Quote:
Originally Posted by Profiler
If in doubt buy neither - this is how you waste money in A astronomy. When you go to buy something like an eyepiece you should have a clear idea of what are the set parameters/criteria you have in mind (cost, fov, fl, ER etc) for what you want in the EP and then select the EP which matches those specifications - e.g. ER is more important for some than others - fov is another common factor. From my own experience A astronomy is something of an evolutionary process as people gradually grow in terms of the equipment they use. Thus, some clones may initially be great for a couple of years but as time goes by and your observing skills grow you may become more critical and start craving increasingly better (albeit the improvements may only be in small percentages) eyepieces which unfortunately comes at a tragic toll on your wallet 
In this circumstance it sounds like you are comparing one EP which has excellent ER with a FOV around 65' against another which is 80ish FOV with somewhat modest ER (i.e. apples vs oranges). IMHO I think you should decide the issue on what you really want in terms of criteria first and then what you are willing to pay. |
Here! Here!
Great advice Peter!
Is it Peter? I apologise if I forget your name.
Jeremy, when I got my first telescope I did a ton of reading especially on this forum regarding eyepieces. I went back and read plenty of old threads and one thing that struck a chord with me was the fact that a lot of people bought a lot of eyepieces before opening their wallets and spending a heck of a lot more money on premium eyepieces and then finishing up with a big collection of eyepieces where most of them weren't even used. I took this as a lesson unto myself and vowed not to let this happen to me. I found out what was important- reading peoples experiences greatly helped. Then I just went straight for premiums- I figured even though they'd cost me a lot of money $300+, I'd actually save money instead of buying cheaper ones.
Widefield eyepieces will always cost more money than a standard plossl. The reason is simple: making a widefield eyepieces is far more complicated- in order to deliver sharp & beautiful views in one of these, it's more labor intensive. That's why there is lots more groups of glass in a widefield than a standard plossl. Some brands, depending on money are better corrected than others- all depends on how much money you have to spend. Also, slower scopes (above f5 are much more forgiving in weaknesses of eyepieces in general). Here, I also learned another lesson from all the reading that I'd done: the first scope won't be your last. So just in case I got a fast scope (which I ending up doing 6 mths later btw), I got eyepieces which performed extremely well both in slow & fast scopes. Fortunately my only casualty eyepieces - my first "decent" eyepiece purchase (before getting educated)- an Orion Expanse 15mm performed very badly in the fast scope (performed beautifully in the slow scope). That was ok, I only spent $90 on it, I could live that.
Better quality eyepieces will also deliver you a bit more detail, esp if you want to scrutinize an object to pieces like I do.
On the other hand, many people can't afford the price tag, but if you can afford it, I suggest you wait, do your research as Profiler said in what's important, and then buy.
For me the following criteria were important:
* I have a dob, so anything with 52 deg fov is going to be too much work nudging the dob- esp. at high magnification.
* I wanted pin point stars.
* I wanted good contrast (so good light transmission is necessary).
* I wanted neutral colour.
* I spend a lot of time looking at the edge of the fov searching for things, so I wanted an extremely well corrected edge performance
* I'm strictly a visual observer, I'm polishing up my observing skills, so I want an eyepiece that will deliver me the subtle details that may otherwise be missed in other eyepieces (back to light transmission).
* I must have 20mm eye relief.
* I wanted to stay within 65 to 70 deg fov as I find more is too much eyeballing work for me.
Eyepieces really are a personal choice. Find out what suits your needs & budget. But do your homework and read read read!!
Here are a couple of my older threads regarding eyepieces, they might help you as there's some great help and info in them.
The Best 5mm Eyepiece under $200
Help on Choosing a 14mm Eyepiece
Regarding your question on the Vixen....
I have the LVW22 and it's superb! Sharp as a tac right the way out to the edge.
And a side note....
On a fast scope (especially!), don't expect all of the same brand of eyepieces in different focal lengths to all perform well. This is why my whole range doesn't consist of XW's (unless I bought a parracor)
. Different focal lengths have got their strengths and weaknesses. Or perhaps the more picky people like myself it annoys more.
Matt
, that's why I'm still thinking 
Wouldn't be surprised if other series of the ES range also come up on sale again soon either. Matt
