As of the past couple years, it seems possible that the choice between Kellners and Plossls has been made for usyou either get what you get with your beginner telescope, or you will have to find a Plossl. I must say Im quite confused about eyepieces. Soft rubber eye guard that's custom fitted . This will become more apparent the wider the AFOV is of the eyepiece, in my experience. now it all makes sense, you did a great job explaining all this information it was a lot to take in but i have it now. Plossl eyepieces have an eye relief equal to about 80% of their focal length. Compared with a zoomable telescope eyepiece, they are pretty much the same in terms of the quality of the image. It comes with two Barlow lenses, one Newtonian eyepiece, and three Plossl eyepieces in the set. However, Orion has managed to make one that is quite compatible with most styles of telescope. Thanks. I have seen some gatekeeping in this hobby about Kellners, and Im not sure I understand it. Not only is it good to share the experience but you can get first-hand advice on things like diagonals and may even be able to try one in your scope to see if it makes a difference. 32 mm = 18.75X12 mm = 50X8 mm = 75X6 mm = 100X4 mm = 150X3 mm = 200X. I have personally tested a few Super Plossl and compared them to their regular counterparts by the same brand. When you use a Barlow lens with an eyepiece, you get the magnification, but the eye relief is not affected. Another useful aspect of a wider field of view is that, assuming the entire eyepiece is sharp enough to show good images right to the edge, you dont have to nudge the telescope to track the rotation of the Earth as often with a Plossl (50 degrees) compared to a Kellner (40 degrees). It comes with 1.25 Plossls 25mm (26x) and 10mm (66x) eyepieces. Whether it is cars or telescope eyepieces, there are inexpensive ones, upgraded models, and very expensive ones. 100-300X, 2X Barlow. Note that we also gained a 16 mm magnification at no additional cost. No price limit. If you read the article you know how to calculate the magnification and field of view. I once had to use a 6mm Plossl to attempt to perform a star-test collimation for a telescope at the observatory. The Expanse is a lens that provides an extra sharp image, and it also has a wider field of view compared to the Plossl eyepiece. Why two sizes? I cannot thank you enough! Plossl eyepieces are perfect for astronomical viewing because the field of view is wider. Finally, the worldwide pandemic has led to shortages and price jumps on many items. Omni 15mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. 20 = 90 = .8 Eye relief is the distance from the eye lens to your eyeball, and the higher the better (within reason). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They are also good for those who have astigmatism because they are designed to be more forgiving with eye placement. So, I think it worth your while to try the Plssls. Because some objects look better at low power, some at medium power, some at high power, and some at very high power. For your application and the eyepieces you have or are going to get, you really dont need anything else. Not all are Plossls, but excellent eps at f/10. I hear that, sometimes you find one that is sweeter than others. Very nice article. Since there are so many different types of eyepieces available on the market, choosing the right one for your situation can prove to be a harrowing task. If you feel the need to buy something now, consider this Orion diagonal. These are effectively simple designs like Plossls, Kellners, Konigs, and RKEs, with long focal lengths, that have a lens included to increase their focal length. I am a BIG fan of zoom eyepieces, especially if you dont have many. I would wait till you get the scope and use the included eyepieces. They are 82-degree AFOV eyepieces. Telescopes Cost: Acceptable, Good, and Really Good Telescopes, Used Telescopes Buying Guide The Complete Guide, Different Types of Asteroids (C, S, and M) The Definitive Guide, Top 10 Night Sky Objects for Astronomy Beginners, Asteroid Mining Know Everything About It, German Equatorial Mounts (GEMs) Overview and Working. A Kellner eyepiece has 1 double lens and 1 single lens. If you are upgrading, avoid ones that say correct image as these add a prism system into the diagonal which can reduce the light transmission. Every review suggests replacing the 10mm Kellner eyepiece (and possibly 25mm Kellner) that comes with it. I need some eyepieces with long FL for low magnifications. These sizes have become the industrys standard sizes. but the meat of the article is about understanding the considerations and specifications to know when selecting eyepieces. Best Telescopes For 10 Year Old Kids: Reviews and Buying Guide, The Complete Guide to the Planets You Can See With a Telescope, The Best Barlow Lenses: Reviews and Buying Guide. If you upgrade the telescope or add a second one, the eyepieces will work on that telescope too. You could say Super Plossls are not much more than a marketing tactic these days. What Is A Barlow Lens For A Telescope? But the one I am recommending here is the Tele Vue Nagler series. It uses two symmetrical pairs of glass elements (one convex and one concave) to pass the light. This can be very helpful for star hopping. I usually recommend a 32 mm Plossl type eyepiece as that provides about the widest view you can achieve with a 1.25 focuser. Ive read, and re-read, and re-re-read this page. Get to know more about us here. They are all made by the same OEM manufacturer. But in this scope, the 32 mm doesnt work well. What focal length eyepieces should I buy? Or take one of your eyepieces and measure across the bottom of the barrel. One of the main drawbacks of this eyepiece, though, is the eye relief. This is the link to the eyepiece I am looking at potentially buying, would you recommend this over the Orion one or vice versa do you think? I use some plssl eyepieces, since I still have quite a few in my kit, and yes, the others are correct. the shorter the focal length eyepiece = the shorter the eye relief. By having a range of magnifications, you can optimize the image, which means you need more eyepieces. Good 32mm Plssls run around $30-$40. Modified vs Unmodified DSLR Astrophotography: The Ultimate Showdown! Is there much of a difference between the celestron and haader? I often recommend a 32 mm Plossl as a good low power wide view eyepiece for scopes with a 1.25 focuser. There was an old Meade Super-Plossl design that used an additional lens element and could reach a wider field of view. This eye piece provides the maximum true field of view in the 1.25 inch format. I am not aware of an ES branded 70 degree series in the USA, but they do have a Bresser branded 70-degree series. ES 82 degree series plus 1 meade uwa @20 mm with 1800 focal length optical tube lowest mag 51 x / highest mag 300. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get a good image of any given target at that level of magnification on any given night. I have four telescopes, but I use the same eyepieces in all of them. I can recommend these with confidence. In the early days of telescopic astronomy, refractor telescopes were designed with a single lens at the front and a single lens at the back. I had one and sold it. No surprise there. Like going from a 32 TV to a 65? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. By the 1980s, amateur astronomy equipment suppliers were still selling new telescopes with Huygens and Ramsden eyepieces, not merely because they were cheap but because they lacked internal reflections. So, basically a Plossl eyepiece is a type of eyepiece that enables the viewer to see a wider field of view than would normally be the case, but at the cost of him/her having to physically put his eye very close to the lens of the eyepiece. On many occasions, that will be too high power for the atmospheric conditions. But what are the other differences? I dont dabble in AP. Let us know in the comments if there is anything else you want to ask or share your thoughts on this post, always looking forward to feedback from others who will benefit from it as well! If you do upgrade, youll probably want to go for a different eyepiece design than a Plosslsomething with a sharper image or a wider field of view or a longer eye relief (or all three.). Here's the short answer - Plossl eyepieces are generally better than Kellner eyepieces, but they also tend to be more expensive. Sony A7III vs A7RIII Astrophotography: Which One to Shoot Infinity! Kellner vs Plossl - Comparison table. The length of eye relief on a Plossl eyepiece ranges from 12 millimeters (less common) all the way up to 45 millimeters with added benefits being that you dont have any issues seeing into your view. https://telescopicwatch.com/?s=barlow, Best of luck with your new telescope. The focal length range for 1.25 Plossls is about 6mm to 45mm. In the case of the Celestron, you get all the focal lengths from 24 to 8mm in one eyepiece that costs $100. Nice, thank you again for the additional inputs. Though not the Meade. I have not had an opportunity to test it yet but the general discussions have favorable. It offers good color correction and high-contrast images. Kellners can be as little as half the price of a Plossl in the same focal length, but they are generally very comparable, especially in recent years as telescope prices have fluctuated in response to changing supply chains and demand. Note that the full moon appears to be approximately .5 degrees across, so use that as a mental reference when looking at the numbers. The price can run to over $1000 per eyepiece. Features : 5 superior-grade Plossl eyepieces: 1.25-in, 4-element design with a 52 AFOV (32mm has 44)4mm, 6mm, 9mm, 15mm, and 32mm . condition as described, a good transaction. This is important to keep in mind because it means brands have to try really hard to one-up each other because the competition in a niche hobby such as astronomy can be fierce. Plossl eyepieces are often included in better telescope packages as the starter eyepieces. I have an SCT and my eyepiece case only hasPlssls (and one Ortho) in it. Plossl eyepieces are very good and fairly inexpensive, typically between $25 and $50 each. Recall that your lowestpower eyepiece's exit pupil should not exceed 6mm. What Does It Do. The Big Bang Optics was started because of our love for astronomy and to help others like us find the best telescope and accessories. Again thank you very much for all the information in the page, excellent notes. A 32mm Plssl is worth it. Omni 6mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. Most telescopes come with one or two eyepieces. I would suggest you also get a 2 low power wide view. This means you will be able to see a greater expanse for the objects in space but with fewer magnification levels than Kellner or Plossl lenses. The telescope comes with a 2x Barlow so I was thinking of getting one of the zooms you recommended. If you are new around here and you want to get started with the hobby, check out our astronomy for beginners guide or the recommended gear page. Required fields are marked *. Plossl eyepieces have a wider field of view that can go from 50 to 56 degrees. Hi, I have recently bought a Orion XT8 and am trying to work out which eyepieces to add to what is provided with the scope. I am very near-sighted, barely see the big E on the vision chart without glasses. Your email address will not be published. In stargazing, eyepieces are as important as telescopes are. I have used these in my F6 and F5 Dobs and find them a good value for the price. Even though the design has existed for more than a century, it has stood the test of and is still today the standard against which other eyepiece designs are measured. Pay attention to the eye relief, especially if you will be observing with glasses. Another really helpful article, Ed. In my scopes a simple zoom eyepiece like the Celestron 24-8mm or the Baader has replaced the higher powered plossls. Do you have any additional comments to help me? The reason a plano-convex lens is good for using with a telescope is that it provides for both magnifying and erecting the images. Meade telescope maksutov eyepiece ETX-105EC Super Plossl 6.4mm 1.25" w capsule. Is there anyway you could include links to the eyepieces you mentioned in the last paragraph of your reply as Im totally new so worried about buying the wrong thing! This is why we recommend you try to locate the object first at low power, then use a higher magnification if you likethe wider field of view on the sky provides more context in terms of asterisms and reference stars and makes it more likely that youll catch the object you are looking for.