What is your favorite eyepiece?

[wavelandscott]

Sort of borrowing this question from another site...

What is your favorite eyepiece and why?

What makes your favorite your favorite?

Sure, I know that this is a very subjective question...the reason for my asking is that I expect to get a "bonus" from work and I have already gotton "pre-approved" by my Finance Minister (she who must be obeyed) to make an astronomy purchase...or two

I recognize that you all have a wealth of experiences in viewing and have developed some favorites over time...I am just curious what they are and why...

Thanks!

[Striker]

31mm Nagler....cause it's huge.....that why.

I havn't got a scope to use it in but who cares....oh....did I mention that I like to fondle it......yes it's some sick problem I have...1 of many.

[trufflehunter]

13mm Nagler....cause it's small....that's why

and I fondle mine too! but I think it's perfectly healthy. There are those that do and those who lie about it...

...seriously though (hold on, I *was* being serious!) it's a great ep. The perfect mid power on a SCT. Star images are crisp across the huge field of view against a jet black sky.

I love my Radian 8mm too. Sometimes I get them both out for a fondle...

[wavelandscott]

I like my 11 mm T6 Nagler a lot

I am considering spending my bonus money on a 24 Pan and a 7 mm T6 Nagler as well as a moonlite focuser...

I was just looking for some other people's thoughts and was hoping that other more experienced hands would jump up and say how wonderful those two eyepieces are...

Anyway, I've got some time but those are my thoughts at the moment...

[Starkler]

pssst !

Might be selling my 27mm panoptic when i get my 31mm nagler very soon :)

[rumples riot]

I think my 9mm nagler is the best, mainly because it is perfect for planetary viewing.

Get the 24 panoptic nagler though, that is what I am getting next.

[h0ughy]

32mm university optics konig 2". a great clean crisp view.

but then at the SPSP I bought a 25mm 2" 82 degree wide angle russian eyepiece and now it is a toss up between the two.

I have looked through a 31mm nagler and yes it looks good but the others come very close.

But if you don't know better then you don't whinge and whine?

[ausastronomer]

Geoff,

I actually prefer the 26mm NT5 to the huge hand Grenade (31mm) particularly in a scope of F5 or faster. Beware the ring of fire in the 31mm NT5.

Clear Skies
John B

[Vermin]

I find myself using this ep quite a bit too.

[Starkler]

Thanks for your thoughts John. I have used the 31mm and just love the views! Its also great in my ED80 as silly as such a huge ep may look in my little 80mm refractor :) I havent tried the 26mm but my money has already been paid and im awaiting delivery.

[astro_south]

Tony's (now Geoff's) 31mm Nagler is an awesome eyepiece - probably the best I have looked through with my 12.5" f6 scope.

Behind this are my own top three eyepieces (19mm Panoptic, 13mm T6 Nagler and the 8mm Radian). All three are great. The 19mm gives me about 100x and I use this for finding objects and as a general purpose scan around extended objects eyepiece. The 13mm T6 is my most used eyepiece on galaxies and gives a magnification of ~147x. The 8mm Radian I save for planets, planetaries and multiple stars with a mag of ~238x. Picking a favourite out of these is tough as it depends on what you are looking at.

If I had to choose I would probably go the 13mm T6 Nagler as it is a great mid power eyepiece and even though it is small, it does give that porthole to space feeling (not quite as apparent as the 31mm Nag though). The 13mm in my 4" ST refractor does frame the Eta Carina Nebula nicely too and the UHC makes it a great view, so that also adds to it being my favourite.

Since Tony's sold the 31mm I will probably shop around for a wide field long focal length eyepiece (maybe the 35 Pan) for surfing around and examining the extended objects

[ving]

sorry, not a memeber of the nagler club.
but I do like my TV 10.5mm plossl :)

wouldnt mind a nagler but they are just a few hundred dollars outta my price range :P

[toetoe]

I just wish i had a good EP insted of the crapy ones i got with my scope. :(

[ving]

try ebay or astromart :)
pick up a second hand one cheap. my TV plossl was well under $100 including postage :)

[dhumpie]

Hi Toetoe,

Yup Astromart is the best place to get a good deal. In fact most of my current possesions are from Astromart (my two main scopes are from Astromart). And my current fave eyepiece, a japanese made 24.5mm Meade SWA is also from astromart ;)

Darren

[Dave47tuc]

Me:D

I really like my Meade 8.8 UWA super sharp and big field.:)

As for a 26 Nagler or 31 Nagler I tried them both last Saturday night and liked the 31 better.:D

Personal choice.

:astron:

[toetoe]

This may sound dumb but i have not heard of Astromart, where can i find it?

[Striker]

http://www.astromart.com/

[toetoe]

Thanks Striker.

[jackenau]

At the moment: definately the 35mm Panoptic. Very clear, crisp field of view before changing down to something a bit smaller.

Ken M

[iceman]

astromart is US-based, and not all folk there will send outside the US.. so if you're interested in something, the first thing to do is contact them to ask if they'll send to Australia.. and make sure you ask them to send via USPS.

My new Meade UWA14mm is my fav eyepiece.. wide, crisp views.. pity it's so darn heavy though!

[Striker]

Or you can always contact Striker.....He always has some thing for sale and can save you money on a new eyepiece.....lol

[wavelandscott]

Haven't had a chance to check in on things for a few days as I am in Japan...dinner ended early tonight so I got my first chance to read up a bit...

Thanks all for your thoughts...the big Nag sounds like a winner and I hope to look through one some time but, on my scope I think it'd be a bit much...

I'm a thinking the 24 Pan and the 7 MM Nag T6 are the things for me

By the way, dialing in via Tokyo at 28.8 (long story) is sure a bit slower than cable in Sydney!!!

[robin]

For globs, my 17mm nagler.Planets,9mm nagler or 6mm radian.Sweeping panoramas-the 35mm panoptic

[bytor666]

NOW This is the ultimate eyepiece that anyone could EVER own !!!!....crisp & flat from edge to edge , even in an f/4 scope !!!
http://www.astronomics.com/main/Pentax_7mm_XW_extra_wide_angle_eyep iece70513.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/FA6A6RK4CQPH9H1PHM67WTNRQ0/product_id/PXW07

:eyepop: :cool: :D
------------------------------
Mark
12" gso scope
Pentax 7mm XW on the way !!!

[Starkler]

Im sure you'll love it bytor !

[xrekcor]

I'm liking my newish Pentax 10mm XW, it has cool crisp smooth views. Planets and dso's look awesome through my 8" newt. Certainly a mark up from the U/O HD's. The Pentax shows another level of detail and are a real comfort to use. It has a lovely flat field, with the off axis image as good as on axis.

It seems a 31mm t5 nagler is the dream of most, so I'll have one of them too :) ...right after I get a few more XW's :D

regards

[iceman]

I tried John Bambury's Pentax XW's out at the last mini star party, and they are indeed a magnificent eyepiece.. the 7mm was just wonderful on the planets.

[atalas]

I second that ,Johns Pentax eyepieces are now my favorite !

Louie:jump:

[Adrian-H]

possl 15mm 1.25, possl 26mm 2", simple combination, but effective, that pentax looks nice, i still have as of yet to get myself a eyepeice like that, but eather way im not ready too yet, i am happy with my possl's as of now.

[cometcatcher]

Ok who resurrected the year old thread...

13mm Nagler. :P

[RapidEye]

I'm really diggin' my Pentax 7mm XW lately - awesome on Saturn in my 10" Dob!!!

[ving]

my nagler 16mm t2 ;)

[matt]

I didn't know you were a card-carrying member of the Nagler Club, Ving?

Whatever they're paying you, it's not enough!:D

[ving]

its just wishful thinking i am afraid matt :)

7.5mm celestron ultima or tv plossl 10.5mm

[danielsun]

Definately my 22mm LVW Vixen!!!!

[matt]

Hey danielsun

Tell me a little about the 22mm LVW. Am seriously considering one of these as my next purchase... sometime down the track.

[janoskiss]

Matt, the 22mm LVW is brilliant. In f5 and f6, sharper near the edge than a 19mm Panoptic. Even Stu who is a big Pano fan agreed when we were comparing EPs at the recent Snake Valley camp. The Pano might be sharper on axis, but given the difference in magnification, it's hard to say. I used to own the 21mm Stratus (LVW clone) and the original 22mm is a lot better at f6. (OTOH I found the 8mm LVW very similar to the 8mm Stratus on after a quick look.)

[Starkler]

I would love to compare it to the 24mm panoptic.
My other eyepieces are Pentax XL with generous eye relief and the 22mm LVW has similar characteristics re eye relief and fov. The 24mm panoptic is the odd one out in my eyepiece set with its comparitively short eye relief.

[gaa_ian]

My UO 40mm Konig, for those widefield Galaxy hunting nights !

[matt]

Thanks Steve

That confirms plenty of positive reviews I've read elsewhere.

The 22mm does appear to be perhaps the jewel of the LVW range. I took delivery of the 5mm on the weekend but haven't been able to put it through its paces yet coz of poor weather. I turned it briefly on Jupiter the other morning in the 8" newt and liked what I saw.

I've also heard very good things about the 13mm.

[ving]

how does the 40mm go performance wise in your 10" dob?

[danielsun]

Yes Mat, Steve pretty much summed it up (Thanks Jano!!) ;) after our ep shoot out at snake valley.

[jaramillo]

Hi all,

I LOVE my 9mm Nagler T6! But I also like the other babies in my case.

Clear skies,

Mathias

[toc]

I have a pretty 'lowend' range of stuff - but my favourite one at the moment is a 10mm Antaeres plossl, that I got from astromart.

I also have a 30mm 2inch Widefield 'proxima' that is great - feels like It should be mounted to my camera :-)

[gaa_ian]

Hi Ving
The UO 40 mm works well, I just have to slide it a few mm out of the focuser to get it to come to focus.
It is of course superb in the LX-90 but not that much better than the GSO 40mm 2", with the more forgiving focal ratio of the LX-90.