How good is Explorescientific ep?

[Jeremy Parker]

I am thinking of adding a couple of ep to my scope.
Anyone has used ES ep, especially the 82 and 100 degs ones?
Just how good are they and what focal are the most popular?
Also are they available here?

[mercedes_sl1970]

Hi Jeremy

They seem to be good eyepieces however I believe the 100s generally get a better rap than the 82s, but they are more expensive. There are quite a few reviews on Cloudynights on both lines.

Having been a non super-wide person ie. 70ish-degrees-is-just-fine-for-me (!) I was "given" a 14mm 100 degree ES eyepiece for my birthday a few months ago. I use this in my F6 8" dob and f13 100mm refractor and I have just enjoyed using it so much. The views are crisp, have neutral colour, good contrast and seem to be very sharp across most (almost all?) of the field. Indeed the views just seem to sparkle. I can't compare it to eg. the Ethos, but I do like mine. I've even used it in an f6 65mm refractor for a bit of fun and it is a delight.

Are they available here? No - you'll have to have to get them in from overseas. I used http://www.optcorp.com/ and had very good service.

Andrew

[Jeremy Parker]

Thanks Andrew for your comment.
Do you reckon the 82 deg ones are just as good, as they are very affordable and also, I do not need super wide fov.?

[mercedes_sl1970]

Hi Jeremy

I've only looked through the 14mm 100 degree so cannot really comment on the 82 models. Some other people may be able to advise on these. As a starter, here are a few reviews on the ES 82s: 24mm (http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2481),6.7mm vs Meade (http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2190), Various (http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3770468/Main/3748325). There are quite a few more if you have a look at Cloudynights and other sites and one here from IIS: IIS several refs (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=71653).

And for the 100s: 14mm (http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2139), another 14mm review (http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2023), and one more 14mm.. (http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2285), Iceinspace review (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=74150).

Hopefully, some other people may have some views on the ES 82s. My understanding from various reviews is that the 100 degree models are considered a little better, but there are trade-offs in price, performance and how wide you want to go. Can you get along to any star parties to look through any eyepieces? People in the astro community are very obliging.

Andrew

[Jeremy Parker]

What will be the best focal to purchase Andrew, on these ep?
Will only be able to buy a couple at the most.

[AG Hybrid]

Here's my advice on what 82 degree eyepieces to get. The 6.7mm is superb. It is the best of the line optically. This is mostly due to its flat field and sharpness. The flattest of the line. Unanimously the worst eyepiece is the 14mm. It has alot of field curvature. When the inner 50% is in focus the outer 30% is slightly out of focus. So avoid the 14mm.

Id' give you more advice on what to buy but I don't know what telescope you will use it in. Id say get the 6.7mm and the 11mm, and if you can spring for the cash a 24mm or 30mm.

[Jeremy Parker]

Thanks Adrian.
I can see you have quite a few of the ES.
Will go for the 6.7 and the 24mm for my 10"dob.

[MattT]

Hi Jeremy,
I have the 16mm and 20mm ES 68 degree eyepieces. They are very nice flat all the way to the edge. I decided to go for these instead of 82 degree series as I wanted to stay with 1.25" barrel size.:) Matt

[Cam]

I have a 14mm 82 degree. Its definitely my favourite EP I use it in every scope I have. Great views! I purchased mine from OPT in Oceanside California

Cam

[Jeremy Parker]

Thanks for the comments Cam and Matthew.
Where would you ranks ES against, Orion, Celestron, Baader, Meade and Vixen?

Would ES be,

Excellent value
Good value
Average value

What is the general feeling about ES ep?

[MattT]

I also am trying to decide between vixen lvw and ES 82 in another thread and am having hard time convincing myself that lvw is value for money for my scope a 150mm f8 frac. ES is great value IMHO as is vixen NLV.
Matt

[Profiler]

If in doubt buy neither - this is how you waste money in A astronomy. When you go to buy something like an eyepiece you should have a clear idea of what are the set parameters/criteria you have in mind (cost, fov, fl, ER etc) for what you want in the EP and then select the EP which matches those specifications - e.g. ER is more important for some than others - fov is another common factor. From my own experience A astronomy is something of an evolutionary process as people gradually grow in terms of the equipment they use. Thus, some clones may initially be great for a couple of years but as time goes by and your observing skills grow you may become more critical and start craving increasingly better (albeit the improvements may only be in small percentages) eyepieces which unfortunately comes at a tragic toll on your wallet:lol:

In this circumstance it sounds like you are comparing one EP which has excellent ER with a FOV around 65' against another which is 80ish FOV with somewhat modest ER (i.e. apples vs oranges). IMHO I think you should decide the issue on what you really want in terms of criteria first and then what you are willing to pay.

[Suzy]

Here! Here!
Great advice Peter! :clap:
Is it Peter? I apologise if I forget your name.

Jeremy, when I got my first telescope I did a ton of reading especially on this forum regarding eyepieces. I went back and read plenty of old threads and one thing that struck a chord with me was the fact that a lot of people bought a lot of eyepieces before opening their wallets and spending a heck of a lot more money on premium eyepieces and then finishing up with a big collection of eyepieces where most of them weren't even used. I took this as a lesson unto myself and vowed not to let this happen to me. I found out what was important- reading peoples experiences greatly helped. Then I just went straight for premiums- I figured even though they'd cost me a lot of money $300+, I'd actually save money instead of buying cheaper ones.

Widefield eyepieces will always cost more money than a standard plossl. The reason is simple: making a widefield eyepieces is far more complicated- in order to deliver sharp & beautiful views in one of these, it's more labor intensive. That's why there is lots more groups of glass in a widefield than a standard plossl. Some brands, depending on money are better corrected than others- all depends on how much money you have to spend. Also, slower scopes (above f5 are much more forgiving in weaknesses of eyepieces in general). Here, I also learned another lesson from all the reading that I'd done: the first scope won't be your last. So just in case I got a fast scope (which I ending up doing 6 mths later btw), I got eyepieces which performed extremely well both in slow & fast scopes. Fortunately my only casualty eyepieces - my first "decent" eyepiece purchase (before getting educated)- an Orion Expanse 15mm performed very badly in the fast scope (performed beautifully in the slow scope). That was ok, I only spent $90 on it, I could live that.

Better quality eyepieces will also deliver you a bit more detail, esp if you want to scrutinize an object to pieces like I do.

On the other hand, many people can't afford the price tag, but if you can afford it, I suggest you wait, do your research as Profiler said in what's important, and then buy.

For me the following criteria were important:
* I have a dob, so anything with 52 deg fov is going to be too much work nudging the dob- esp. at high magnification.

* I wanted pin point stars.
* I wanted good contrast (so good light transmission is necessary).
* I wanted neutral colour.
* I spend a lot of time looking at the edge of the fov searching for things, so I wanted an extremely well corrected edge performance
* I'm strictly a visual observer, I'm polishing up my observing skills, so I want an eyepiece that will deliver me the subtle details that may otherwise be missed in other eyepieces (back to light transmission).
* I must have 20mm eye relief.
* I wanted to stay within 65 to 70 deg fov as I find more is too much eyeballing work for me.

Eyepieces really are a personal choice. Find out what suits your needs & budget. But do your homework and read read read!!

Here are a couple of my older threads regarding eyepieces, they might help you as there's some great help and info in them.:thumbsup:

The Best 5mm Eyepiece under $200 (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=59484&highlight=5mm+suzy)

Help on Choosing a 14mm Eyepiece (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=71653)


Regarding your question on the Vixen....
I have the LVW22 and it's superb! Sharp as a tac right the way out to the edge. :thumbsup:

And a side note....
On a fast scope (especially!), don't expect all of the same brand of eyepieces in different focal lengths to all perform well. This is why my whole range doesn't consist of XW's (unless I bought a parracor);). Different focal lengths have got their strengths and weaknesses. Or perhaps the more picky people like myself it annoys more.:lol:

[Suzy]

Hi Adrain,

I'm looking at getting the 4.5mm in the Explore Scientific 82 deg. Thinking hard about it and scratching my head lots over it. Have you got one to share your thoughts?

At such high power, it won't be an ep that will get lots of use, so I think I can handle some defiencies (maybe :rolleyes: , that's why I'm still thinking :rolleyes:).
They were about a $100 off on sale a couple of weeks ago, so I hope I haven't missed out by the time I make up my mind.

In general, from the plenty that I've read, people seem to be quite happy with the Explore Scientific range which is why I'm considering it myself.

[AG Hybrid]

The 4.7 mm gets really good reviews. I'm going to get one myself. Need a bit more mag for the 102mm. Its sharp and the fields is flat. Even if it doesn't get much use its really good value.
Its no Vixen LVW - Which I think produce probably the nicest views I've ever seen. Although, I havn't looked through a Pentax XW eyepiece yet. But the PRICE. Makes my eyes water. I look through the ES eyepieces and am thankful for the price I paid for the quality. Which to be honest wasn't much at all in some cases.
I think you can buy the 4.7 mm with confidence that you wont regret it.

[MattT]

Peter and Suzy thanks for reminding me to keep my eyes on the ball! It's so easy to get lost in the huge amount of stuff out there, it's good to get a nudge along the right path again, and think what I want out of an eyepiece.
Better to buy once and be happy :thanx:
Cheers Matt

[wavelandscott]

One other small consideration in the event of picking the wrong eyepiece is resale value...

I tend to be more like Suzy in my thinking...I wait and study and try before I buy at viewing nights and once I know what I want I get the best available...yes, this means I may only buy a single eyepiece a year but I have confidence that it is what I want and need.

In a few cases even with my due diligence after I got my eyepiece and used it I was not so happy with it and was able to resell my high quality eyepiece for most of what I paid to begin with...

No doubt we all must live within our means and budgets so use you scarce resources the best way you can.

I tend to treat eyepieces like marriages and stock ownership...I am in it for for the long haul...

No need to rush, the stars will be there tomorrow night to and if not, your choice will not matter anyway.

Cheers and Clear Akies,

[Suzy]

Many thanks Adrian,
I really appreciate your help.



Glad to be of help and your very welcome. ;)




LOVE IT! :thumbsup:
It's how i think too, but instead of marriage, I had visions of burial with ep. :lol: Whichever way you look at it, it's long term thinking. :lol:

[Jeremy Parker]

Thanks for all your comments.
Have been able to form a clear view of the ES eps
Will pick up a couple.

[MattT]

ES are having a sale on the 68 degree series now a 16mm for $79 and 20mm for $99 might be worth it. I still like mine shame I paid full price:( Wouldn't be surprised if other series of the ES range also come up on sale again soon either. Matt

[Tom Hancock]

Hi everyone,

I came across their online store this morning at vtioptics.com.au
From their web information, they are very new!

[erick]

Like today!

"VTI Optics Online Store open for business on the 9th July 2012!

Posted on 8th Jul 2012 @ 2:09 PM
Yes, we are officially opened for business on the Monday of the 9th July 2012!
VTI Optics hopes to serve the Australian Astronomy hobbyist fratenity, by making Explore Scientific and Bresser products available in Australia, on a competitive pricing, compared to the overseas retailers.
At the moment, stocks are tight, as there is a bottle neck on the supplier side and quite a few items are unavailable or have long lead times, but we are talking to JOC, to have more stocks allocated to Oceania.
So, expect more items to be listed on our online Store with time.
We are small but efficient and Slow and Steady, we will grow !!!
And by the way, VTI stands for VISION TO INFINITY."




Comparison 9mm 100 deg:-

VTI - AUD288
OPT - USD250

[Ted Manuel]

How about,

OPT : US$250 + US$50 delivery or USD$300

VTI: AUD$288+$12 Delivery, I presume?

Hmmm....very close!