are plossl eyepieces good are plossl eyepieces good

Comparing to Plossl, the Expanse eyepiece is a lot more expensive. They offer a 52-degree apparent field with clean, high-contrast images. Are Plossl eyepieces good? Good evening everybody. I wants to install one in house(fixed place) another I need movable. 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. Gold Line eyepieces also offer better eye relief than Plossl eyepieces, especially at the shorter focal lengths. Explore Scientific 68 34 mm or ES 82 30 mm would also be good choices at a significantly higher price but with better edge correction. A standard Plossl eyepiece is typically between 20mm to 25mm but can range anywhere from 15mm up to about 40mm in diameter. However, because they have more glass elements than other designs, like Kellners, their manufacturing becomes extremely important to get high-quality optics. 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. They are not that expensive I would pay about $100 for both eye pieces. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Meade telescope maksutov eyepiece ETX-105EC Super Plossl 6.4mm 1.25" w capsule at the best online prices at eBay! The Plossl is a good all-around eyepiece design, is well suited for generic use and is relatively inexpensive to make. A 2 barrel on the eyepiece will allow the manufacturer to create an eyepiece that provides a wider field of view. Once we are done, they will make sense. Lower power almost always looks better than higher power. 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. No results, please adjust your filters. What focal length eyepieces should I buy? Note that the full moon appears to be approximately .5 degrees across, so use that as a mental reference when looking at the numbers. Free shipping for many products! - 32mm plossl. FOR SALE! In this case, I am going to define this by the focuser and eyepiece size. No price limit? but the meat of the article is about understanding the considerations and specifications to know when selecting eyepieces. On many occasions, that will be too high power for the atmospheric conditions. The Plossl eyepiece has 4 lenses, consisting of 2 identical double lenses. However, there can be a problem bringing the eyepiece into focus. I would wait till you get the scope and use the included eyepieces. They work great every day and get you where you want to go, but dont have what the higher priced models have. philhas Members 61 459 Location: North East England How will my telescopes focal ratio affect my purchases? When a beginner is choosing eyepieces on a budget, there are a number of possible designs they may choose between. This saves money and helps you shop in an organized manner. Eye relief is the distance from the eye lens to your eyeball, and the higher the better (within reason). I have the 38 mm and recommend it often. Fully coated optics provide crisp and bright views of the cosmos. The Baader offers wider fov, but at quite the price premium. Remember that visual and AP have very different requirements, so plan on at least two different optical tubes. Now here is something that some of us classic scope nuts know - there are plossls, and there are plossls. I really like the simplicity and compactness of these simpler designs (ie: Plssls, Orthos, Kellners, etc). However, you may see them at higher prices for the short term. 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. This design features 4 lenses that are paired in two close-set doublets for the eye lens and the field lens. Plssl eyepieces are good all-around performers, producing sharp images at the center of the field, but they have only four lens elements. Offering a wide 43 apparent field of view, this 40mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepiece provides extremely sharp images of impressively high contrast. 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. 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 1860, Georg Simon Plossl invented the Plossl eyepiece. 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. However, some eyepieces have an eye relief as short as 5 mm. 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! At 32mm, a Plssl will give you as wide a field of view as any 1.25mm eyepiece can. At this point, a Plossl and a Kellner are so close in price and performance that you may as well get the Plossl. Most modern telescopes use a focuser, or diagonal, that accepts 1.25 eyepieces. 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. So, I am going to organize the guide around five questions and four formulas. The atmosphere is typically the limiting factor as we get to higher magnifications. The Astrovid 40X60mm Zoom Telescope Camera Lens Kit is a great choice for those looking to get a variety of lenses, at different magnifications. You could say Super Plossls are not much more than a marketing tactic these days. There are three types of Plossl eyepiece: the regular, Super, and Orthoscopic. I already got the 10mm super wide because of the added eye relief but at 15mm both have the same eye relief. Nice, thank you again for the additional inputs. This also makes them more resistant to any form of dust getting inside the eyepiece. I foolishly destroyed it while experimenting with solar projection, because I hadnt realized the metal-and-glass construction was aided by a plastic retaining ring on the field stop, and I hadnt realized you do not need to change the eyepiece focal length when doing solar projection. These and the essentially identical AT Paradigm are universally praised as good quality eyepieces with a wider 60-degree apparent field of view. The longer FL Plossls (>15mm) have some distinct advantages over more complex designs without the major disadvantage of Plossls which is short ER. Its quite long but that is what we are aiming for and hopefully, it was useful to you. An exit pupil larger than 6 mm may start to show a shadow of the secondary mirror. Also, children do not often have highly developed motor skillsso I would avoid the frustration of switching out eyepieces, and consider a zoom lens. I have CPC 925 and I currently own Hyperion 10mm, Hyperion 17mm and Celestron plossl 40mm. Do I need an adapter if my scope has a Plossl lens? Other eyepieces of more advanced design can have better eye relief and field of view. Stargazinghelp.com is a knowledge hub for professional and amateur astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. A key thing to remember is that eyepieces are universal. We also joined our local Astronomy Club and look forward to joining others under the night sky when the opportunity presents itself again. Thanks, Angelo M. You picked a great first scope. 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. 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. This is just a planning target. I've got a one-off plossl like that in my kit that I'll probably never sell, (aside from my 5 element ones) and it's one that is rarely seen. Aspheric eyepiece is a variation of Plossl design, it has an anti-reflection coating on the front glass surface to ensure maximum light transmission and will also provide your instrument with better quality images if you need higher magnification levels. 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? 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. For shorter focal lengths, the StarGuider BST series eyepieces have greater eye-relief, so are better suited. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Orion+Q70&ref=nb_sb_noss_2, Understanding Telescope Eyepieces- There are recommendations, based on budget, This SVBONY eyepiece review should get you up to speed with the budget stargazing options. Press Esc to cancel. The combination of high-quality optics and accessible prices have made them the favorite design for amateur astronomers and even professionals. It costs three to four times as much as the Celestron Zoom, but if you have the budget, this is the one to get. Some will offer longer eye relief which can be important to eyeglass wearers. These will eventually be used in an 8in dob whenever it arrives. To get the best performance, you have to be willing to pay the price. Plossls tend to come with large, ground-standing Dobsonians, whereas youre more likely to find a Kellner sold with a tabletop Dobsonian. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For what it is worth, a slow scope like your CPC9.25 (f/10?) Videos for related products. THANK YOU x 12! But for the targets requiring higher mag Im still undecided between: These are things you will want to know and use. 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. Some brands will add better lens coating, darker edges, or a higher quality case to their Super Plossl products, but strictly for performance, there isnt a difference between the two. It is all about your budget, your goals, and your objectives, as outlined in the article. Any 1.25 eyepiece will work with the BH Zoom 2 adapter. 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. You can email me also. It should list what size eyepieces you can use. Do you think the Baader Hyperion Zoom would work OK with the Skywatcher 150p? I have owned wider eyepieces, but ultimately I just prefer the Plssls (must be a mental defect). (Compare, for instance, 20mm of each type, or 10mm of each type.) Super Plossls offer a smaller field of view, which makes them good for close-up views and examining small objects. Perhaps you have read about planetary eyepieces, DSO eyepieces, and other types of specific eyepieces. We will use a 100 mm telescope with a 600 mm focal length that only takes 1.25 eyepieces. Over $250, I will label premium eyepieces. A common problem are eyepiece kits, which are big boxes that some telescope suppliers will sell you with half a dozen eyepieces, most of which include annoyingly short focal length Plossl eyepieces. Typically, these will be 25 mm and 10 mm or something close to that. I want to help you select the best eyepieces for your budget and your telescope. It also produces an erect image, meaning you see what youre viewing rather than seeing everything upside down or sideways as some types do. Age is not part of the equation. 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. The field of view of a p Plossl eyepiece is typically 60 to 120 degrees. Kellner eyepieces have 3 lenses cemented together and have a 35-50 degree field of view. This is a good thing, because normally the shorter the focal length of the eyepiece, the less eye relief you have. . This is a fairly inexpensive zoom that I wanted to try. So speaking of the Barlow as if it modifies the FL of the eyepiece, while technically not correct, does provide an easier model to understand the net effect. 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. 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. This is my all-time favorite eyepiece and the one I use more than all the others put together. The Plossl optical design is very good for long and medium focal length eyepieces, delivering a sharp, flat field and an apochromatic image. So yeah, they are good.. and some are even better than others, and more collectible. Plossl eyepiece is one of the reasonable options when it comes to telescope eyepieces for stargazing or astronomy. Know what diameter eyepieces your scope takes. They also improve a bit when it comes to eye relief. I would expect it to be similar to the Celestron in image quality. Edited April 23, 2010 by russ teh_orph Members 28 198 Author Then there is the rule of thumb to avoid duplicating focal lengths when acquiring eyepieces. Are plossl eyepieces still worth it? Visual astronomy is all about aperture, the more the better. 130 mm scope will have a max of 260X for planning purposes. A typical zoom eyepiece has a focal length range of 8 mm to 24 mm. With an f/10 telescope, Plossls are as sharp as any other kind of eyepiece of the same focal length. Are Plossl eyepieces any good? did i pass? Correct image diagonals are easier for beginners and they are great for using the scope during the day, but experience people dont use them for astronomy. However, the BH Zoom is by far my most used eyepiece. I would suggest you also get a 2 low power wide view. Finally, the worldwide pandemic has led to shortages and price jumps on many items. Each eyepiece gives you a unique magnification based on the formula listed at the start: Why do you need more than two eyepieces? Yes, Plossl eyepieces are some of the most popular with amateurs and professionals alike. Learn more about our story and the team behind the scene. 6mm Kellner eyepiece that I enjoyed a lot. I really enjoy usingPlssls. The larger barrel allows them to create an eyepiece with a higher AFOV. Kellner eyepieces work perfectly with small and medium-sized telescopes. Take the AFOV of the eyepiece (provided by the mfg) in your case 82 degrees . Plus the FOV expands as you zoom to the higher powers. The third choice of eyepieces is the Orion 12 mm Sirius Super Wide Angle Correct Image Eyepiece. Lets give an example. I need your advice on it. a Celestron 8-24 Zoom with a 2x Barlow They have a pop-up eye guard and they are threaded to accept filters. You can accomplish a longer eye relief by barlowing a longer f/l plossl, so that is something to think about as well. I would like to know what is best for a 7 year old that would be getting his first telescope. Theres a reason Plossls are usually kept at 52 degrees. Wide view and well-corrected view, even in F5 scopes. The "sharpness" you are seeing may well be better explained by the focal length of the ep than the quality of Plossls in general. I have used these in my F6 and F5 Dobs and find them a good value for the price. If you are on a strict budget, this is a good choice as a zoom eyepiece. Their eye relief is limited to about 70-80% of their focal length. The only one not in the article is the Orion Q70 which is available in 38 mm, 32 mm and 26 mm. 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 . 14 = 128 = .6 Focus on the magnifications rather than the mm of the eyepieces. Just search on Astronomy Club and you will probably find one in your area. Perhaps another review would be helpful. 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. 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. I was just wondering if plossls are still worth it or should get a better eyepiece in a 30mm range. No price limit. 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. 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. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-astrophotography-telescopes/. 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. Compared with a zoomable telescope eyepiece, they are pretty much the same in terms of the quality of the image. This type of design provides for both total magnifications as well as an erect image with little distortion. One more thing if you havent purchased a telescope yet, I would recommend a tabletop version, since they are easier for kids to move than the fiddley ones with spindly legs and complicated dials. Of course, the entire eyepiece must be manufactured and finished correctly to realize the design's full potential. However, i can read very well without my glasses with almost microscopic vision and can use my binoculars without glasses. We can see that 2 eyepieces have an advantage over 1.25 eyepieces when designers are making wide-view eyepieces. Eye Relief: This refers to how close your eye has to be to the lens in order to see the full field of view. I recently purchased the SVBony 7-21 zoom from Amazon. Think of these as your Ford, Chevy, and Toyota of eyepieces. There are inexpensive adapters that will let you use standard 1.25 eyepieces in a .965 focuser/diagonal. Cheap to try, and if you don't like it, easy enough to sell also. (Focal ratio is a term that refers to the telescopes focal length divided by its aperture. These are exceptional eyepieces, and only available on the used market nowadays. I dont think so. Hayppy that now I have more facts to put in my decision. These are highly sought after ep's, and hold their value well. What apparent field of view and eye relief do I want? That is why I suggest, if you can use 2 eyepieces, you will want one or two low power wide view 2 eyepieces. I beleive this is the same as they ones you asked about. Now looking for a couple of decent eyepieces. How do you focus - I would have expected helical focusers in the eyepiece holders but don't see any? Many thanks, Sophie. However, some lateral color error is apparent when looking at bright subjects, such as Jupiter or Venus, against a dark sky. SV207 30mm Super Plossl Eyepiece. These sport a 60-degree apparent field of view, about a 20% wider apparent field of view than Plossl eyepieces. Another really helpful article, Ed. Am I correct? When I was getting my start in the hobby, I bought an ultra-cheap ($15?) Free shipping for many products! . I cant answer that specifically as I have no experience with that eyepiece in that scope. This means less time trying to figure out which way your images should be oriented before examining them. 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. 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! Later in the article, I will also give my top recommendations for both the best Kellner as well as the best Plossl eyepieces. If you read the article you know how to calculate the magnification and field of view. Your eyepieces do not need to be the same brand as your telescope. Understanding and using a Barlow Lens And since this article is intended as an aid to beginners rather than a rigorous optics lesson, I think the context I provided works well enough. The first group is made up of a convex lens and concave lens, while the second one has four small cylindrical lenses that work together to magnify what you see through them for your viewing pleasure. 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. Ive read reviews about my scope. That's hard to beat IMO. Also, as the apparent field of view gets wider, the image will require more correction. They deliver sharp images in almost all telescopes. The one exception I would keep in mind would be when working with Newtonian reflector telescopes below F5. The length of eye relief on a Plossl eyepiece ranges from 12 millimeters (less common) all the way up to 45 millimeters with added benefits being that you dont have any issues seeing into your view. i dont have 1 of everything, and i bought the best i could afford on a low budget; meade and orion. My friend has one and he really likes it, and it is his third telescope. With your glasses on, you simply cant get your eye close enough to an eyepiece that only has 10 mm of eye relief. See if you will observe with or without your glasses. Most telescopes come with one or two eyepieces. Be aware of the focal ratio of your scope. Tip Its almost always cheaper to buy directly from Agena Astro. Modified vs Unmodified DSLR Astrophotography: The Ultimate Showdown! Because some objects look better at low power, some at medium power, some at high power, and some at very high power. It uses two symmetrical pairs of glass elements (one convex and one concave) to pass the light. For our experience level, would you recommend changing anything right now? A good modern eyepiece like a BST starguider 12,8 and 5mm are excellent eyepieces. You can add the specialty single FL eyepieces later if you wish. I currently own a Mak127 ( that can't use 2"eyepieces) and a 80ED ( that one can hold 2"eyepieces). They can also be found as Orion Expanse sporting a blue line rather than gold. This is why many telescopes come standard with at least one Plossl eyepiece. 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. For example, if you put a 30 mm eyepiece in a 3X Barlow, it will triple the magnification you get from that eyepiece. These eyepieces have about 35 to 50 degrees apparent fields of view and reasonable eye relief, though quite short for high magnifications. 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. I hope I can say that someday. I purchased the Celestron Starsense 102mm refractor, focal length 660mm, stated highest useful magnification is 240x; it should arrive in about 2 weeks. If that surface is wobbly the scope will be almost useless. None of my fancy EPs have enough contrast for this application. We may earn commissions by recommending products on this website. How does that field of view impact the viewing experience? You might be able to find a Kellner, or perhaps a high-quality Orthoscopic. All the rest will likely be 1.25. Orion Sirius Plossl 1.25" eyepieces are ideal for all types of telescopes: reflector, refractor, and catadioptrics such as Maksutov-Cassegrains. However, sometimes i am at the end of the range of the binocular focus adjustment. With regards to budget, whatever works well and is on par with the quality & capability of the telescope. I can recommend these with confidence. The sharp/crisp view you get from your 40mm Plossl comes down to the relatively low magnification it provides. Be sure to read the following as you consider your eyepiece purchases. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-telescope-mounts-for-astrophotography/, Then you look at the optical tubes. Also worth mentioning i wear glasses which I will wear while observing. I have personally tested a few Super Plossl and compared them to their regular counterparts by the same brand.