Zoom eyepieces

[Jazza11]

I dont want to spend hundreds on just 3 eyepieces so i thought i would get a zoom eyepiece does anyone know of a good brand zoom eyepiece i would like one around 6mm-25mm or anything els near that area please help me!!!

[chris lewis]

I have the Televue 8-24 mm click Zoom. Excellent build and optical qualities. It is sharp and gives a flat relatively distortion free image. I use it regulary in my ED120, 8 in. SCT, 80 mm S.V. N.H. and W.O. 66.
Just remember a Zoom is a 'compromise' E.P. and does give a narrower F.O.V.

Chris

[Miaplacidus]

Someone should write an article about zooms, because this is a very good question that comes up every so often.

First off, good zooms will cost you hundreds of dollars anyway (Leica, Pentax &c), whereas two or three good fixed focal length eyepieces can still be affordable.

Years ago, cheap zooms were ludicrously long, clunky, and delivered faint blurry images smeared with rainbow colours. Compared to those, today's cheap zooms are excellent, but when compared to today's relatively cheap fixed focal length eyepieces they still perform poorly (IMO). And then, performance aside, the other bugbear is the way the field of view narrows so much as you zoom in that you lose what you're looking at. And they're certainly not parfocal all the way through the range of magnification, so you have to refocus with every change. Easier to just change a couple of parfocal EPs around (and if they're not parfocal, make them so with a parfocalizing ring).

Just my opinion. (I'm not totally anti-zooms. One day I will pounce on a Televue 3-6mm zoom, when the Aussie dollar makes a comeback perhaps.) Maybe try to have a go with someone else's before buying one.

Cheers,

Brian.

[Robert9]

Have a look at the Baader Hyperion 8-24mm zoom.
http://www.alpineastro.com/Eyepieces_Accessories/Eyepieces_Accessories.htm#Zoom

Continuously variable focal length, with click-stops at 8, 12, 16, 20, 24mm. Remains approximately parfocal across zoom range. Click-stops enable precise focal length matching for bino-viewer use (please note: barrel diameter of the zoom is 57mm, so it may not work in binoviewers for users with narrow interocular separations).
Wide field. The field of view is 68degrees at the 8mm setting, and 50 degrees at 24mm.
Excellent viewing comfort. The eye relief of 12-15mm, large eyelens, and freedom from kidney beaning and blackouts result in a high level of comfort and ease-of-viewing, at all focal lengths.

Robert

[Globular3]

I love my Long Perng 7mm - 21mm zoom eyepiece. Bought it from Andrews Communications in Sydney. They also make an 8mm - 24mm which costs a bit more. Talk to Luke at the shop and he'll tell you that they're just as good as William Optics.

Many nights I just pop in the zoom and head out with a 2.5x barlow and a 25mm plossl and that will do the job nicely. I highly recommend this zoom eyepiece to you.

Glob.

PS, here's the link to the shop
http://www.andrewscom.com.au/

[pbyrne]

Hi there from the north side of the planet.

I was thinking of zoom eyepieces myself recently, and I only came across one review of zoom eyepieces here: http://zoom.green-witch.com/

I think for anyone staring off zooms are a good idea, a good collection fast, though Chris is right, FOV can get narrow, then again, a Plossl only has a 52 degree FOV.

Good luck with your search Jazza11.