Plssl eyepieces are good all-around performers, producing sharp images at the center of the field, but they have only four lens elements. Many brands of eyepieces are available, including SVBony UltraWide, Astromania UltraWide Angle, Agena Astro StarGuider Enhanced UltraWide Angle and others. Perhaps you have read about planetary eyepieces, DSO eyepieces, and other types of specific eyepieces. In most cases, these are eyepieces that are focused on wider AFOV or better correction for low focal ratio scopes. Required fields are marked *. As we go up in price range, we gain capabilities that may not be immediately obvious. Why two sizes? Most telescopes come with one or two eyepieces, which gives you one or two magnification options. Thanks so much. Plossl eyepieces have a wider field of view that can go from 50 to 56 degrees. 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. PayPal, cash, bank transfer are all acceptable. Ever since, I have been attempting to cram in every fact about the Universe, I can find into my head. We have compared Plossl against Kellner eyepieces in a previous article. I have personally tested a few Super Plossl and compared them to their regular counterparts by the same brand. I have to say that your questions are answered in the article. If you are completely new to stargazing, Kellner eyepieces are absolutely fine. SVBONY Telescope Eyepiece Set Telescope Accessory Kit with 2x Barlow Lens 4 Element Plossl Design 6.3mm 32mm 40mm for Astronomical Telescopes. You will see these under many brands, including Orion, Celestron, GSO, and others. Lower power almost always looks better than higher power. A typical zoom eyepiece has a focal length range of 8 mm to 24 mm. Lets take a look. 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. Ive read reviews about my scope. This eyepiece was even better at correcting false color fringing, but because of internal reflections, the glare was even worse. Gold line eyepieces are available in 6mm, 9mm, 15mm, and 20mm focal lengths. Do you need to have the best to enjoy astronomy? I dont own nor have I used it, but Orion has a very good reputation. 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. 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. I couldnt find any suggestions on your site about diagonal recommendations. So, for your 30 mm, 82/60 = 1.36 degrees. They are all 4-element Plossl eyepieces, and most have a 52-degree field of view that is common to the Plossl design. However, for your extra money you get the finest manufacture, the best polish and coatings available. It also gives the widest possible exit pupil in my dob and SCT, very handy when using nebula filters. With modern multi-coated optics that thwart internal reflections, Plossls and Kellners have little difference in glare or transmission/opacity. The only one not in the article is the Orion Q70 which is available in 38 mm, 32 mm and 26 mm. The Hexagon Zoom Eyepiece is made from durable plastic material that resists scratching and it has an eye relief distance of 15mm. We are a team of active amateur astronomers, here to help you with all your astronomy and science related needs this is anything, from reviewing the latest telescopes to be released to talking about gravity and neurons. Consider something between 35 and 40 mm in focal length with an AFOV of 65 degrees or wider for your lowest power eyepiece for your telescope. Thus the 30 mm eyepiece in a 600 mm telescope produces 600/30 = 20X magnification while with the Barlow, we have 1800/30 = 60X. Finally, the worldwide pandemic has led to shortages and price jumps on many items. Interesting points Philip. They also improve a bit when it comes to eye relief. Recall that your lowestpower eyepiece's exit pupil should not exceed 6mm. 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. Or, if you are buying from an online like Amazon, then look at the eyepieces I recommend and see if any suit your needs. Perhaps another review would be helpful. Learn more about our story and the team behind the scene. 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. Glad you found it helpful. The longer FL Plossls (>15mm) have some distinct advantages over more complex designs without the major disadvantage of Plossls which is short ER. In my opinion, there are no wrong exit pupils. Not all are Plossls, but excellent eps at f/10. They have good center sharpness but exhibit some field curvature and astigmatism. Kellner eyepieces use three glass elements in two groups to minimize color fringing. And, the quality of the eyepiece clearly comes into play here. They also offer more eye relief than Plossls at the shorter focal lengths. Elena is a Canadian journalist and researcher. Here we get into the BMW, Cadillac, Porsche, and Ferrari of eyepieces. This might contain more of what you need. I hear that, sometimes you find one that is sweeter than others. In some cases, an object is so large (i.e., the Moon, the Pleiades, the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy) that a narrow field of view can only show you part of the object, whereas a wider field of view could show the whole object at the same magnification. the reality is that today's eyepieces are all quite good, particulalarly in an f/10 telescope. These are just a few examples of eyepieces that I have used, and some that I own. I am considering buying another eyepiece, maybe 6mm, and a Barlow, maybe 2x, to give me a wider and higher range of magnification. Outstanding job Jack. The Plossl has good color correction plus is free of the ghost images that plague the Kellner. Because of this setup, you might also hear a Plossl eyepiece referred to as a symmetrical eyepiece. 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. Its quite long but that is what we are aiming for and hopefully, it was useful to you. We will talk more about the field of view later, but note that if you can use 2 eyepieces, you will typically only have one or two for very low power wide field views. Plossls are the clear winner here in most cases, unless you have one of the wider-field 50-degree Kellners. At shorter focal lengths they have less eye relief, and at all focal lengths they have a narrower field of view, than newer types. These come in focal lengths from 2.3 mm to 25 mm. I continue to be very pleased with the ES82 eyepieces. They have a pop-up eye guard and they are threaded to accept filters. I wants to install one in house(fixed place) another I need movable. Both will provide the same magnification. How Good Are Super Plossl Eyepieces for Astronomy? Higher than 3X is usually reserved for astrophotography. 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. They have a narrow AFOV but have a reputation for being very sharp.. A key thing to remember is that eyepieces are universal. Our previous exchange convinced me to start out with an 80mm refractor. This will give you a maximum target for planning purposes. Despite this, I also have some Plossls which are indispensable. 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? Can you suggest the total . However, there can be a problem bringing the eyepiece into focus. Now we just divide it up and fill in some sample focal lengths. You see the object in a wider expanse of space with more stars. None of my fancy EPs have enough contrast for this application. While it covers the same range as the Celestron zoom, it offers better optics, better mechanical operation, and a wider field of view. Gosky Plossl 40 mm Telescope Eyepiece - 1.25inch This is probably the worst eyepiece I can recommend. Goldline series of eyepieces provides the best value in this price range, better than Plossls. Not only is it good to share the experience but you can get first-hand advice on things like diagonals and may even be able to try one in your scope to see if it makes a difference. I often had to drop back to about 180X because of poor seeing and transparency. The Baader offers wider fov, but at quite the price premium. The 50 apparent field of view is plenty for me. 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. All the rest will likely be 1.25. 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. ES 82 degree series plus 1 meade uwa @20 mm with 1800 focal length optical tube lowest mag 51 x / highest mag 300. This general purpose design gives good colour correction and an adequate feld of view at reasonable cost and they are often bundled with new telescopes. Does this sound like something you would recommend based on the telescope I have? The reason a plano-convex lens is good for using with a telescope is that it provides for both magnifying and erecting the images. The 26 and 32 are usually the first ones I reach for. This eye piece provides the maximum true field of view in the 1.25 inch format. Yes, Plossl eyepieces are some of the most popular with amateurs and professionals alike. Higher values are slower and lower values are fasterthis is a holdover from camera lens terminology and has to do with exposure times.). I recently purchased the SVBony 7-21 zoom from Amazon. Other brands have joined and have used the Super Plossl label, but they all keep the original 4-piece design. 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. And, in general terms, the higher the AFOV, the harder it is to make an eyepiece that will present a good image all across the field of view, which also drives up the cost. Some optics brands have taken the next step and launched some eyepieces they have labeled as Super Plossl. There are some very good choices in this range. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We often end up spending more on eyepieces than we did on the telescope. Not perfect to the edge but better than the Bresser, in my opinion. The magnification and field of view is the same as a 10 mm eyepiece (AFoV being unchanged) in a 600 mm telescope but the eye relief is that of a 30 mm eyepiece. Lets give an example. Through the 32mm eyepiece, objects will look larger, and though they may have a lower surface brightness, the surface brightness of the background sky will also be lower. I expect such eyepieces are available but I have never seen or used one. If we look at the range I provided above, we see that we could replace several eyepieces with one zoom. Scott. Not everything in the sky benefits from high magnification. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These eyepiecesproduce a 'standard apparent feld of view' of between 50 and 56 with most set at around 52. Most telescopes come with one or two eyepieces. 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. Second? 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. Non-eyeglass wearers can usually tolerate Plossls as short as about 10-12mm before their eyelashes start brushing the ocular lens. Or is this overkill and am I better off saving money and going forward something like the Celestron Zoom? still, i somehow managed to avoid the eyepiece pitfalls when buying used off ebay. You mentioned regarding ORTHO eyepieces: Excellent specialty eyepieces, usually for planets. 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! philhas Members 61 459 Location: North East England This will give you a lower power and a medium to high power eyepiece, depending on the focal length of your scope. But, at least get the 32mm Plssl. If you do choose to go with a Plossl eyepiece, I highly recommend spending some extra cash to get yourself a decent good quality branded Plossl eyepiece rather than going for a cheap, generic eyepiece which is a Plossl only for the namesake. Yes, eyepieces is a large and complex topic. a breath of fresh air! i dont have 1 of everything, and i bought the best i could afford on a low budget; meade and orion. If your focuser/diagonal will accept 2 eyepieces, then I will suggest you get one or two 2 eyepieces for your low power wide view eyepieces. https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/explore-scientific-70-eyepieces.html. Major telescope brands such as Celestron supplies Kellner eyepieces with their r least expensive telescopes and still may. It was grueling, because I couldnt even get the entire field of viewI had to keep my eye hovering above the exit pupil. Videos for related products. Over time, you will likely spend more on eyepieces than on the telescope. You can use the same eyepiece on planets and deep-sky objects (DSOs). In our example, we targeted 200X as the top magnification. Plossls tend to come with large, ground-standing Dobsonians, whereas youre more likely to find a Kellner sold with a tabletop Dobsonian. However, because they have more glass elements than other designs, like Kellners, their manufacturing becomes extremely important to get high-quality optics. In simple terms, high focal ratio scopes, say those over F6, tend to be less demanding on eyepieces than those below F6. Achromatic vs Apochromatic refracting telescopes. A 15mm Plssl might be worth it, if you dont wear glasses. Kellners are the other popular design for amateur stargazing, go ahead and check out that article if you want to dive deeper into the subject. 75-225X, 1.5X Barlow Do you need a 10 mm planetary and a 10 mm DSO eyepiece? very happy. 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. Understanding and using a Barlow Lens Unless you are a professional astronomer or extremely demanding, you can select your eyepieces based on magnification, the apparent field of view, eye relief, and price. Hi, I have recently bought a Orion XT8 and am trying to work out which eyepieces to add to what is provided with the scope. In the world of eyepieces, when you want the very best, turn to Tele Vue, but be prepared to pay a truly premium price. I would expect it to be similar to the Celestron in image quality. Plossl eyepiece is good for astronomy and microscopy. 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 . I believe the 5000 UWA's are good as well. The ocular for your highest visual acuity - for viewing deep-sky objects and the like - should have an exit pupil around . It is as simple as that. Plossl eyepieces are very good and fairly inexpensive, typically between $25 and $50 each. I dont think so. Again, does it create a more immersive viewing experience? I hope I can say that someday. Finally, a wider field of view just makes it easier to find stuff. They also have good eye relief, making them comfortable to use for extended periods. Modified vs Unmodified DSLR Astrophotography: The Ultimate Showdown! 8.8 = 240 = .34 In essence the design differences between Kellner and Plossl comes down to the number of lenses within the eyepiece barrel. Then you can judge for yourself if it is worth it. If that is the case, it will give me another reasonably good, inexpensive zoom to recommend to beginners. 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. (Compare, for instance, 20mm of each type, or 10mm of each type.) A Barlow lens is an optical device that goes between the eyepiece and the focuser. The Plossl eyepiece is a type of optical system that was invented by Ernst Abbe. The computerized pad and motor work on AA batteries which can last you a few hours. So, I think it worth your while to try the Plssls. Kellner eyepieces have 3 lenses cemented together and have a 35-50 degree field of view. 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. But you may only be able to achieve that rarely. The Astrovid 40X60mm Zoom Telescope Camera Lens Kit is a great choice for those looking to get a variety of lenses, at different magnifications. I would suggest you also get a 2 low power wide view. You can do the calculation which will show that the 70 will have a significantly wider field of view as compared to the 52. So yeah, they are good.. and some are even better than others, and more collectible. . Because the eyepiece was still similar enough to a Plossl and still kept the symmetrical design, they called it Super Plossl. A Plossl eyepiece is one of the most decent general-purpose eyepieces that are available on the market. I often recommend the use of a barlow to achieve the higher range of magnifications. As we go along, I will refer back to these, so dont worry if you cant answer the questions or understand the formulas now. So plan this into such a purchase. The more light that is gathered, the more magnification that can be applied to the image, up to the limits that are imposed by the atmosphere. Tele Vue offers several series with apparent fields of view from 50 degrees to 120 degrees. Again, it only costs $30 to $40 to find out, so the education is not that expensive. In stargazing, eyepieces are as important as telescopes are. 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. 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.) It is pretty much worth it for everyone that has a telescope with a 1.25 inch focuser to have a 32mm Plssl. A Plssl is probably as good as any 32mm eyepiece in a 1.25 inch focuser. That is why I suggest, if you can use 2 eyepieces, you will want one or two low power wide view 2 eyepieces. When I was getting my start in the hobby, I bought an ultra-cheap ($15?) 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. As is outstanding in the workmanship, a Plossl type eyepiece is a moderately wide field eyepiece involving two colorless doublets in which the crown components generally face each other. Looking from different sorts I found the Baader Aspheric 31mm and 36mm.these two eyepieces allow me to switch between 2" and 1.25"just by changing the barrel. Omni 40mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. I often recommend a 32 mm Plossl as a good low power wide view eyepiece for scopes with a 1.25 focuser. Fully coated optics provide crisp and bright views of the cosmos. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide all this information! I have had a good experience with the SVBony brand and the Agena Astro brand. 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. I also have an older smoothtop 20mm Meade 4000 that is also 5 element, and it is a fine eyepiece too, compared to another 20mm of the same vintage. This design has some advantages over other designs, such as the Kellner eyepiece or Orthoscopic eyepieces. A rubber safety cap protects the lens when not in use while also providing additional grip on this 35 mm Plossl eyepiece. Some reviews also suggest replacing the diagonal. It also was considerably more expensive. If the above guide has helped you understand the terms and workings of eyepieces, scroll up and make a selection from our recommendation list. 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. They have a 60deg apparent field, long eye relief, adjustable eye shield and extremely well corrected. . They can also be found as Orion Expanse sporting a blue line rather than gold. Even though there are more sophisticated types of EPs, Plossls hit the right spot between high-quality optics and price. 1. How does that field of view impact the viewing experience? 1:10 . 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. 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. Do you think it would be sensible for me to look at getting a higher magnification specific eyepiece? The image quality is very good and the additional field of view and longer eye relief makes them very comfortable to use. ORION SIRIUS PLOSSL 10mm telescope eyepiece 1.25" - $17.01. What diameter eyepieces will my telescope accept? And remember, when all else fails, read the instructions. They are not that expensive I would pay about $100 for both eye pieces. I usually recommend a 32 mm Plossl type eyepiece as that provides about the widest view you can achieve with a 1.25 focuser. Your email address will not be published. A 10mm or shorter Plssl is probably not worth it unless you want to see how you personally cope with short eye relief. The Japan made 16mm Meade 3000 was a very nice medium power plossl and the 40mm in that series was surprisingly nice as well. You can read a thorough review of Goldline eyepieces here. Read the full Earning Disclosure here. 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? Orion Sirius Plossl eyepieces are ideal for any type of telescope; refractor, reflector, or catadioptic. Press Esc to cancel. Required fields are marked *. Orion Sirius Plossl 10mm telescope eyepiece 1.25" in very good to excellent 185794462395 When I started, I purchased less expensive eyepieces to learn about them and how I would use them. Aspheric and Plossl Plossl are both lens designs that can be used in most telescopes. Which is Stronger? Are Plossl eyepieces any good? Now we have a maximum established. So, if your scope is F6 or lower, you may want to consider some of the higher priced, better corrected eyepieces if you want the best image to the edge of the field. The only reason it's in this list because of its price and a long focal point. You really understood the material. Those are significantly more expensive than the 1.25 focal lengths. The third choice of eyepieces is the Orion 12 mm Sirius Super Wide Angle Correct Image Eyepiece. Tip Its almost always cheaper to buy directly from Agena Astro. 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. 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. Inexpensive Plossls that are manufactured using low-quality lenses are susceptible to internal reflections when viewing bright objects at high magnification. I took notes and now can shop with confidence 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.