I finally got a look through the new ep last night with my 8" F6 dob
First thing noticed was that with the eyepiece inserted fully, it could not be brought to focus. I don't know if this is commonly the case with wide angle ep's (or 2" ep's?), but I guess I'll have to get an extender of some kind.
Once I had it focussed and with my eye jammed in to see the whole vista (not much eye relief), I had a good look at things, starting with the Jewel Box, Omega Centauri and Jupiter. Omega Cent looked like it was underwater through any ep, and there was too much tropical haze to see any dim DSOs.
Bad points- some field curvature and off-axis coma, giving a soft view away from the center with seagull shaped stars right at the edge.
- ghost images of bright stars and planets. Dramatic lens flare effect looking at Jupiter.
Good points- the wide angle view is very nice.
- vivid Jewel Box star colours
- price - $125
I liked the sense of having peripheral vision. Even if things are not completely sharp they still add to the overall aesthetic effect. The coma is not noticeable if you are concentrating on the center of the view. In any case, looking though my old 26mm plössl now feels like a spotting scope.
Conclusion: a good eyepiece for open clusters and other extended (but not too bright) objects. One day I may save up enough for a Nagler to replace it, but until then I think I'll enjoy this one.
Finished the session with a hunt for Gliese 581 to say hi to the neighbours
The cloud has come back now
