Quote:
Originally Posted by JethroB76
great mid-priced EPs IMO; a 5mm or more likely an 8mm would probably see more use than the 3.5mm though
|
Agreed.

I have the 8mm and for planetary viewing, and it gets the most use. Gives me just about the right balance between zoom and image contrast.
I have considered a 5mm or even a 3.5mm, but after using the fine tuning rings (a must get when you buy the Hyperions), which also give me 6, 5 and 4.3mm, I came to the conclusion that if I were to buy any lower than 8mm that it would barely ever get used. I would need perfect seeing conditions to get any real benefit from the magnifications achieved at 5 or 3.5 mm, which I'm just not going to get in the suburbs.
A 13mm with fine tuning rings would probably also be a good option. That would also give you 10.8, 9.2 and 8.1 mm. The fine tuning rings can be a little bit of a nuisance to some having to screw/unscrew them in the dark, but the flexibility they provide in essentially giving you 4 EP's in one, outweighs this in my opinion. Plus, in the case of my 8mm, they ended up saving me spending money on an EP I pretty much wouldn't use.