepieces were first designed by Carl Kellner in 1849. Just search on Astronomy Club and you will probably find one in your area. The 66-degree AFOV of the Gold Line series provides a 32% wider field than Plossl eyepieces. This type of eyepiece provides you with wide-field views without any distortion due to its use as an achromatic lens system which reduces chromatic aberrations by combining two lenses made from different types of glass materials together on each surface. I have CPC 925 and I currently own Hyperion 10mm, Hyperion 17mm and Celestron plossl 40mm. This eye piece provides the maximum true field of view in the 1.25 inch format. Now you can get good eyepieces for under or around $50. Plossls are available from many suppliers in a wide range of focal lengths in 1.25 and 2 sizes. Have Any Astronauts Been Lost in Space Forever. For example, if you put a 30 mm eyepiece in a 3X Barlow, it will triple the magnification you get from that eyepiece. These Astromania Plossl eyepieces provide a good way to do exactly that without breaking the bank, and this is what I love about them: they're an affordable way to significantly upgrade your telescopes. 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. What focal length eyepieces should I buy? Can You See The ISS With A Telescope? I also have a 25mm plossl and am happy with that. I did sell them all when I adopted Dioptrx, and the Naglers are amazing! Some accept 2 and have an adapter that allows you to also use 1.25. Within the budget-friendly realm are the 6mm and 9mm Goldlines/Redlines (66-degree Ultra-Wide-Angle) for telescopes with a focal ratio of f/8 or longer, and the excellent 58-degree Planetary eyepieces, sold by a variety of sellers on Amazon and by Agena Astro, which come in a wide variety of focal lengths and are optically superb for their price. It also gives the widest possible exit pupil in my dob and SCT, very handy when using nebula filters. As we continue, what would you recommend adding first? SVBONY Direct . There are many more designs that are associated with specific brands, but the ones above are designs that are produced by many companies in one form or another. As said, they are cheap to compare. Not all are Plossls, but excellent eps at f/10. You noted eye relief is important for those wearing glasses. The Plossl has good color correction plus is free of the ghost images that plague the Kellner. I recommend it often to beginners on a tight budget. These are things you will want to know and use. If I had to give them all up and keep only one eyepiece, It would be the BH Zoom. Good evening everybody. Kellner vs Plossl - Comparison table. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. With an f/10 telescope, Plossls are as sharp as any other kind of eyepiece of the same focal length. You are looking through a LOT of atmosphere which distorts the image. These have the advantage that the front section with the optics can be unthreaded and threaded on to the filter threads of a 1.25 inch eyepiece. Focus on the magnifications rather than the mm of the eyepieces. About Us | Privacy Policy | ContactLittle Astronomy 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 advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I wants to install one in house(fixed place) another I need movable. So, for your 30 mm, 82/60 = 1.36 degrees. This eyepiece was even better at correcting false color fringing, but because of internal reflections, the glare was even worse. I was just wondering if plossls are still worth it or should get a better eyepiece in a 30mm range. Something in the 30 to 38 mm range with a 65 to 70 degree AFOV. I can recommend these with confidence. 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. You can add the specialty single FL eyepieces later if you wish. 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. 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. Today, most beginner telescopes of any quality are sold with either Kellner or Plossl eyepieces. I would expect it to be similar to the Celestron in image quality. If the above guide has helped you understand the terms and workings of eyepieces, scroll up and make a selection from our recommendation list. Other eyepieces of more advanced design can have better eye relief and field of view. The difference in TFOV will be significant at this focal length. For your application and the eyepieces you have or are going to get, you really dont need anything else. A long eye relief is also important for those who wear eyeglasses at the eyepiece, whether thats a member of the general public at a star party or an astronomer with astigmatism, which, unlike near- or far-sightedness, cannot be corrected with the telescopes own focuser. No price limit. Many brands of eyepieces are available, including SVBony UltraWide, Astromania UltraWide Angle, Agena Astro StarGuider Enhanced UltraWide Angle and others. Also work very well with my binoculars that have removable focal reducers built into. 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. The difference isnt that severe, and I often track more often than is strictly necessary to keep the object centered anyway. Look at the apparent field of view specs and understand what this means for the field of view. 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. Looking forward to first use. However, Orion has managed to make one that is quite compatible with most styles of telescope. There is a little bit more to it than that and there are other design . I believe the 5000 UWA's are good as well. We have a range of 32 mm to 3 mm. How do you focus - I would have expected helical focusers in the eyepiece holders but don't see any? 11 = 163 = .5 PS. The Plossl is a good all-around eyepiece design, is well suited for generic use and is relatively inexpensive to make. 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. As a result, this can cause aberrations in the image as you move from the center of the view toward the edges. Perhaps another review would be helpful. The Hyperions work well in SCTs and you can't beat that large eyelens and eye relief ,JMO. The Japan made 16mm Meade 3000 was a very nice medium power plossl and the 40mm in that series was surprisingly nice as well. I am not aware of any such solutions for Newtonian reflectors. Ive read, and re-read, and re-re-read this page. By having a range of magnifications, you can optimize the image, which means you need more eyepieces. I had one and sold it. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-barlow-lens-and-how-to/, Celestron 8-24 Zoom Review You can email me also. Aspheric and Plossl Plossl are both lens designs that can be used in most telescopes. This design features 4 lenses that are paired in two close-set doublets for the eye lens and the field lens. Here we get into the BMW, Cadillac, Porsche, and Ferrari of eyepieces. Well-made lenses are expensive though, so in general the more lenses, the higher the price of the eyepiece. They are also good for those who have astigmatism because they are designed to be more forgiving with eye placement. The stock 9 and 15mm Omnis were very good. If well made, Plossls are bright, with good contrast, and a flat field, and excellent sharpness. A couple of them felt fancier, but the jump in performance was either insignificant or non-existent. In our example, we targeted 200X as the top magnification. I often recommend the 2 in this series as excellent low-power wide view eyepieces, especially in scopes at focal ratios below F8. Very worth it for me, as I like to use bino-viewers. 6.7 = 268 = .3 I was looking on a OPT website and they have celestron 32mm and 15mm plossl. 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. Here we focus on becoming a knowledge hub for astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. Those are significantly more expensive than the 1.25 focal lengths. 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. Look those up, seeing and transparency in the context of astronomy. I often recommend a 32 mm Plossl as a good low power wide view eyepiece for scopes with a 1.25 focuser. I have to say that your questions are answered in the article. How important a consideration is this when deciding on an eyepiece? 75-225X, 1.5X Barlow In this article, we will only focus on the differences between Plossl and Kellner eyepieces. 130 mm scope will have a max of 260X for planning purposes. If your telescopes focal length is different, just change the focal length in the formula. Plossl eyepieces have wider fields of view than Kellners. When I had a 6mm Kellner, I found the eye relief annoyingly short, sure, but when compared to the 6mm Plossl that often comes with eyepiece kits, it was luxurious. This is the link to the one I plan to buy as I know some others come with add ons: https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/baader-hyperion-mark-iv-8-24mm-universal-zoom-eyepiece.html, Thats great you had an XT8i that makes me feel confident I got a good telescope . A large field lens makes the ocular easy to look into. I think I will go for the BHZ because, as you say, I will be able to use it now and into the future. They have a narrow AFOV but have a reputation for being very sharp.. Worth is a subjective evaluation, so here is my subjective input: 1. Typically, these will be 25 mm and 10 mm or something close to that. Pay attention to the eye relief, especially if you will be observing with glasses. Best Telescopes For 10 Year Old Kids: Reviews and Buying Guide, The Complete Guide to the Planets You Can See With a Telescope, The Best Barlow Lenses: Reviews and Buying Guide. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Stargazing Help came into existence when some young minds got mesmerized by outer space while camping. As for Barlow Lenses, take a look at this article. I have seen elsewhere discussions about the exit pupil of eyepieces. Theres a reason Plossls are usually kept at 52 degrees. Be aware of the focal ratio of your scope. A 6mm Plossl has a tiny eye lens. Below 20 however, the eye relief makes it difficult for me and my glasses so Ive been replacing my 5-15 EPs with 82 degree EPs with more relief. Plossl against Kellner eyepieces in a previous article, 5 Budget Telescopes That Are Sneakily Powerful. Hi Ed, Again, for no other reason than to compare it to the 17mm Hyperion and draw your own conclusions about Plssls. A key thing to remember is that eyepieces are universal. Achromatic vs Apochromatic refracting telescopes. 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. Note to spectacle wearers: Plossl eyepieces with 15mm and longer focal lengths are good choices for spectacle wearers but for shorter focal lengths the Celestron XCel LX series have greater eye-relief so are better suited. Eyepieces are a religion. Here we have very good eyepieces with some extra features. Regular Plossl eyepieces with maybe just a slightly better coating or build quality. 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. In 1849, Carl Kellner invented the Kellner eyepiece, which is essentially a Ramsden eyepiece where one lens has been replaced with an achromatic doublet made of two different types of glass. Come join the newest, most engaging and inclusive astronomy forum geared for beginners and advanced telescope users, astrophotography devotees, plus check out our "Astro" goods vendors. Your email address will not be published. Also, as the apparent field of view gets wider, the image will require more correction. Why not go back to the people who sold you the scope and get their help. The longer FL Plossls (>15mm) have some distinct advantages over more complex designs without the major disadvantage of Plossls which is short ER. At least you'll have one budget eyepiece that will give you a larger part of the sky at low magnification. Although Kellner eyepieces will help you learn a lot in the beginning but soon will realize that youre missing out on something, and eventually you will be tempted to spend money on another good quality eyepiece. None of my fancy EPs have enough contrast for this application. I consider the Plossl to be the minimum standard for a good eyepiece. This will give you a maximum target for planning purposes. To achieve six magnifications, you can have six eyepieces. (Focal ratio is a term that refers to the telescopes focal length divided by its aperture. If there is a local club, I would suggest you visit and consider joining. What follows are specific eyepieces that I have tried, own, or have read so many good reports about that I feel very comfortable recommending them. Soft rubber eye guard that's custom fitted . Thanks for going through the entire post. Since each eye has a different focal point, I suspect pulling the eyepiece out until reaching focus and then tightening the set screw. Their eye relief is limited to about 70-80% of their focal length. https://telescopicwatch.com/?s=barlow, Best of luck with your new telescope. If you are completely new to stargazing, Kellner eyepieces are absolutely fine. It should list what size eyepieces you can use. Plossl telescope eyepieces are the most popular type of eyepiece on the market. But for AP you should really start your planning with the mount. Even if the scope comes with the more acceptable Kelner or . However, i can read very well without my glasses with almost microscopic vision and can use my binoculars without glasses. AP is all about the mount and accurate tracking. 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. Every review suggests replacing the 10mm Kellner eyepiece (and possibly 25mm Kellner) that comes with it. Perhaps you have read about planetary eyepieces, DSO eyepieces, and other types of specific eyepieces.