i've starting really settling into which eyepieces i use the most. I've been using my 10 mm Pentax XW the most due to the excellent eye relief and wideview. I also use my 6mm TMB when i'm trying to get some more magnification out of the scope. Above this range I only have the 25mm eyepiece that came with my scope and a GSO 2" 30mm SUperview. I find the superview great to use but because of the 2" barrel i'm not a fan of constantly changing the 2" adaptor out for the 1.25" to suit my other eyepieces. I find the 25mm that came with scope quite good, but i would like something a bit more wideview (like the pentax) so i don't have 'nudge the dob' so much and possibly clearer/sharper. I'm about to buy my first 'proper' low power eyepiece.
I've been reading up and i think i'm settled on the 24mm Televue Panoptic as it seems to be fairly affordable, and most importantly is in the 1.25" size. I also note that the 19mm pan is supposed to be very good too and is also considerably cheaper. I'm not after anything that's very wideview but i want something that i can use in conjunction with my pentax 10mm that i can use to scan around. A 19mm would give 63x mag and a 24mm would give me 50x mag. Also, if i buy the cheaper 19mm the money saved could go towards a televue barlow or similar to replace my cheap barlow.
Does anyone have any thoughts on which would be best for my 10" skywatcher dob?
I have no experience with the 24 but from all i've read it is one of the best EP available and performs well in all scopes. It will give you the widest FOV available from a 1.25" EP. In your case it is likely the best option.
That said i own the 19mm and in my 12" dob and Megrez 90 it is my favourite EP without a doubt. Nice eye relief and a wide, generous FOV that is sharp to the edge, and it barlows very well. At the time of purchase the TV 32mm plossl was already in my EP case and as it provides the same FOV as the 24mm it was an easier decision to go with the 19 than you have.
If you are going to make the new Panoptic your new lowest power then go for the 24mm Panoptic - Its superficially sharp right out to the edge @ F5 , so its a wonderful combination .
I 'had' the 19mm Pan and now have the 24mm. When I was in the Bintel store during the TV sale a few weeks ago one of the old gurus said probably the two best EP's ever made by TV was the 13mm T6 Nagler and the 24Pan. I have to agree with the latter (I dont have the 13mm Nag so cant comment) - while costing a bit more the 24mm Pan is certainly something special. The 19mm is good but to me only provided a bit more FOV than what you could get anyhow for $99 from TV 20mm Plossl.
My 24mm pan has taken the back seat now that I have a 14mm 100 degree explore scientific. But it was my fav ep before it though. Guarantee you'll love it!
I'm hanging out for mine too ! I ordered it during the sale along with a 7mm Nagler, the Nag arrived but the 24 is on back order. They must have been popular during the sale.
I have been thinking about this myself. I thought it was interesting that the Bintel guys as god as recommended the 24mm Panoptic over a 31mm Nagler.
I am hanging out for the largest field I can squeze into one eyepiece (With a 9.25" F10 Celestron) and have been tossing up on if the higher power of the Panoptic would be of more value (Along with still being a 1.25") to me or if the TFOV of the Nagler might swing it enough to be worth saving up for.
I have an 11MM Nagler T6 and the only things I can fault with it is that it is quite sensitive to eye position or you get blackouts and kidney beaning (And it is almost unuseable in daylight with a constricted pupil as a result) and the eye relief is a bit tight, leading to oil from my eyelashes on the last element. You also see your own eyelashes and eyebrows if you are not careful!
I have the 19 Pan, the 13 Nagler and the 24 Pan - and little else.
Both the 19 and the 24 are exceptional EPs.
If you are using an FL of over say, 800mm, (A dob or SCT) I'd probably go the 24.
If using a short FL refractor (f5-f7) the 19 Pan will give that little extra mag.
Can't really go wrong with either.
Hopefully I will get out to another star party or group observing night down the track a bit and I might be lucky enough to have someone prepared to come and put theirs in my scope (Of any Ep in contention) to see how they actually perform in the 9.25. I took a risk with the Nagler and have not regretted it, but the budget is tight enough to not be able to do that very often.
Hmm the price of the 24mm Panoptic is certainly a selling point. Only problem I can see is it would obsolete at least two of my current set. Significantly larger AFOV than the 40mm Plossl'like that comes with the scope while offering the best part of twice the magnification AND a larger TFOV to boot. But it would also make my TV 25mm Plossl redundant!
The only reason I can see to consider something more exotic is to be greedy about TFOV and go to a 2" EP and end up with even greater AFOV, TFOV and magnification all out of the same EP! Like a Nagler 22mm 2".
I own both a Skywatcher 10 inch dob and a 24mm Pan.
Best EP I own. hands down. Especially in that particular scope.
Damned if I know how, but it seems to overcome the inherent coma of the fast f/4.7 mirror and provide far sharper star images towards the edge of field than should be reasonably possible. It's also more forgiving when I'm lazy about collimating. The nice wide FOV gives an excellent spacewalk experience.
There's a reason why you won't often hear a bad word about this EP.
Yep i got to borrow one of these 24mm pan eyepieces to use with my 12 dob at the Snake Valley Camp and i really enjoyed using it It is definately on my must have list in the very near future Where is the best place to buy these from
Jeeps mate , my 22mm panoptic barlowed with my 2x celestron ultima is my best combination for a 10mm eyepiece bar none on any of my scopes , Better than my 9mm ortho on a good night
and close to my 12.5 UO ortho , except the 22 panoptic barlowed beats the view in my 6 inch refractor , But in my 63mm Zeiss the opposite happens , . A lot deponds on the night and your eyes I am just packing it in after a sweet evening with Jupiter .
Brian..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeeps
Hey guys,
i've starting really settling into which eyepieces i use the most. I've been using my 10 mm Pentax XW the most due to the excellent eye relief and wideview. I also use my 6mm TMB when i'm trying to get some more magnification out of the scope. Above this range I only have the 25mm eyepiece that came with my scope and a GSO 2" 30mm SUperview. I find the superview great to use but because of the 2" barrel i'm not a fan of constantly changing the 2" adaptor out for the 1.25" to suit my other eyepieces. I find the 25mm that came with scope quite good, but i would like something a bit more wideview (like the pentax) so i don't have 'nudge the dob' so much and possibly clearer/sharper. I'm about to buy my first 'proper' low power eyepiece.
I've been reading up and i think i'm settled on the 24mm Televue Panoptic as it seems to be fairly affordable, and most importantly is in the 1.25" size. I also note that the 19mm pan is supposed to be very good too and is also considerably cheaper. I'm not after anything that's very wideview but i want something that i can use in conjunction with my pentax 10mm that i can use to scan around. A 19mm would give 63x mag and a 24mm would give me 50x mag. Also, if i buy the cheaper 19mm the money saved could go towards a televue barlow or similar to replace my cheap barlow.
Does anyone have any thoughts on which would be best for my 10" skywatcher dob?
.
really i better go check em out see what price they have on them 
