The Plossl eyepiece is a type of optical system that was invented by Ernst Abbe. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You mentioned regarding ORTHO eyepieces: Excellent specialty eyepieces, usually for planets. As you saw in the article, they eyepieces that would be best for you, or your child, is based on your budget and what your goals are. The Plossl eyepiece is a four-element design consisting of two doublets. Thinking in a super ploss 32mm and maybe something between 9mm and 15mm . With a 8" dobsonian, a 6mm is very versatile. Do you need a 10 mm planetary and a 10 mm DSO eyepiece? Goldline series of eyepieces provides the best value in this price range, better than Plossls. Astrophotography with Nikon D3200: Can It Be Better? I also struggled to see features on both (gas bands on Jupiter and clear rings on saturn). Age is not part of the equation. But are they really? Celestron's 4-element Plossl eyepiece features include blackened lens edges to minimize internal reflection and maximize contrast, fully multi-coated optics for maximum light transmission. One last thing, as a kid I used my telescope to watch squirrels and birds (which was interesting because the image was flipped around :-) so, you might consider getting an eyepiece that flips things the right way around so that navigating terrestrial nature is easier to manage. Plossls are extremely versatile and can be used for all use cases. Omni Eyepieces | Celestron . Poorly chosen eyepiece might give you poor experience and sometimes even make stargazing difficult. What is a Plossl Eyepiece and What's So Great About Them? Some will offer longer eye relief which can be important to eyeglass wearers. 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. A Televue Plssl may be better than a generic one, but the difference is probably not worth the additional cost. A Plossl eyepiece lens provides more eye relief than anything else out there! If you are going to wear your glasses when you observe, you want at least 18 mm of eye relief and 20 mm is better. This was very useful, I got a meade infinity 90mm ( after read the review here -. These are exceptional eyepieces, and only available on the used market nowadays. Perhaps another review would be helpful. The Wiki article(s) were very good if anyone else is confused. Sooooo helpful! The "sharpness" you are seeing may well be better explained by the focal length of the ep than the quality of Plossls in general. Again, it only costs $30 to $40 to find out, so the education is not that expensive. I cannot thank you enough! Required fields are marked *. The eye relief is the distance between your eyes and the eyepiece where you are able to view the whole image comfortably. A 2 barrel on the eyepiece will allow the manufacturer to create an eyepiece that provides a wider field of view. It uses two symmetrical pairs of glass elements (one convex and one concave) to pass the light. The image will be reversed left to right so you will need to get used to that. The atmosphere is typically the limiting factor as we get to higher magnifications. This is a fairly inexpensive zoom that I wanted to try. My Meade 4000 56 and 60 degree Meade Plossls are pretty sharp to my eyes and do pretty well for me. Theres a wide range of quality when it comes to Plossls and trusting the brand you are getting one from matters a lot if you dont want to get an eyepiece with lots of reflection or optical issues. Orion Q70 38 mm works well. But what are the differences between these two and how do you know which one to choose? On the inside, they are exactly the same design. Put the zoom on the Barlow for the high range. No surprise there. Note that the full moon appears to be approximately .5 degrees across, so use that as a mental reference when looking at the numbers. My other eyepieces, ES and Meade 82 degree, stayed in the eyepiece case most of the time. Plossl eyepieces are perfect for astronomical viewing because the field of view is wider. Plossl eyepiece is one of the reasonable options when it comes to telescope eyepieces for stargazing or astronomy. i did buy an astro-tech 3.2 paradigm ed from a cloudynights.com forum member. As we go up in price range, we gain capabilities that may not be immediately obvious. So, for your 30 mm, 82/60 = 1.36 degrees. 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. 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). Remember that visual and AP have very different requirements, so plan on at least two different optical tubes. I loved my Baader Mark-IV 8mm-24mm Zoom+Barlow combo in my 8" EdgeHD. It includes two high-magnification Plossl eyepieces and five lower magnification zoom oculars with an adjustable focus in the kit. You are looking through a LOT of atmosphere which distorts the image. In the box you'll receive 5 1.25 eyepieces at following sizes, a 32 mm Plossl Eyepiece, 17 mm Plossl Eyepiece , 13 mm Plossl Eyepiece, 8 mm Plossl Eyepiece, 6 mm Plossl Eyepiece, a 2X Barlow Lens 1.25. That's hard to beat IMO. Plossls are available from many suppliers in a wide range of focal lengths in 1.25 and 2 sizes. 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! 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. Well, I'll just say it. So, even if you have a Maksutov-Cassegrain scope, you should get a good experience from this eyepiece. As to a more immersive experience, yes, I would say a wider FOV does provide a more immersive experience. Was $38.99 - $99.99 Now $31.19 - $84.99 Compare Orion Edge-On Planetary 1.25" Eyepieces Again, this is more noticeable in lower focal ratio scopes. In essence the design differences between Kellner and Plossl comes down to the number of lenses within the eyepiece barrel. The TFOV will be as wide as your 40mm Plssl, but with greater magnification and a slightly darker sky background. This design features 4 lenses that are paired in two close-set doublets for the eye lens and the field lens. The focal length range for 1.25 Plossls is about 6mm to 45mm. Edge sharpness is just satisfactory, nothing to boast about, as is the apparent field of view. But the difference in price to get to the next level is high, and the performance difference may be small. They are also good for those who have astigmatism because they are designed to be more forgiving with eye placement. These and the essentially identical AT Paradigm are universally praised as good quality eyepieces with a wider 60-degree apparent field of view. As long as you take good care of them, Plossls can last you a lifetime, and you will be able to use them with your next telescope if you upgrade at some point. To get the best performance, you have to be willing to pay the price. I havent been into the hobby for long but my experience is in line with whats been said. These are highly sought after ep's, and hold their value well. As said, they are cheap to compare. I do not miss beating my eyelashes against a 9.7mm Meade Plossl that I used to own. Now we have a maximum established. It has made learning the Constellations and star-hopping more fun and engaging for my whole family exactly what I was hoping for. None of my fancy EPs have enough contrast for this application. This SVBONY eyepiece review should get you up to speed with the budget stargazing options. That said, I should also tell you that not all Plossls are created equal. You can accomplish a longer eye relief by barlowing a longer f/l plossl, so that is something to think about as well. Many Kellners are made with field stops opened up to 50 degrees, in which case it can truly compare to a Plossl in any telescope with a focal ratio of f/6 or slower. Do you have any additional comments to help me? Most telescopes come with one or two eyepieces, which gives you one or two magnification options. There is a little bit more to it than that and there are other design . If that surface is wobbly the scope will be almost useless. At shorter focal lengths they have less eye relief, and at all focal lengths they have a narrower field of view, than newer types. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-telescope-mounts-for-astrophotography/, Then you look at the optical tubes. However, you may see them at higher prices for the short term. Combining a cheap eyepiece with a cheap barlow isn't a elegant solution. condition as described, a good transaction. Excellent article, thank you very much for taking the time to publish it. Well-made lenses are expensive though, so in general the more lenses, the higher the price of the eyepiece. I also like to have my face physically in contact with the eyepiece (or the eyepiece cup) so the tight eye relief of the shorter focal lengths actually works really well for me. The Hyperions work well in SCTs and you can't beat that large eyelens and eye relief ,JMO. I had a newer - purchased in 2016 Meade 32mm (white lettering) that was no better than the older 32mm 4000. 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. The larger barrel allows them to create an eyepiece with a higher AFOV. Typically a Barlow does not add or subtract from this, but there again we have bad Barlows and Good Barlows. 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. Are Plossl eyepieces good? If we look at the range I provided above, we see that we could replace several eyepieces with one zoom. But some people demand the very best, and it is available, at a price. A standard Plossl eyepiece is typically between 20mm to 25mm but can range anywhere from 15mm up to about 40mm in diameter. I often had to drop back to about 180X because of poor seeing and transparency. SVBONY Telescope Eyepiece Set Telescope Accessory Kit with 2x Barlow Lens 4 Element Plossl Design 6.3mm 32mm 40mm for Astronomical Telescopes. Are Plossl eyepieces any good? - KnowledgeBurrow.com The Big Bang Optics is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. 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. Plossl vs Super Plossl Eyepieces: The Differences - Stargazing Help If you do upgrade, youll probably want to go for a different eyepiece design than a Plosslsomething with a sharper image or a wider field of view or a longer eye relief (or all three.). While I also have the Baader Hyperion Zoom, mentioned later, I continue to make use of the Celestron, especially in my smaller scopes. I also just bought the Celestron Starsense 102mm refractor (650mm focal length, f/6.5) as a first scope for me and my kids. Whether it is cars or telescope eyepieces, there are inexpensive ones, upgraded models, and very expensive ones. Celestron 2026 Erecting Prism Barlow Lens Set is another great choice for those looking to get a variety of magnifications. For shorter focal lengths, the StarGuider BST series eyepieces have greater eye-relief, so are better suited. I dont own nor have I used it, but Orion has a very good reputation. The only reason it's in this list because of its price and a long focal point. 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. Eyepiece Field of View Simulator astronomy.tools Field of View Simulator Change Telescope Reset Change Target Add Equipment Number of Lenses. However, Orion has managed to make one that is quite compatible with most styles of telescope. Jupiter and Saturn are low in the sky now. I purchased the Celestron Starsense 102mm refractor, focal length 660mm, stated highest useful magnification is 240x; it should arrive in about 2 weeks. This Super Plossl design was better than regular Plossl eyepieces, but not by much. 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. Their eye relief is limited to about 70-80% of their focal length. Plossl eyepieces are typically used for observing and viewing things at long distances, but they can also be useful when using a telescope to provide both magnifying power and erecting the images. Your email address will not be published. The 26 and 32 are usually the first ones I reach for. Super Plossls offer a smaller field of view, which makes them good for close-up views and examining small objects. 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. I want to help you select the best eyepieces for your budget and your telescope. Best suited for telescopes with f-ratios f6 or slower. Buy Astromania 1.25" 4mm Plossl Telescope Eyepiece - 4-Element Plossl Design . Skywatcher SP Plossl lenses - Discussions - Stargazers Lounge They also offer a generous 16 mm of eye relief which is most important in the shorter focal lengths. If you upgrade the telescope or add a second one, the eyepieces will work on that telescope too. Be sure to read the following as you consider your eyepiece purchases. A Televue Plssl may be better than a generic one, but the difference is probably not worth the additional cost. 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. By the 1980s, amateur astronomy equipment suppliers were still selling new telescopes with Huygens and Ramsden eyepieces, not merely because they were cheap but because they lacked internal reflections. No results, please adjust your filters. Field of view, is about finding, framing, drift time, and context. https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/explore-scientific-70-eyepieces.html. Hi Ed, that is really helpful sorry if this is a daft question but is the baader hyperion 2 or 1.25 or can it be both? I did sell them all when I adopted Dioptrx, and the Naglers are amazing! SVBONY Eyepiece Review: Take Your Stargazing Up a Notch Meade 4000 Super Plossl - any good? - Discussions - Eyepieces Are there any good low-cost 2 EPS out there? . A couple of them felt fancier, but the jump in performance was either insignificant or non-existent. a breath of fresh air! I recommend it often to beginners on a tight budget. I use some plssl eyepieces, since I still have quite a few in my kit, and yes, the others are correct. the shorter the focal length eyepiece = the shorter the eye relief. https://telescopicwatch.com/?s=barlow, Best of luck with your new telescope. Plossl vs Kellner Eyepieces. - Little Astronomy Brilliant article and I thank you for it, I was literally really confused prior to reading it. Or take one of your eyepieces and measure across the bottom of the barrel. Cheap to try, and if you don't like it, easy enough to sell also. It also produces an erect image, meaning you see what youre viewing rather than seeing everything upside down or sideways as some types do. 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. Thanks. The ES is actually slightly cheaper than the Orion but my understanding from your reviews and replies is that ES might actually be the better eyepiece have I got that right?