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Old 04-01-2021, 11:04 AM
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Baader Morpheus Eyepieces

I just received a 17.5mm Morpheus and a 16mm Nagler T5. I'll be pitting these 2 together next clear night probably at a dark site.

The Morpheus comes very nicely packaged with a belt pouch and a screw up eyepiece and seems really well made. The Nagler is surprisingly small, compact and light.

Has anyone had experience with these Morpheus eyepieces? If its a good eyepiece I'll most likely get a shorter focal length one around 9mm.

I'll be using it on a CFF105 F6 and an AP130GT F6.3.

I like Nagler eyepieces and have a 3.5mm, 9mm and 16mm Nagler.

The best views I have ever had was through a Tak FS152 and a Nagler 22mm T4. Next best was a TEC180FL and a 13mmTV Ethos. But generally I don't want huge and heavy eyepieces. The 100 degree FOV is not that appealling to me. 76-82 is plenty.

The Masuyama 10mm is a beautiful eyepiece and gives some of the best views in 3/4 of it field with the last 1/4 a bit aberrated but it still left about 60 degrees looking very natural, sharp and good colour - natural. They make a 20mm, 26mm and larger. 20mm on those scopes is quite widefield.

I have a few other brand eyepeices from years ago, a 12mm University Optics, Edmunds RKE 15, Meade UWA 14mm (don't laugh, its an awesome eyepiece but huge).

Suggestions?

Greg.
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Old 04-01-2021, 12:05 PM
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A hack observer here, but my impression upon looking through one in my Tak was "this blows my Hyperions and zoom mk4 away. It looks like the stars are in the eyepiece, not millions of miles away."
The field is so big that I didn't feel like I needed to shove my eye in really close to make the most of it... It's like a perfect, crystal clear and razor sharp tv screen that is broadcasting from way up there.
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Old 04-01-2021, 02:42 PM
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I have the whole set, and mainly use with a 10 inch f6 and 18 inch f4.5. For me the 9mm is the standout, followed by the 17.5, 12.5, 6.5, 14 and 4.5mm, but in general all are good with a coma corrector, and I love the immersive view.
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Old 04-01-2021, 02:44 PM
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The Morpheus eyepieces are very nice and I use them in my binocular telescope kit.

I prefer the Pentax and TVs when using my scopes but the Morpheus are really comfortable and quite good.
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Old 04-01-2021, 03:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jahnpahwa View Post
A hack observer here, but my impression upon looking through one in my Tak was "this blows my Hyperions and zoom mk4 away. It looks like the stars are in the eyepiece, not millions of miles away."
The field is so big that I didn't feel like I needed to shove my eye in really close to make the most of it... It's like a perfect, crystal clear and razor sharp tv screen that is broadcasting from way up there.
That's impressive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GUS.K View Post
I have the whole set, and mainly use with a 10 inch f6 and 18 inch f4.5. For me the 9mm is the standout, followed by the 17.5, 12.5, 6.5, 14 and 4.5mm, but in general all are good with a coma corrector, and I love the immersive view.
Thanks for that. What coma corrector are you using with them?

Quote:
Originally Posted by wavelandscott View Post
The Morpheus eyepieces are very nice and I use them in my binocular telescope kit.

I prefer the Pentax and TVs when using my scopes but the Morpheus are really comfortable and quite good.
Thanks Scott. I have never used a Pentax but always hear good things about most of them. The shorter focal lengths usually are the ones recommended.

Greg.
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Old 04-01-2021, 04:39 PM
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morpheus

Hi,

From what I have read the 9mm is one of the stand outs, very few lines of EPs will be expectational across all FL even the green meanies. (12.5/14mm Morpheus are maybe the lesser of the line according to some and contradict what's already be said here for instance)

Also you need to remember that till recently the Morpheus were $360 new, going up against $800+ new eyepieces is a little bias. You get what you paid for (if you're lucky).

There is a good write up from "The Russian - Ernest" (astro-talks.ru) in regards to eye pieces, he has done a lot of EP's (at f4/f10) and it pretty clear even from a quick look through the list that some lines excel at some focal lengths.

Even the X-Cel LX at 7/9mm are great ep's even if the rest aren't the best, and there $130 a pop.

But it all depends on your eye's as well as your scope. Try and see what scope people are using when they ditch or rave about an eyepiece. - Did they like the EP due to better eye relief as they wear glasses etc. Did they have a slower scope making the exit pupil too small or a lot easier light cone correction.


Steve
Ps. A top of the line plossl is a great EP, it puts the least amount of glass between you and the object. Its when you want to chase the wider fields that everything goes a bit pear shaped. You add costs and weight to essentially keep a similar image across a wider view. Coma correctors essentially just shave/reduce the FOV to fix it up for instance.

Last edited by mura_gadi; 04-01-2021 at 05:27 PM. Reason: ramble corrections
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Old 04-01-2021, 05:40 PM
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Thanks Steve.

I was very impressed by the presentation and range of accessories from the Morpheus. I was used to just getting 2 caps and a box.
It comes across as a very professional product.

Greg.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mura_gadi View Post
Hi,

From what I have read the 9mm is one of the stand outs, very few lines of EPs will be expectational across all FL even the green meanies. (12.5/14mm Morpheus are maybe the lesser of the line according to some and contradict what's already be said here for instance)

Also you need to remember that till recently the Morpheus were $360 new, going up against $800+ new eyepieces is a little bias. You get what you paid for (if you're lucky).

There is a good write up from "The Russian - Ernest" (astro-talks.ru) in regards to eye pieces, he has done a lot of EP's (at f4/f10) and it pretty clear even from a quick look through the list that some lines excel at some focal lengths.

Even the X-Cel LX at 7/9mm are great ep's even if the rest aren't the best, and there $130 a pop.

But it all depends on your eye's as well as your scope. Try and see what scope people are using when they ditch or rave about an eyepiece. - Did they like the EP due to better eye relief as they wear glasses etc. Did they have a slower scope making the exit pupil too small or a lot easier light cone correction.


Steve
Ps. A top of the line plossl is a great EP, it puts the least amount of glass between you and the object. Its when you want to chase the wider fields that everything goes a bit pear shaped. You add costs and weight to essentially keep a similar image across a wider view. Coma correctors essentially just shave/reduce the FOV to fix it up for instance.
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Old 05-01-2021, 08:23 AM
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Ernest's measurements of the star size spot at the edge of the field in the Morpheus eyepieces at f/4:
4.5mm--14'
6.5mm--16'
9mm--14'
12.5mm--16'
14mm--24'
17.5mm--not measured
10' is considered essentially perfect, and seen as a tiny dot.
These measurements are at the edge of the field, where you generally aren't inspecting star clusters or double stars.
At f/10, they are all essentially perfect.
I notice at f/5.75, the 14 is nearly perfect at the edge, so if that is the worst of them, this is a killer line.
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Old 05-01-2021, 04:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Pensack View Post
Ernest's measurements of the star size spot at the edge of the field in the Morpheus eyepieces at f/4:
4.5mm--14'
6.5mm--16'
9mm--14'
12.5mm--16'
14mm--24'
17.5mm--not measured
10' is considered essentially perfect, and seen as a tiny dot.
These measurements are at the edge of the field, where you generally aren't inspecting star clusters or double stars.
At f/10, they are all essentially perfect.
I notice at f/5.75, the 14 is nearly perfect at the edge, so if that is the worst of them, this is a killer line.
Thanks Don.

That is very good data.

Greg.
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Old 05-01-2021, 05:37 PM
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Your 2 from 3 on my dream set

Hello,

I look forward to your comments and I have my fingers crossed for clear skies at your dark site.

My dream set is the Morpheus 17.5 and the 9mm with the APM 30mm UFF as I'm a dob user and there is next to nothing in weight difference.


Steve
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Old 05-01-2021, 05:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Pensack View Post
Ernest's measurements of the star size spot at the edge of the field in the Morpheus eyepieces at f/4:
4.5mm--14'
6.5mm--16'
9mm--14'
12.5mm--16'
14mm--24'
17.5mm--not measured
10' is considered essentially perfect, and seen as a tiny dot.
These measurements are at the edge of the field, where you generally aren't inspecting star clusters or double stars.
At f/10, they are all essentially perfect.
I notice at f/5.75, the 14 is nearly perfect at the edge, so if that is the worst of them, this is a killer line.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mura_gadi View Post
Hello,

I look forward to your comments and I have my fingers crossed for clear skies at your dark site.

My dream set is the Morpheus 17.5 and the 9mm with the APM 30mm UFF as I'm a dob user and there is next to nothing in weight difference.


Steve
I have the 17.5mm Morpheus. Just ordered the 9mm yesterday and the APM30 UFF is out of stock for a few weeks but plan to get that one as well and I think that's enough. I also got a Svbony 8-24 zoom which arrived today. Its cheap but it seems really well made. It reviews well on CN.

I am also wondering if I should upgrade my 9mm Nagler from a type 1 to a type 6. The T1 is quite sharp but advancements in the T6 may be worth it.

I think I'll wait to see how good the 9mm Morpheus is.

I also am interested in the APM 12.5mm Hi FW as it appears to be a clone of the Docter 12.5 which seems to be a legendary eyepiece.

Greg.
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  #12  
Old 05-01-2021, 06:23 PM
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very nice

and here I was waiting for the expected gains against the euro over the next few months...

Very jelly I must say
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Old 06-01-2021, 09:56 AM
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QUOTE
Thanks for that. What coma corrector are you using with them?

Televue paracorr type 1.
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Old 08-01-2021, 02:19 PM
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I got to try out the 17.5mm Morpheus on my AP130GT scope at my dark site.
Best eyepiece I have ever used.
Slightly better than my 16mm Nagler and a bit more comfortable but the Nagler
is also a beautiful eyepiece.
Greg
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Old 09-01-2021, 04:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley View Post
I also am interested in the APM 12.5mm Hi FW as it appears to be a clone of the Docter 12.5 which seems to be a legendary eyepiece.

Greg.

The APM 12.5mm has one more element than the Docter, a slightly larger field stop, a millimeter less eye relief, so not exactly a clone.
That being said, distortion characteristics are almost the same, with angular magnification distortion (rolling ball or globe distortion) predominating, unlike most astronomical eyepieces. It is usable with glasses.
It is quite sharp but also has a bit of edge of field brightening (EOFB).
No noticeable spherical aberration of the exit pupil (SAEP).
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Old 10-01-2021, 09:37 AM
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Thanks Don.

We are so lucky to have you post here.

So would you rate this APM12.5 hi fw a hot eyepiece
or just a good eyepiece?

In Aussie dollars this is a $500 eyepiece
so it needs to be better than a 12.5 Morpheus or Nagler etc.

Greg



Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Pensack View Post
The APM 12.5mm has one more element than the Docter, a slightly larger field stop, a millimeter less eye relief, so not exactly a clone.
That being said, distortion characteristics are almost the same, with angular magnification distortion (rolling ball or globe distortion) predominating, unlike most astronomical eyepieces. It is usable with glasses.
It is quite sharp but also has a bit of edge of field brightening (EOFB).
No noticeable spherical aberration of the exit pupil (SAEP).
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Old 10-01-2021, 10:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley View Post
Thanks Don.

We are so lucky to have you post here.

So would you rate this APM12.5 hi fw a hot eyepiece
or just a good eyepiece?

In Aussie dollars this is a $500 eyepiece
so it needs to be better than a 12.5 Morpheus or Nagler etc.

Greg
No, not better than the 12.5mm Morpheus, just wider.
And if it's more expensive than a Nagler, and you don't need to wear glasses at that focal length, forget it. It is not the equal of the Docter/Noblex.
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Old 10-01-2021, 10:23 AM
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Thanks Don.

Greg

Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Pensack View Post
The APM 12.5mm has one more element than the Docter, a slightly larger field stop, a millimeter less eye relief, so not exactly a clone.
That being said, distortion characteristics are almost the same, with angular magnification distortion (rolling ball or globe distortion) predominating, unlike most astronomical eyepieces. It is usable with glasses.
It is quite sharp but also has a bit of edge of field brightening (EOFB).
No noticeable spherical aberration of the exit pupil (SAEP).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Pensack View Post
No, not better than the 12.5mm Morpheus, just wider.
And if it's more expensive than a Nagler, and you don't need to wear glasses at that focal length, forget it. It is not the equal of the Docter/Noblex.
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Old 12-01-2021, 03:28 PM
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Bit of an update.

Since my last post I received the 9mm and 12.5mm Morpheus eyepieces.

I tried them out last night along with the 17.5mm Morpheus again and compared the views with various other eyepeices.

Scope : AP130GT
Done at my home in semi rural skies. Lovely clear night, reasonably good seeing.

9mm Morpheus compared to the 17.5 and 12.5mm. All 3 seem very similar viewing objects with of course different magnifications.

The most obvious thing about the 9mm was the sky was quite a bit blacker. Not sure if this is only because of the shorter focal length but I don't think so.

I compared the 9mm Morpheus against a 9mm Nagler T1, 10mm Masuyama 85 degree, 12mm University Optics Ortho, 15mm Edmunds RKE.

Against the 9mm Nagler. Both are very sharp and wonderful views. The main difference is the image in the Morpheus is more "stable" due to the ease you can reach a comfortable viewing position. The T1 Nagler just has a rubber eye ring and whilst its not hard to maintain a good viewing position if you go offaxis like with most Naglers etc you'll get blackouts.

The Morpheus eyecup has a wing on it and screws up to get a nice comfortable viewing position with its high eye relief. I did not realise how important eye relief is. I don't wear glasses so its not usually an issue but its not the only reason to have good eye relief. It means you can immerse yourself in the view more easily without little flares and blackouts from moving slightly.

The Morpheus was slightly sharper than the Nagler but not by a lot.
But it was the first time I saw all 6 Trap stars in Orion. I also saw them with a 3.5mm Nagler T6 and a barlowed Morpheus 17.5. So a testament to the optical quality of the AP130 GT which I would describe as exquisite.

The 10mm Masuyama is also a very pleasant eyepiece to use When I looked to the edges the last perhaps 20% were less than perfect. Barlowing the lens though and the edges were corrected and sharp.

The 10mm UO Ortho gave a very detailed and sharp view but that 40 odd degree FOV is a bit hard to take compared to these others. The 15mm RKE was also very good but the same applies.

Open clusters can be particularly beautiful with this setup. Different bluish stars and yellow stars are pinpoints and very beautiful. Its hard to imagine these little pinpoints being blazing nuclear furnaces.

All in all the Morpheus are a stunning range of eyepieces. I am tempted to get the 6.5mm but I can barlow the 17.5 or the 12.5 so it seems a bit over the top (not that that has ever stopped me!).

I compared the 17.5 Morpheus to the 16mm Nagler T6 again and yet again whilst the Nagler is superb the Morpheus is more engaging, a bit better detail and contrast. Again its the eye relief which is the major difference. The 16mm Nagler though is quite comfortable and does not black out easily either.

I looked through the 15 and 25 Dual ED again. Overall a good eyepiece for the cost but they are never going to be in this league.

I have 2 more Edmunds RKA eyepieces on their way to me as well as some TMB Planetary 2 eyepieces. I may not be able to resist getting a Baader Classic Ortho probably the 18mm which seems to review the best.
I would like to try out a TV Delite. I also have an APM 30mm UFF coming.

I am keen to hear others favourite eyepieces to get some ideas.

I hope this is helpful.

Greg.
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Old 12-01-2021, 05:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley View Post
Bit of an update.

Since my last post I received the 9mm and 12.5mm Morpheus eyepieces.

I tried them out last night along with the 17.5mm Morpheus again and compared the views with various other eyepeices.

Scope : AP130GT
Done at my home in semi rural skies. Lovely clear night, reasonably good seeing.

9mm Morpheus compared to the 17.5 and 12.5mm. All 3 seem very similar viewing objects with of course different magnifications.

The most obvious thing about the 9mm was the sky was quite a bit blacker. Not sure if this is only because of the shorter focal length but I don't think so.

I compared the 9mm Morpheus against a 9mm Nagler T1, 10mm Masuyama 85 degree, 12mm University Optics Ortho, 15mm Edmunds RKE.

Against the 9mm Nagler. Both are very sharp and wonderful views. The main difference is the image in the Morpheus is more "stable" due to the ease you can reach a comfortable viewing position. The T1 Nagler just has a rubber eye ring and whilst its not hard to maintain a good viewing position if you go offaxis like with most Naglers etc you'll get blackouts.

The Morpheus eyecup has a wing on it and screws up to get a nice comfortable viewing position with its high eye relief. I did not realise how important eye relief is. I don't wear glasses so its not usually an issue but its not the only reason to have good eye relief. It means you can immerse yourself in the view more easily without little flares and blackouts from moving slightly.

The Morpheus was slightly sharper than the Nagler but not by a lot.
But it was the first time I saw all 6 Trap stars in Orion. I also saw them with a 3.5mm Nagler T6 and a barlowed Morpheus 17.5. So a testament to the optical quality of the AP130 GT which I would describe as exquisite.

The 10mm Masuyama is also a very pleasant eyepiece to use When I looked to the edges the last perhaps 20% were less than perfect. Barlowing the lens though and the edges were corrected and sharp.

The 10mm UO Ortho gave a very detailed and sharp view but that 40 odd degree FOV is a bit hard to take compared to these others. The 15mm RKE was also very good but the same applies.

Open clusters can be particularly beautiful with this setup. Different bluish stars and yellow stars are pinpoints and very beautiful. Its hard to imagine these little pinpoints being blazing nuclear furnaces.

All in all the Morpheus are a stunning range of eyepieces. I am tempted to get the 6.5mm but I can barlow the 17.5 or the 12.5 so it seems a bit over the top (not that that has ever stopped me!).

I compared the 17.5 Morpheus to the 16mm Nagler T6 again and yet again whilst the Nagler is superb the Morpheus is more engaging, a bit better detail and contrast. Again its the eye relief which is the major difference. The 16mm Nagler though is quite comfortable and does not black out easily either.

I looked through the 15 and 25 Dual ED again. Overall a good eyepiece for the cost but they are never going to be in this league.

I have 2 more Edmunds RKA eyepieces on their way to me as well as some TMB Planetary 2 eyepieces. I may not be able to resist getting a Baader Classic Ortho probably the 18mm which seems to review the best.
I would like to try out a TV Delite. I also have an APM 30mm UFF coming.

I am keen to hear others favourite eyepieces to get some ideas.

I hope this is helpful.

Greg.
Greg

The darker background sky is magnification.

A 9mm has almost twice the magnification of a 17.5mm, which makes the background sky only 25% as bright. That is well over a magnitude darker sky and quite noticeable.

The Morpheus eyecup isn't supposed to be screwed up and down.

They provide an eyecup extender in the box if you want it higher to hold your eye in place.

It's supposed to be tightened down, however.
Glad you are seeing good things from the scope. I like the Morpheus eyepieces, too.
Don
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