A 10mm or shorter Plssl is probably not worth it unless you want to see how you personally cope with short eye relief. Do you need to have the best to enjoy astronomy? As I mentioned earlier in the article, not all Plossls are created equal, which simply means that there are good Plossls and then there are bad Plossls. The biggest advantage is much better ER in a large ocular. ORION SIRIUS PLOSSL 10mm telescope eyepiece 1.25" - $17.01. However, there can be a problem bringing the eyepiece into focus. This also makes them more resistant to any form of dust getting inside the eyepiece. Lets just say that once you get below F5, it is really hard for the eyepiece to deliver a clean image to the edge. The generic GSO Plssl from many manufacturers, including Astronomics (Astro Tech) and Agnena Astro, is as good as the Celestron and a few bucks cheaper. Kellners are often sold with cheaper, even more entry-level telescopes than Plossls. It should list what size eyepieces you can use. Get to know more about us here. Some accept 2 and have an adapter that allows you to also use 1.25. But the longer FL units are certainly useful. My Meade 4000 56 and 60 degree Meade Plossls are pretty sharp to my eyes and do pretty well for me. I need some eyepieces with long FL for low magnifications. 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. And that is pretty much what Super Plossl are today. When I started, I purchased less expensive eyepieces to learn about them and how I would use them. Sooooo helpful! However, some lateral color error is apparent when looking at bright subjects, such as Jupiter or Venus, against a dark sky. A zoom eyepiece works like the zoom lens on a camera. 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. However, some eyepieces have an eye relief as short as 5 mm. So perhaps you do your line up like this. Well-made lenses are expensive though, so in general the more lenses, the higher the price of the eyepiece. Again, I only do this for my low power wide views. https://telescopicwatch.com/orion-skyquest-xt8-intelliscope-review/. Your email address will not be published. Remember that visual and AP have very different requirements, so plan on at least two different optical tubes. What apparent field of view and eye relief do I want? It also gives the widest possible exit pupil in my dob and SCT, very handy when using nebula filters. Once I knew how much I liked the zoom I upgraded to the Baader Hyperion Zoom. Focal length telescope / focal length eyepiece = magnification or power. In essence the design differences between Kellner and Plossl comes down to the number of lenses within the eyepiece barrel. You are looking through a LOT of atmosphere which distorts the image. Overall, I would highly recommend the goldline eyepieces. Etc.? Plossl telescope eyepieces are the most popular type of eyepiece on the market. I am very interested in viewing Nebulae do you think this set up will work well for that or do I need other eyepieces or filters? 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. You will see these under many brands, including Orion, Celestron, GSO, and others. 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! Some will offer longer eye relief which can be important to eyeglass wearers. I often recommend the 2 in this series as excellent low-power wide view eyepieces, especially in scopes at focal ratios below F8. In addition, the eyepiece would be a Huygens or Ramsden design, where two lenses made of the same type of glass could be combined to yield minimal false color fringing, as long as the focal length of the telescope remained fairly long. On the inside, they are exactly the same design. It comes with two Barlow lenses, one Newtonian eyepiece, and three Plossl eyepieces in the set. Or we say that F10 would be easier or less demanding on the eyepiece than the F5. 5-Minute Read, How To Increase The Magnification Of A Telescope; 5-Minute Read. The tradeoff was that each lens surface added another internal reflection, reducing contrast and adding glare. 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). I owned an XT8 Intelliscope which is the same optical tube on a PushTo mount. 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. This might contain more of what you need. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. For visual use, 1.5X, 2X, 2.5X, and 3X Barlow lenses are common. This can be especially helpful in telescopes of focal ratios below F8. For it's cost, a 32mm Plssl eyepiece is hard to beat. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get a good image of any given target at that level of magnification on any given night. Orion Sirius Plossl eyepieces are ideal for any type of telescope; refractor, reflector, or catadioptic. The BHZ 2 Adapter has threads on it so you can attach filters to it allowing you to use 2 filters with the zoom. None of my fancy EPs have enough contrast for this application. Whether it is cars or telescope eyepieces, there are inexpensive ones, upgraded models, and very expensive ones. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-telescope-eyepieces/. If you are just testing the waters or on a tight budget, get the Celestron, which is still pretty good. They are also really sharp. Your email address will not be published. It will also make your life easier if youre out observing on windy days that would otherwise blow off the front cover of your telescope. One of the TMB Planetary eyepieces are extremely nice for 50. Conclusion. You alluded to them, but you never mentioned Tele Vue. I have owned wider eyepieces, but ultimately I just prefer the Plssls (must be a mental defect). Tele Vue has eyepieces that approach $1000. It is all about your budget, your goals, and your objectives, as outlined in the article. So, I think it worth your while to try the Plssls. I just ordered Hyperion 13mm and 21mm but I really like how sharp and crisp view is in plossl 40mm. I expect such eyepieces are available but I have never seen or used one. Many thanks. that I could slide into my telescope and look at. I have personally tested a few Super Plossl and compared them to their regular counterparts by the same brand. 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. In retrospect, I should have included Tele Vue. And certainly, if you are getting into AP you are going to need that big budget. I am not aware of any such solutions for Newtonian reflectors. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Offered in both 2 and 1.25, these are excellent eyepieces. . Why two sizes? Eye relief of less than 10mm gets really uncomfortableyou tend to rub your eyepieces against the eyepiece or lens, and you have to hold your eye at just the right distance to keep from touching the lens. A Barlow lens is an optical device that goes between the eyepiece and the focuser. The combination of high-quality optics and accessible prices have made them the favorite design for amateur astronomers and even professionals. The views through it are very impressive, and it always amazes me when I get that one out. The Big Bang Optics is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Plossl eyepieces are very good and fairly inexpensive, typically between $25 and $50 each. I think Id really enjoy a zoom for all the reasons you mention, But Im having a difficult time assessing how much weight to put on the field of view of given eyepieces. The category is over $300 and some of these are way over $300. Do you think it would be sensible for me to look at getting a higher magnification specific eyepiece? Its quite long but that is what we are aiming for and hopefully, it was useful to you. Again, it only costs $30 to $40 to find out, so the education is not that expensive. Interesting points Philip. 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? My most used eyepiece is an 8-24 mm zoom. The availability of good quality relatively wide field-of-view inexpensive eyepieces has kind of put them in the second tier of eyepieces, but they still hold their own in the longer focal lengths and excel if one does not demand a wide field-of-view. It is pretty much worth it for everyone that has a telescope with a 1.25 inch focuser to have a 32mm Plssl. This is just a planning target. Kellner vs Plossl - Comparison table. But just because an eyepiece is 2 doesnt mean it has a wider field of view than one that is 1.25. Then there is a pair of 32mm and 20mm TV Plossls which make my binoviewers work well with a Daystar Quark H-alpha solar filter. The only difference is that they have a different design as well as a shape with their lenses, which affects the magnification of your telescope view. Omni 15mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-astrophotography-telescopes/. Note that the Explore Scientific 68 and 82 degree eyepieces are also available in 2 size for your low power wide view requirements. At shorter focal lengths they have less eye relief, and at all focal lengths they have a narrower field of view, than newer types. Omni 9mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. They also offer more eye relief than Plossls at the shorter focal lengths. Quality this good usually costs a lot more. . (often referred to as Pseudo Masuyama). Read our full affiliate disclosure here. One of the main drawbacks of this eyepiece, though, is the eye relief. You have to decide how fussy you are about the edges and what your budget can tolerate. Here are a few types of eyepieces you may read about and their typical AFOV. This was my first zoom eyepiece and the one that caused me to fall in love with zoom. Jupiter and Saturn are low in the sky now. All focal lengths offer 50 field-of-view except the 40mm which offers 42 These are highly sought after ep's, and hold their value well. Features : 5 superior-grade Plossl eyepieces: 1.25-in, 4-element design with a 52 AFOV (32mm has 44)4mm, 6mm, 9mm, 15mm, and 32mm . In 1860, Georg Simon Plossl invented the Plossl eyepiece. These sport a 60-degree apparent field of view, about a 20% wider apparent field of view than Plossl eyepieces. In most cases, these are eyepieces that are focused on wider AFOV or better correction for low focal ratio scopes. We will now discuss the specifications of eye relief and apparent field of view. The image will be reversed left to right so you will need to get used to that. A good modern eyepiece like a BST starguider 12,8 and 5mm are excellent eyepieces. And remember, when all else fails, read the instructions. For the $66/$42 of these kits, you can get one or two decent eyepieces (depending on where you buy). 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 Sirius Plossl 1.25" eyepieces are ideal for all types of telescopes: reflector, refractor, and catadioptrics such as Maksutov-Cassegrains. It doesnt matter what type of telescope you have, as long as your scope takes these standard sizes. 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. It includes two high-magnification Plossl eyepieces and five lower magnification zoom oculars with an adjustable focus in the kit. You can do the calculation which will show that the 70 will have a significantly wider field of view as compared to the 52. In stargazing, eyepieces are as important as telescopes are. Though not the Meade. I have had a good experience with the SVBony brand and the Agena Astro brand. NEW. Customer reviews Average Rating (16 Reviews): Write a Review and share your opinions! 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. This saves money and helps you shop in an organized manner. thanks for all your help. Plossls provide very good eye relief for eyeglass wearers in focal lengths of about 25mm and longer. I would like to know what is best for a 7 year old that would be getting his first telescope. dnrmilspec is right. Worth it is a tough question to answer. Just start with 32 mm for your low-power eyepiece. 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. After these, we have mostly proprietary designs from various eyepiece companies. I do not miss beating my eyelashes against a 9.7mm Meade Plossl that I used to own. Over time, you may wish to add a specialty eyepiece here or there, but I would not make that a priority until you have filled out your magnification range. Magnification or power = focal length telescope / focal length eyepiece, Focal ratio = focal length telescope / aperture telescope, maximum practical aperture = aperture X 2, Edges of the optics are blackened for increased contrast, which prevents internal reflections, Anti-reflection, fully multi-coated optics provide enhanced light transmission for bright and clear images. They all work, but as you go up in price, you gain features or performance or both. If you wear glasses when observing, you probably want 15mm or more of eye relief, which the 20mm Plssl provides, but the shorter fl ones dont. I was looking on a OPT website and they have celestron 32mm and 15mm plossl. Higher than 3X is usually reserved for astrophotography. To get the best performance, you have to be willing to pay the price. 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. A Barlow lens can save you money and add flexibility. It offers good color correction and high-contrast images. very happy. A Televue Plssl may be better than a generic one, but the difference is probably not worth the additional cost. Omni 40mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. What happens if you use an eyepiece that has a the wrong exit pupil? Not everything in the sky benefits from high magnification. They offer a 52-degree apparent field with clean, high-contrast images. 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. This means you will be able to see a greater expanse for the objects in space but with fewer magnification levels than Kellner or Plossl lenses. Stargazing Help is a participant in Amazon Associates program. What diameter eyepieces will my telescope accept? 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. Because of this setup, you might also hear a Plossl eyepiece referred to as a symmetrical eyepiece. This is why many telescopes come standard with at least one Plossl eyepiece. Plossls are available from many suppliers in a wide range of focal lengths in 1.25 and 2 sizes. Pay attention to the eye relief, especially if you will be observing with glasses. A Kellner eyepiece has 3 lenses, while a Plossl has 4. No surprise there. There is a little bit more to it than that and there are other design . Inexpensive Plossls that are manufactured using low-quality lenses are susceptible to internal reflections when viewing bright objects at high magnification. It was named after Peter Barlow who invented it in the 1800s, so it is usually capitalized. Also, note that the pricing is based on 1.25 eyepieces. A wide-angle view of 66 degrees makes it perfect for viewing large objects and even entire constellations while still being able to focus on smaller details with ease. Divide that by the magnification of that eyepiece in that scope. It also produces an erect image, meaning you see what youre viewing rather than seeing everything upside down or sideways as some types do. A 20mm Plssl is probably worth it, if for no other reason than to compare the views it gives to the 21mm Hyperion you have. Understanding and using a Barlow Lens I do not miss beating my eyelashes against a 9.7mm Meade Plossl that I used to own. And I am a visually observing focused person. Any 1.25 diagonal should work. It costs three to four times as much as the Celestron Zoom, but if you have the budget, this is the one to get. My Barlow is a 2X with a removeable Barlow element that can be screwed right onto an eyepiece giving a 1.5X effect. I often recommend the use of a barlow to achieve the higher range of magnifications. PS. 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. 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. Very nice article. You can still get eyepieces, but there are few choices. You will see these under many brands, including Orion, Celestron, GSO, and others. Both will provide the same magnification. Very worth it for me, as I like to use bino-viewers. This is not a hard and fast rule, just a cautionary note. PayPal, cash, bank transfer are all acceptable. However, you may see them at higher prices for the short term. They are usable, but your eye will be extremely close to the top lens glass. However, your budget must guide your purchases. Recall that your lowestpower eyepiece's exit pupil should not exceed 6mm. 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. This eyepiece was even better at correcting false color fringing, but because of internal reflections, the glare was even worse. 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. This design features 4 lenses that are paired in two close-set doublets for the eye lens and the field lens. 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. Under my sky it was rare that I would be able to get over 225X and still maintain a good quality image, except on the Moon. In my opinion, there are no wrong exit pupils. I have Celestron and the Baader Hyperion. You can add the specialty single FL eyepieces later if you wish. Plossl eyepieces are perfect for astronomical viewing because the field of view is wider. I am going to use 6. These are the best in optical performance and build quality. For modern eyepieces, the differences between Plossl and Super Plossl is going to depend on the manufacturer. You probably dont need to worry about upgrading them as soon as you get your telescope, unless you can see an optical problem in the one youre using or you find the short eye relief for the short-focus eyepiece uncomfortable. They are a good brand with high-quality eyepieces, you just dont need to spend the extra money for almost no gain in performance. I recommend it often to beginners on a tight budget. I think some of these kits even include 4mm eyepieces, and thats ridiculous! I am very near-sighted, barely see the big E on the vision chart without glasses. The 50 apparent field of view is plenty for me. Orion Q70 38 mm works well. Most modern telescopes use a focuser, or diagonal, that accepts 1.25 eyepieces. As for tabletop scopes, dont forget that you need a table, stool, or bench to place them. I took notes and now can shop with confidence Scott. Ever since, I have been attempting to cram in every fact about the Universe, I can find into my head. 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. Since each eye has a different focal point, I suspect pulling the eyepiece out until reaching focus and then tightening the set screw. https://telescopicwatch.com/best-barlow-lens-and-how-to/, Celestron 8-24 Zoom Review If youre still wondering between a Kellner vs Plossl, my advice to you would be invest a little extra cash and go for a good quality Plossl. Not perfect to the edge but better than the Bresser, in my opinion. I recently purchased the SVBony 7-21 zoom from Amazon. Kellner eyepieces were first designed by Carl Kellner in 1849. This will give you a lower power and a medium to high power eyepiece, depending on the focal length of your scope. But the conventional way of expressing it is in terms of eyepiece focal lengths. 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. 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. 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.