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Old 24-03-2021, 09:30 PM
ab1963 (Andrew)
Refractors-That’s It

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Vixen SSW eyepieces

I am hoping that i can touch base with anyone else that has any focal length in the line as I have the full set, I have read pretty much every review on these eyepieces and they seem to cop a right royal flogging on the whole and bought into the hype i have a TV60 at the moment which is pretty amazing for a 60mm aperture scope as i have some lifestyle changes coming up soon so sold my 106mm refractor but still needed to be able to stargaze went out this evening to give the ep's a look and from 3.5 to 14mm perfectly flat fov razor sharp pinpoint stars and views of the moon were as contrasty and cool white and sharp as a Swarovski zoom i once owned at f6 with a lot bigger FOV and couldn't see any real softening of the image even at the field stop i personally think that the reviews dished up to this set brought about its demise for whatever reason i even started to listen to the rubbish dished up and nearly replaced them with naglers as one person keeps ranting on about even bought a 13 Nagler as a starter but after this evening i have no doubt IMO the SSW's are top notch in a refractor, Where i am heading is i believe now that reviews are worthless and really think you must not be dragged in as i have just been would have loved to have had a look through my FSQ with them

Last edited by ab1963; 24-03-2021 at 10:00 PM.
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  #2  
Old 25-03-2021, 01:22 AM
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You are obviously insensitive to the spherical aberration of the exit pupil (SAEP), though that isn't too difficult an issue to overcome if you sit and hold your head steady at the eyepiece.
But, bear in mind that many of the issues these eyepieces have will not be visible at the very low powers your scope yields with them.

Here in the US, they didn't sell well because they were priced higher than the equivalent Naglers. You would have to be completely free from all aberrations in popular scopes in order to succeed at doing that.

I used these in a dob with over 5x the focal length of your scope, and found them just OK. Edge of field astigmatism was higher than the Naglers and the SAEP was an issue with the 14mm and 10mm, though nowhere near the level of the old Meade Series 4000 UWAs from the '80s and '90s. Contrast was excellent. Had they priced them under the price of equivalent Naglers, I think they might have succeeded.

Vixen has had this problem with every series of eyepieces they've made in Japan. The cost of materials and labor simply makes them uncompetitive given their margin structure. It's why the lines they still have are from China.

The key here is that reviews are merely a sampling of one observer in one scope. Since the scope matters, it should always be taken into consideration when weighting a review for relevance.

One thing for sure: if you like them, don't sell them. You might regret it later.
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Old 25-03-2021, 04:58 AM
ab1963 (Andrew)
Refractors-That’s It

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I will not be moving them now especially after last night’s critical look at them but will give a honest review how the 13 Nagler goes up against the 14 SSW when it arrives and have no problems admitting I am wrong if that’s how it pans out but it’s going to have to be every bit as good as the legendary status it seems to have, I have owned the 13Nt6 before but was early into this adventure so didn’t really know what I was looking for at the time ,Did a trade on a 24 panoptic to give the widest field possible and I’m not disappointed as it seems to excel at daytime viewing but behaves very much like the 31 Nagler at night did in the bigger scopes I’ve owned just can’t get the pinpoint stars I want but this as we know could be the astigmatism in my viewing eye, The little TV60 is truly a little gem and until me and my family move on to the next phase in life it will be more than adequate.
Would still really like to hear from anyone else who has the SSW’s and what their thoughts are.......

Last edited by ab1963; 25-03-2021 at 05:40 AM. Reason: Traded not bought 24 pan
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Old 25-03-2021, 08:16 AM
astro744
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I don't have the Vixen SSW but do have the TV-60 and enjoy it very much too. I keep mine in the soft Tele Vue padded bag with 60 deg. diagonal and 24mm Panoptic, 16mm Nagler and 6-3mm Nagler zoom. I do use other Nagler eyepieces in between 6 and 16mm and also the 4-2 Nagler zoom depending on what else I'm looking at but the 24/16/6-3 live in the case with the 'scope. The 2.5mm Nagler is a good alternative to the 4-2mm zoom as it provides a much wider true field making it easier to observe the planets without tracking. I use mine on a Tele Pod.
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Old 27-03-2021, 08:39 PM
ab1963 (Andrew)
Refractors-That’s It

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Have tested the Nagler 13 against the 14 SSW in the TV60 at F6 they are both as sharp but the Vixen SSW has a noticeably larger FOV but with my glasses on and the eyecup folded down on the Nagler I really like how comfortable it is both are razor sharp to the field stop the Vixen a slightly cooler view but TBH you would be very happy with either and will be keeping the 13 Nagler for those lazy nights when I don’t want to put the contacts in and just want a quick look also tested the SSW 10,7,5,3.5 and they all perform outstandingly when the eyecups are set correctly, It still amazes me the way the SSW’s have been treated in the reviews after a extensive and unbiased workout I have given these eyepieces and can only imagine how they would perform in a Refractor around F8 and 100mm+ aperture, All things said the 13 Nagler is a lovely eyepiece that now having taken the punt to buy it I’m happy I did and to some extent have been proven wrong but make no mistake the differences are subtle but the Vixen SSW’s with a slight colour tone difference and wider FOV on those 2 points just edge the Nagler out IMO
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Old 29-03-2021, 11:58 AM
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AG Hybrid (Adrian)
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I heard this series of eyepieces didn't sell very well? A shame if true. I know my 22 LVW is on my "never sell" list.
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Old 30-03-2021, 12:39 AM
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Perhaps Vixen's decision to cease production of their Japanese lines is related to the uncompetitive nature of Japanese versus Chinese prices.
Though the SLVs have not sold well, either, and those are Chinese.
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Old 02-04-2021, 12:41 AM
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Oh my gosh, Don Pensack , what a legend .
So great reading your comments.
I should go now... I've probably embarrassed both him and I


Apparently I lack discipline here it comes...

Like Adrian, I have the 22 LVW and I'll never part with it, I love the views through my 10" dob.
Wasn't that made in Japan? I bought it second hand some 10 years ago for $350 (what you'd expect to pay second hand), not cheap then and I think ? they still hold there value.
I'm pushing my brain cells here going back then, but didn't the SLV get superseded by the LVW?

The LVWs claim to fame aside from the 65 deg fov is the high-grade Lanthanum glass- a rare earth element.
I used to love getting into the nitty gritty of everything eyepieces some 10 years ago but I've moved on and lost touch with what's around now.
I'm an XW girl, if the eps did well in an f/5 upwards of 10mm f/l, I would've continued the entire series. But the LVW fitted in just beautifully. I never went the Nagler route as I was after comfy eye relief.
I fold down the rubber on the LVW, I just can't get comfortable with it extended, that would be my only gripe.

On my journey collecting my entire set from 3mm-30mm, I found reviews and help that people offered me extremely helpful and saved me a lot of money from the start. But I was very specific to what my needs were against what equipment I had.
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Old 02-04-2021, 03:27 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Suzy View Post
Oh my gosh, Don Pensack , what a legend .
So great reading your comments.
I should go now... I've probably embarrassed both him and I


Apparently I lack discipline here it comes...

Like Adrian, I have the 22 LVW and I'll never part with it, I love the views through my 10" dob.
Wasn't that made in Japan? I bought it second hand some 10 years ago for $350 (what you'd expect to pay second hand), not cheap then and I think ? they still hold there value.
I'm pushing my brain cells here going back then, but didn't the SLV get superseded by the LVW?

The LVWs claim to fame aside from the 65 deg fov is the high-grade Lanthanum glass- a rare earth element.
I used to love getting into the nitty gritty of everything eyepieces some 10 years ago but I've moved on and lost touch with what's around now.
I'm an XW girl, if the eps did well in an f/5 upwards of 10mm f/l, I would've continued the entire series. But the LVW fitted in just beautifully. I never went the Nagler route as I was after comfy eye relief.
I fold down the rubber on the LVW, I just can't get comfortable with it extended, that would be my only gripe.

On my journey collecting my entire set from 3mm-30mm, I found reviews and help that people offered me extremely helpful and saved me a lot of money from the start. But I was very specific to what my needs were against what equipment I had.
The SLV superseded the LV when Vixen switched production from Japan to China.
The LVW was a Japanese widefield they discontinued several years ago.
The SSW was an attempt to introduce more Vixen sales, but due to its Japanese manufacture, the price was uncompetitive and it never sold well, so, like the LVW before it, it was also discontinued.

Glass containing lanthanum oxide is fairly common in the astronomy industry, but since almost all that ore comes from China, it's more common now in Chinese production. It is one of many different materials now available to yield a glass with a low dispersion, as this chart will indicate:
https://www.edmundoptics.com/knowled...optical-glass/
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Old 02-04-2021, 08:56 PM
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Many thanks Don
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