The Ortho Bug

[N1]

I have a few quality, mostly wide angle EPs. They were recently joined by a 9mm Hutech and a 5mm Unitron Volcano Top Ortho (the latter a very well priced 2nd hand item from Andrew in Perth).

Sure, the AFOV is nothing to write home about, yet I can't believe how good these little devils are, especially on planets and narrow field DSOs using a refractor. They are tiny yet solid, have no parts that are not essential for viewing, deliver superb images and keep the scope well-balanced. They seem to represent incredible value for money. I now feel I missed something until I had an Ortho. The no-plastic, no-rubber, no-fuss, to-the-point feel of them is just great. You might say they are not built to be cuddly or ergonomic, they're built to perform.

I have yet to test them properly against other EPs, but it's still an interesting experience. I do note that the 5mm has short eye relief (as expected) and was wondering what an even shorter Ortho, e.g. 4mm is like. Can anyone comment on this? I'm considering some more Orthos later on to fill the gaps in the lineup :D.

Edit: Mods-I just noticed this should have been posted unter Eyepieces etc. You may want to move it there.

[dannat]

the shorter the focal length the shorter the er, a 4mm will have you eye almost pressed on the eye lens.

still one of the sharpest ep's about there -if its every last bit of detail you want then an ortho won't normally let you down (some don't perform well in ver fast scopes -plossl are better here)