which 2 eyepeices

[norm]

Hi Guys, I know this has probably been done to death, but I have to ask anyway:

Scope: 12" lightbridge f5
Viewing conditions: medium/low light pollution. However will take scope to dark sites every so often.
Budget: $400-$550 each
Eye condition - don't wear glasses, eyesight is fine, 40yrs. (have been told that their is a likelihood I may develop cataracts) 3-5yrs time.

I want to basically purchase 2 good premium eyepieces. My main interests are DSO, open star clusters and faint fuzzies but I also want a premium eyepeice when viewing the moon and planets.

Is there much difference between 1.25 and 2inch barrel eyepieces?
I would like sharpness right to the edge of view and contrast and prefer wide field veiws.

I am thinking of the 24mm panoptic or 27mm panoptic (comes in 2inch only)
and this is the bit I'm stuck on, either a 10 or 14mm Pentax XW or something between 9-13mm in the Nagler group.

Down the track I will also purchase a premium barlow - a Televue of some sort. Any comments appreciated.

[Miaplacidus (Brian)]

Don't know if I can help much. My 10 mm Pentax XW is my favourite eyepiece, sharper than my TV 12mm T4. (They've had a lot of shoot outs.) Although I don't observe wearing glasses, I still appreciate the eye relief and the screw up eyecup. I think people will tell you that the 10, 7.5 and 5 mm Pentaxes are better than the 14 mm, but I haven't done the comparo. The 70 degree AFOV ought to be plenty fine enough in your scope, but obviously it would be nice if you had the chance to try them out beforehand.

Anyway, good luck.

Brian.

[JohnG (John)]

Hi Norm

I am not going to make a recommendation of an eyepiece here but suggest that you have a look at the TeleVue site and have a read of the articles on eyepiece selection, there is also an eyepiece calculater as well. Might give you a few ideas as to what you are looking for then get comments on particular eyepieces, usually try before you buy as you have to feel comfortable with your choice.

http://televue.com/home/default_2.asp

JohnG

[Starkler (Geoff)]

27mm Panoptic
14mm XW

Done

[Wombat_In_Space (Darren)]

For high Mag on Planets when the seeing is good you could grab one of these Takahashi LE-7.5 mm $295, Ken (ballaratdragons) and myself have used one in out 12" and all I can say is WOW on DSO's.

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~aecclaudio/tak_eye.htm

[ving (David)]

mike (iceman) bought a pano of one of the sizes you are going for, cant remember which one tho. he said the edge performane was pretty poor.

[Dave47tuc (David)]

10 mm Pentax & 27 mm Panoptic will serve you very well for life.

[davidpretorius]

i like the 24mm pano i have looked thru, best view of an object i have ever seen!

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

I have a 24 Pan and think very highly of it...I've chosen to stay with 1.25 inch eyepieces and it has one of the widest field of view available for that size eyepiece. I like this eyepiece a lot and it spends a fair amount of time in my scope.

On the other end, I have a 7 mm Pentax XW...it is another eyepiece that I think quite highly of...although it does not get as much scope time most nights due to seeing...I reckon a 10 mm Pentax would be pretty good but I have not tried one myself.

I do have an 11 mm T6 Nagler which I am fond of but I like the look (color or lack of color) of the moon and planets through the Pentax just a little bit more...it is splitting hairs a bit I think but the Pentax seems to be a bit "cooler" in color (I've not had enough viewing time to describe it any better but I do see a difference)...but on the otherhand if not moon/planet viewing I prefer the Pan and Naglers...

I'm not sure I am helping you much...I don't think there is a great deal of difference eyepiece to eyepiece at the top end of town (my opinion they are all pretty good) and I would encourage you to look through a few of your identified candidates before you purchase if you can...

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Originally Posted by Dave47tuc

10 mm Pentax & 27 mm Panoptic will serve you very well for life.

I would agree with Dave here (and a couple of others) in recommending the 10mm Pentax XW and the 27mm TV Panoptic. I own both of these for use in my 10"/f5 dob. The 10mm Pentax XW is the best eyepiece I have used in this focal length range and I have used a lot of them, including everything made by Televue. The 27mm TV Panoptic is a great eyepiece and the best value for money in this focal length range. The 26mm TV Nagler T5 is a slightly better eyepiece than the 27mm Panoptic IMO, but its bigger and heavier physically and in the wallet department. It's the best eyepiece I have used in the longer focal lengths, but it is very expensive. If you have more problems in life than money, I would be going 10mm Pentax XW and the 26mm Nagler T5. If you're like most of us and have to be a little cost conscious the 10mm Pentax XW and the 27mm TV Panoptic will suit you perfectly, for probably your lifetime and most definately the scopes

CS-John B

[square_peg114GT]

Originally Posted by Dave47tuc

10 mm Pentax & 27 mm Panoptic will serve you very well for life.

I'll third this suggestion. The 27 Pan with its' 5.4mm exit pupil is an ideal finder for an f/5 scope (unless you live in absolutely black skies). The 10XW is by most accounts the best at that focal length and will produce your workhorse 2mm exit pupil. They're the perfect pair for your scope, IMO.

A 26 T5 and a 9 or 11 Nag would do well too, but the 26 T5 is out of your budget range. If you can wait a couple months and want to save some $$ then Orion's 30mm Stratus is due out in May. It wouldn't be as nice as the 27 Pan, but it's listed as selling for $180 (US).

[norm]

Hi All,

Thanks heaps for the feedback and suggestions, really appreciated.Next time I go out viewing at my club I must make a mental note to ask, what eyepiece is being used, scopes focal length etc instead of getting totally caught up with the views! The info that you all have provided gives me overall confidence knowing that when I'm forking those dollars I shouldn't be disappointed.

Thanks again.

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

Originally Posted by norm

The info that you all have provided gives me overall confidence knowing that when I'm forking those dollars I shouldn't be disappointed.

Just a word of caution...i.e. disappointment after spending $...sometimes to inexperienced eyes the difference between very good and great is incremental when it comes to eyepieces...A Nagler or Pentax will not convert your scope into a "mini Hubble"...faint fuzzies will still be faint and fuzzy in the expensive eyepieces...

Do try and look through as many different ones as you can prior to buying to see if you can see the difference yourself...