Are my eyepieces any good?

[BenF (Ben)]

Hi everyone, long time reader first time poster.
I bought a 10" dob second hand over a year ago.

I have since enjoyed it thoroughly, viewing the usual planets and moon as well as ticking off a dozen or so star clusters.

I got a box of eye pieces (well a couple) with the purchase and there are 2 I'd like someone to help me identify. My knowledge about eyepieces is very limited and am basically wanting to know if these 2 lens's are good, average or poor quality. I don't have much to compare them to. I pretty much just leave the zoom lens permanently mounted on my scope and use it 99% of the time.

The 2.5 seems maybe too powerful for my scope? and I dont see many 2.5mm lens's on the net.

I've attached a photo, hope it worked.

any info would be appreciated

Thanks
Ben

[erick (Eric)]

Hi Ben.

The Hyperion 8-24mm zoom eyepiece rates quite highly amongst zoom eyepieces. Good to very good, I would say.

But all zooms are fairly limited in the apparent field of view (around 50 deg AFOV) they provide compared to the many eyepieces that provide more than 60 deg and up to 100 or more degrees of AFOV. Some people love 80-100 deg and cannot live with less. Others are very happy at 50 deg. If you are using this eyepiece most of the time and enjoying it - great!

Yes, a 2.5mm eyepiece will be pushing your 10" dob past what the seeing conditions will allow you most nights. But on those special magic nights, it may well give you wonderful views of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. I don't recognise the brand, but I'm sure someone will.

[traveller (Bo)]

Second what Eric said, the 2.5 looks like a TMB, a very good EP for planets, but you will need excellent seeing.
Bo

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Hi Ben and mate , as said the Hyperion gets good reviews every where , great eyepieces . I dont have any but a few mates up here hav a few of them and from what I have seen , no worries there . .
on the 2.5 , well you will be pushing 300x ? and Ben as said that sort of power is only used on those exceptional nights , a few a year , but hey if its a Hyperion she is a keeper , Just enjoy the night sky as you have a great scope and good eyepieces .
ps. I have a 2.5 Vixen Lanthium and it does not get used often , but when the atmosphere allows .. well worth the wait .
Brian.

[pgc hunter]

The 2.5mm is a BO/TMB planetary eyepiece. With a 10" F/5 it will yield 500x so will only be useful on the rare occasion of excellent seeing. But, when you do get that special night, you will be glad you have it!

[BenF (Ben)]

Thanks guys,
Yeah the hyperion didn't seem to be any better/worse than my plossles. I just love it for finding things, then zooming them in without even taking my eye off it.
As for the 2.5, I'm now excited for that 'magic night'. I looked at the moon once (filter def required) and it was really zoomed, but the picture was dominated by what looked like heat waves. I'm assuming that's just the turbulent atmosphere being picked up.

[JB80 (Jarrod)]

The zoom is a great get, I have a MKIII model and love it.
It is my favourite eyepiece but then again I don't have a lot to compare it with.
In that box you didn't find a screw on adaptor for the zoom in which you can connect your dslr?

[BenF (Ben)]

Nah doesn't seem to be anything like that unfortunately. I've got a nice cannon 7d. I'm guessing apart from the moon a dobsonian mount won't let me photograph too much anyway??

[ColHut (Colin)]

They look fine. You might want something about 5mm though if you like planetary viewing and you will likely use it more often than the 2.5 mm. The TMBs are good value for money.

Regards