ausastronomer
07-04-2011, 11:27 AM
Hi all,
As part of the 3RF equipment inventory we have some very high end gear, including a large assortment of premium telescopes and eyepieces. In addition, our overseas visitors usually bring some of their favourite eyepieces, many of which are rarely seen in Australia. This was how I originally got to try the 14mm Denkmeier; which I have subsequently talked many Aussies into buying. It is now not quite such a rare thing in Oz.
I recently returned from another Ozsky trip and 4 nights of observing at Coonababran under pristine skies.
Well I got to try another eyepiece which I had heard a very small amount about, which was all positive, but I had never seen one or looked through one. The 12.5mm UWA Docter. Well to say it's a keeper is an understatement. This eyepiece is only sold by a handfull of dealers worldwide including APM Telescopes in Germany.
http://www.apm-telescopes.de/docter-astro-okular-uwa-125mm_proinfo_37366.html
Docter Optics is the brand name of a high end German Optical Manufacturer called Analytik Jena which took over the Carl Zeiss manufacturing plants at Jena and Eisfeld in Germany in the late 1990's. The 12.5mm was originally a binocular eyepiece and has recently been re released in a specialist astronomical eyepiece version, as well as the binocular version. No other focal lengths are available in the astronomical format.
It weighs about 500 gms. It has 20mm of eye relief and is very comfortable to use, with or without glasses. It has a stated AFOV of 84 degrees, although it's more than this in practice. The FOV is clearly greater than the 13mm Nagler T6, but less than the 13mm ETHOS. I would estimate the AFOV to be "almost" 90 degrees. Machining quality of every single component was typical of the very best German manufacturing and production. Exquisite in every respect.
How does it perform? Tack sharp stars to the EOF in the 25"/F5 Obsession. Tack sharp stars to the EOF in the 30"/F4.5 SDM, when used with the Paracorr. Light transmission was extremely high. Contrast was exceptional. Colour tone was extremely cool and "white". On axis it was extremely sharp. Quite simply the very best eyepiece I have ever used. To be honest it was a cut above anything else I have used in the 12mm to 13mm focal length, including the 12mm Nagler T4, 13mm Nagler T6, 13mm Vixen LVW; and the 13mm ETHOS. It really was something exceptional. The downsides? Being sold by only a handfull of dealers worldwide I would imagine while warranty support is not likely to be needed, if it was accidently damaged it would need to go back to Germany for servicing and that would cost plenty. It is extremely expensive. About 600 Euros which would be over $800 by the time you shipped it to AUS and paid GST and then got credited the German VAT.
I couldn't justify buying one at that price, but jeez I would love to own one and will use one whenever the opportunity presents itself again.
Cheers,
John B
As part of the 3RF equipment inventory we have some very high end gear, including a large assortment of premium telescopes and eyepieces. In addition, our overseas visitors usually bring some of their favourite eyepieces, many of which are rarely seen in Australia. This was how I originally got to try the 14mm Denkmeier; which I have subsequently talked many Aussies into buying. It is now not quite such a rare thing in Oz.
I recently returned from another Ozsky trip and 4 nights of observing at Coonababran under pristine skies.
Well I got to try another eyepiece which I had heard a very small amount about, which was all positive, but I had never seen one or looked through one. The 12.5mm UWA Docter. Well to say it's a keeper is an understatement. This eyepiece is only sold by a handfull of dealers worldwide including APM Telescopes in Germany.
http://www.apm-telescopes.de/docter-astro-okular-uwa-125mm_proinfo_37366.html
Docter Optics is the brand name of a high end German Optical Manufacturer called Analytik Jena which took over the Carl Zeiss manufacturing plants at Jena and Eisfeld in Germany in the late 1990's. The 12.5mm was originally a binocular eyepiece and has recently been re released in a specialist astronomical eyepiece version, as well as the binocular version. No other focal lengths are available in the astronomical format.
It weighs about 500 gms. It has 20mm of eye relief and is very comfortable to use, with or without glasses. It has a stated AFOV of 84 degrees, although it's more than this in practice. The FOV is clearly greater than the 13mm Nagler T6, but less than the 13mm ETHOS. I would estimate the AFOV to be "almost" 90 degrees. Machining quality of every single component was typical of the very best German manufacturing and production. Exquisite in every respect.
How does it perform? Tack sharp stars to the EOF in the 25"/F5 Obsession. Tack sharp stars to the EOF in the 30"/F4.5 SDM, when used with the Paracorr. Light transmission was extremely high. Contrast was exceptional. Colour tone was extremely cool and "white". On axis it was extremely sharp. Quite simply the very best eyepiece I have ever used. To be honest it was a cut above anything else I have used in the 12mm to 13mm focal length, including the 12mm Nagler T4, 13mm Nagler T6, 13mm Vixen LVW; and the 13mm ETHOS. It really was something exceptional. The downsides? Being sold by only a handfull of dealers worldwide I would imagine while warranty support is not likely to be needed, if it was accidently damaged it would need to go back to Germany for servicing and that would cost plenty. It is extremely expensive. About 600 Euros which would be over $800 by the time you shipped it to AUS and paid GST and then got credited the German VAT.
I couldn't justify buying one at that price, but jeez I would love to own one and will use one whenever the opportunity presents itself again.
Cheers,
John B