ICEINSPACE
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04-04-2012, 03:40 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Centreville, Michigan, US
Posts: 183
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Do ppl here know of Takahashi (LE:long eye relief) eyepieces?
Hi:
If anyone is looking for 1.25" orthoscopic-like eyepieces with
short focal length, this could be your answer.
Their shortest is a 2.8mm with a 42 degree apparent field.
http://www.optcorp.com/productList.a...d=30-718-64-66
I thought that sounds wonderful!
David
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14-04-2012, 08:36 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Killara, Sydney
Posts: 4,147
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The Takahashi LE's aren't ortho's - they're Erfle's which are very different. In their day they were very good eyepieces - sharp, high transparency, little colour. But these days the obsession with cheap chinese clones and ultra-wides has more or less killed the market for older quality eyepieces.
The Erfle design has pincushion distortion and a more strongly curved field than an ortho. The right eyepiece (ortho or erfle) depends on the type of scope you intend to use it with.
The next consideration is what are your needs and intended use, for example:
- Do you need long eye relief because you wear specs ?
- Are you more interested in lunar & planetary stuff, deep sky, or wide-field low-power views ?
- Happy to accept a moderate field of view (50 degrees) in return for pin-sharp images, high contrast and low scattered light from a 5 element design, or do you want the "head in a fishbowl" view from the ultra wide eyepieces - but at the same time happy to accept the eye relief is next to nil, not-so-sharp images and scattered light ?
Some other sets I would strongly suggest you keep an eye out for are the Edmund RKE (yes you can still buy new ones) or the Vixen LV or LVW series. The LV's had consistently massive eye relief (20mm) which is a godsend if you wear specs (as I do). Most of the LV's had 50 degree field of view and were a 5 element design, beautifully sharp, neutral colour and high transparency. Vixen also made a LVW (LV wide) series of 1.25"/2" eyepieces, they look like big hand grenades, they are comparable to the TV Panoptic and Radians and Pentax. The only snag is Vixen have ceased manufacturing both the LV and LVW series, and those lucky enough to own sets aren't selling them - these NEVER appear for sale on Astromart, eBay or Cloudynights.
Vixen currently make a NLV series which are apparently optically the same as the LV series - optically excellent, but have the most gawdawful big fat plastic cups around them.
Last edited by Wavytone; 14-04-2012 at 09:10 PM.
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14-04-2012, 10:11 PM
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Senior Citizen
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bribie Island
Posts: 5,059
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Yes ... I have 3 Takahashi LE Eyepieces ...18mm / 24mm / 30mm.
The optics are outstanding to say the least.
I love them ... pin sharp stars ... wonderful contrast ... 52 degree FOV.
Wonderful on Star Clusters .. !!
They are expensive ... made in Japan.... but the views you get with these is hard to beat. ( IMHO )
( But I still love my TeleVue Eyepieces )
Flash ...!!
Last edited by FlashDrive; 14-04-2012 at 10:26 PM.
Reason: text correction
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14-04-2012, 10:43 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Perth WA
Posts: 4,374
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Flash , I seen 2 for sale on Trade Me , the NZ auction site a week ago ? dont know if they are still there , but a google will find them.
Not cheep , but extra nice .
Brian.
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14-04-2012, 10:54 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Perth WA
Posts: 4,374
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yea Wayne , I have both and to compare one against the other is like telling the differance between last Monday and last ..,, saturday .It's what's seen at the eyepeece at the time that matters .. , life goes on ..
. These are both as good as it gets for high power lunar/planetary views .. . True Bro.. I use mine every night .
Brian.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wavytone
The Takahashi LE's aren't ortho's - they're Erfle's which are very different. In their day they were very good eyepieces - sharp, high transparency, little colour. But these days the obsession with cheap chinese clones and ultra-wides has more or less killed the market for older quality eyepieces.
The Erfle design has pincushion distortion and a more strongly curved field than an ortho. The right eyepiece (ortho or erfle) depends on the type of scope you intend to use it with.
The next consideration is what are your needs and intended use, for example:
- Do you need long eye relief because you wear specs ?
- Are you more interested in lunar & planetary stuff, deep sky, or wide-field low-power views ?
- Happy to accept a moderate field of view (50 degrees) in return for pin-sharp images, high contrast and low scattered light from a 5 element design, or do you want the "head in a fishbowl" view from the ultra wide eyepieces - but at the same time happy to accept the eye relief is next to nil, not-so-sharp images and scattered light ?
Some other sets I would strongly suggest you keep an eye out for are the Edmund RKE (yes you can still buy new ones) or the Vixen LV or LVW series. The LV's had consistently massive eye relief (20mm) which is a godsend if you wear specs (as I do). Most of the LV's had 50 degree field of view and were a 5 element design, beautifully sharp, neutral colour and high transparency. Vixen also made a LVW (LV wide) series of 1.25"/2" eyepieces, they look like big hand grenades, they are comparable to the TV Panoptic and Radians and Pentax. The only snag is Vixen have ceased manufacturing both the LV and LVW series, and those lucky enough to own sets aren't selling them - these NEVER appear for sale on Astromart, eBay or Cloudynights.
Vixen currently make a NLV series which are apparently optically the same as the LV series - optically excellent, but have the most gawdawful big fat plastic cups around them.
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11-05-2012, 11:24 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 11
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Dave
i' ve been using a 7.5 and a 24
looking at those prices -give Claude at
http://www.astronomy-electronics-centre.com.au/
in SA a ring
mine worked out cheaper than those on website- no customs issues, with local backup
and its quick in the post , supporting local bloke etc
for the lil I've used em they are phenomenal- but clear skies tonight and tomorrow forecast!
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11-05-2012, 12:45 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Perth
Posts: 163
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I have three of them...7.5mm, 18mm and 30mm. Purchased many years from the Astronomy and Electronics Centre in SA.
They were not cheap but good quality gear isn't.
The 7.5 is a killer on Jupiter but the seeing rarely lets me use its full potential. As Flash said, they are great on clusters.
Highly recommended.
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