Here's the short answer - Plossl eyepieces are generally better than Kellner eyepieces, but they also tend to be more expensive. Super Plossls offer a smaller field of view, which makes them good for close-up views and examining small objects. See if you will observe with or without your glasses. As for Barlow Lenses, take a look at this article. Of course, the entire eyepiece must be manufactured and finished correctly to realize the design's full potential. I dont know if they make anything like this anymore, but as a kid, I had plastic slides with images on them (the Milky Way, Horse Head Nebula, etc.) 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. Over time, you will likely spend more on eyepieces than on the telescope. In some cases, the eyepieces are waterproof to protect them from internal contamination caused by heavy dew conditions. They are a good brand with high-quality eyepieces, you just dont need to spend the extra money for almost no gain in performance. I once had to use a 6mm Plossl to attempt to perform a star-test collimation for a telescope at the observatory. My understanding of eyepieces was very limited until I read this article, you explain things in a clear and understandable way which made my understanding so much clearer. Know what diameter eyepieces your scope takes. Do you need to have the best to enjoy astronomy? Or is this overkill and am I better off saving money and going forward something like the Celestron Zoom? The Big Bang Optics participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for websites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I have used both Kellner & Plossl eyepieces and a few others, and I can tell you that they all are quite different from each other in terms of the quality of the image that they produce. I cannot thank you enough! Super Plossl eyepieces are generally a little smaller than this at around 16-20 mm in size, which is why theyre sometimes referred to as wide-angle or low power plossls. Choosing the most appropriate can completely change your experience in using telescopes. I would recommend the Orion Q70 series over that. For our experience level, would you recommend changing anything right now? For your application and the eyepieces you have or are going to get, you really dont need anything else. But the one I am recommending here is the Tele Vue Nagler series. short answer: yes. Kellners tend to have narrower apparent fields of view (40 degrees rather than 50 or 52 degrees in a Plossl), and in short focal length telescopes (focal ratio f/5 or shorter) they can have more false color fringing, but for the most part it is hard to notice the difference between a well-made Kellner and a well-made Plossl in terms of image quality. You can add the specialty single FL eyepieces later if you wish. 6.7 = 268 = .3 Some accept 2 and have an adapter that allows you to also use 1.25. So we say that an F5 scope benefits from better corrected eyepieces more than the F10 scope. This is perfect for a 25mm Plossl (an extremely common standard) and downright luxurious with a 32mm Plossl, but when you get below about 12.5mm or 10mm, it can begin to get difficult to use. Buy Astromania 1.25" 4mm Plossl Telescope Eyepiece - 4-Element Plossl Design . Compared with a zoomable telescope eyepiece, they are pretty much the same in terms of the quality of the image. It's no surprise that the eyepieces in our Sirius Plossl line are our best-selling telescope eyepieces. Thanks for your comment. 3. I have to say that your questions are answered in the article. Field of view, is about finding, framing, drift time, and context. Oh the pain of uh having access to really cool eyepieces.). With your glasses on, you simply cant get your eye close enough to an eyepiece that only has 10 mm of eye relief. I have a variety of eyepieces, including Explore Scientific and Meade 82 degree series so I have choices. These eyepiecesproduce a 'standard apparent feld of view' of between 50 and 56 with most set at around 52. Stargazing Help is a participant in Amazon Associates program. Look at the apparent field of view specs and understand what this means for the field of view. If that surface is wobbly the scope will be almost useless. You can read a thorough review of Goldline eyepieces here. The Plossl eyepiece is a four-element design consisting of two doublets. Celestron's 4-element Plossl eyepiece features include blackened lens edges to minimize internal reflection and maximize contrast, fully multi-coated optics for maximum light transmission. Rating (max 5): The result in magnification is the same and the eye relief associated with the eyepiece is retained or, in some cases, actually lengthened a bit. What diameter eyepieces will my telescope accept? Also, children do not often have highly developed motor skillsso I would avoid the frustration of switching out eyepieces, and consider a zoom lens. What Does It Do. It was grueling, because I couldnt even get the entire field of viewI had to keep my eye hovering above the exit pupil. For what it's worth: I believe the Omni 1.25 inch 2x Barlow is one of the Shorty Barlows manufactured by GSO. It has made learning the Constellations and star-hopping more fun and engaging for my whole family exactly what I was hoping for. The computerized pad and motor work on AA batteries which can last you a few hours. 70 mm scope will have a max of 140X for planning purposes. The view being presented to your eye in a low power eyepiece minimizes everything from optical aberrations in the telescope, to distortions from thermals or atmospheric conditions. Kellner and Plossl- both are two different types of eyepieces for telescopes. Some of these series also offer 2 eyepieces for telescopes that can accept 2 eyepieces. Fully coated with magnesium fluoride on every air-to-glass surface for excellent light transmission and high contrast views. 100-300X, 2X Barlow. At 32mm, a Plssl will give you as wide a field of view as any 1.25mm eyepiece can. Once we are done, they will make sense. Even though there are more sophisticated types of EPs, Plossls hit the right spot between high-quality optics and price. You alluded to them, but you never mentioned Tele Vue. You can buy a range of these from Modern Astronomy. If you read the article you know how to calculate the magnification and field of view. They are all made by the same OEM manufacturer. The only one not in the article is the Orion Q70 which is available in 38 mm, 32 mm and 26 mm. You can do that by using this long focal length eyepiece. Comparing to Plossl eyepieces, Super Plossl is somewhat better for astronomy. Ive read, and re-read, and re-re-read this page. Below 20 however, the eye relief makes it difficult for me and my glasses so Ive been replacing my 5-15 EPs with 82 degree EPs with more relief. Nice, thank you again for the additional inputs. The only difference is that they have a different design as well as a shape with their lenses, which affects the magnification of your telescope view. I am going to use 6. If your telescopes focal length is different, just change the focal length in the formula. The TFOV of the Hyperion will be greater than the TFOV of the Plssl, but the magnification will be about the same. Other eyepieces of more advanced design can have better eye relief and field of view. The 50 apparent field of view is plenty for me. I think I will go for the BHZ because, as you say, I will be able to use it now and into the future. Even if we were next-door neighbors this would take weeks of discussion and planning. You could say Super Plossls are not much more than a marketing tactic these days. Do you think it would be sensible for me to look at getting a higher magnification specific eyepiece? Worth is a subjective evaluation, so here is my subjective input: 1. They have a narrow AFOV but have a reputation for being very sharp.. Plossls provide very good eye relief for eyeglass wearers in focal lengths of about 25mm and longer. We will talk more about the field of view later, but note that if you can use 2 eyepieces, you will typically only have one or two for very low power wide field views. Quality this good usually costs a lot more. Plossl eyepiece is good for astronomy and microscopy. In my opinion, you do not. A Kellner eyepiece has 3 lenses, while a Plossl has 4. The way a Plossl eyepiece works is by using the convex lens and concave lenses to create an image that has both total magnification of what youre viewing, as well as erect images. This would definitely matter to observers who wear eyglasses when viewing. This can be especially helpful in telescopes of focal ratios below F8. And I am a visually observing focused person. By having a range of magnifications, you can optimize the image, which means you need more eyepieces. But your point is well taken. 1:10 . Good value. But the difference in price to get to the next level is high, and the performance difference may be small. Can you give me any specific recommendations on what to buy and from where? Again, it only costs $30 to $40 to find out, so the education is not that expensive. I also struggled to see features on both (gas bands on Jupiter and clear rings on saturn). 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. This four-element Plssl design is the most popular eyepiece optical design that gives you excellent image quality, good eye relief, and a 50 to 56 degrees apparent field of view. Modified vs Unmodified DSLR Astrophotography: The Ultimate Showdown! One of the TMB Planetary eyepieces are extremely nice for 50. We will use a 100 mm telescope with a 600 mm focal length that only takes 1.25 eyepieces. The difference isnt that severe, and I often track more often than is strictly necessary to keep the object centered anyway. No results, please adjust your filters. I also have a 25mm plossl and am happy with that. But in this scope, the 32 mm doesnt work well. I recently purchased the SVBony 7-21 zoom from Amazon. They can also be found as Orion Expanse sporting a blue line rather than gold. A four-element eyepiece was made by putting together two achromatic doublets with different focal lengths. 8.5-ish mm (75x & 150x) A good modern eyepiece like a BST starguider 12,8 and 5mm are excellent eyepieces. Or, if you are buying from an online like Amazon, then look at the eyepieces I recommend and see if any suit your needs. The one exception I would keep in mind would be when working with Newtonian reflector telescopes below F5. They provide a range of magnifications with one eyepiece. Despite this, I also have some Plossls which are indispensable. Within the budget-friendly realm are the 6mm and 9mm Goldlines/Redlines (66-degree Ultra-Wide-Angle) for telescopes with a focal ratio of f/8 or longer, and the excellent 58-degree Planetary eyepieces, sold by a variety of sellers on Amazon and by Agena Astro, which come in a wide variety of focal lengths and are optically superb for their price. 11 = 163 = .5 The tradeoff was that each lens surface added another internal reflection, reducing contrast and adding glare. These will normally be higher priced and may be outside the price range we show here. They deliver sharp images in almost all telescopes. I like my 38/70. Major telescope brands such as Celestron supplies Kellner eyepieces with their r least expensive telescopes and still may. 4. It is pretty much worth it for everyone that has a telescope with a 1.25 inch focuser to have a 32mm Plssl. One last thing, as a kid I used my telescope to watch squirrels and birds (which was interesting because the image was flipped around :-) so, you might consider getting an eyepiece that flips things the right way around so that navigating terrestrial nature is easier to manage. Note that the Explore Scientific 68 and 82 degree eyepieces are also available in 2 size for your low power wide view requirements. A long eye relief is also important for those who wear eyeglasses at the eyepiece, whether thats a member of the general public at a star party or an astronomer with astigmatism, which, unlike near- or far-sightedness, cannot be corrected with the telescopes own focuser. Kellner eyepieces were first designed by Carl Kellner in 1849. Also, note that the pricing is based on 1.25 eyepieces. They can be recognized by a thin gold line just below the eye cup. Orion SkyQuest XT8 Intelliscope Review Although Kellner eyepieces will help you learn a lot in the beginning but soon will realize that youre missing out on something, and eventually you will be tempted to spend money on another good quality eyepiece. These eyepieces are technically called Symmetrics, since Plossls can have different focal lengths for each doublet, but they are always marketed as Plossl. Using this 40 mm Plossl eyepiece is an excellent way to get a wide field of view with your telescope. They are most useful in medium and longer focal lengths for terrestrial, planetary, and lunar viewing. How will my telescopes focal ratio affect my purchases? The BHZ 2 Adapter has threads on it so you can attach filters to it allowing you to use 2 filters with the zoom. Remember that visual and AP have very different requirements, so plan on at least two different optical tubes. It is as simple as that. In that respect, they are similar to the Explore Scientific 82 degree mentioned earlier. This is my all-time favorite eyepiece and the one I use more than all the others put together. As long as you take good care of them, Plossls can last you a lifetime, and you will be able to use them with your next telescope if you upgrade at some point. Be aware of the focal ratio of your scope. 32 mm = 18.75X 16 mm = 37.5X (32 mm eyepiece with a 2X barlow), 12 mm = 50X (If you have a 25 mm that came with your scope, use Barlow for 12.5 mm), 4 mm = 150X (8 mm eyepiece with a 2X Barlow), 3 mm = 200X (6 mm eyepiece with a 2X Barlow), 24 mm = 25X (the low power end of the zoom), 8 mm = 75X (24 mm zoom setting in a 3X Barlow), 2.66 mm = 225X (8 mm zoom setting in a 3X Barlow), True field of view or FOV = Apparent field of view (AFOV) eyepiece / magnification. If you were considering a Meade Super Plossl, in that case just get the regular one also by Meade. Offering a wide 52 apparent field of view, these 10mm, 17mm, and 25mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepieces provide extremely sharp images of impressively high contrast. It also was considerably more expensive. They all work, but as you go up in price, you gain features or performance or both. That said, I should also tell you that not all Plossls are created equal. Eye relief of less than 10mm gets really uncomfortableyou tend to rub your eyepieces against the eyepiece or lens, and you have to hold your eye at just the right distance to keep from touching the lens. dnrmilspec is right. I have since moved up to a 12 Dob but I use the same eyepieces and the BH Zoom continues to be my most used. I often had to drop back to about 180X because of poor seeing and transparency. Fortunately, the investment can be leveraged with future scopes since eyepieces are standard sizes so they work in almost any telescope. Ive read reviews about my scope. In simple terms, high focal ratio scopes, say those over F6, tend to be less demanding on eyepieces than those below F6. Do you need a 10 mm planetary and a 10 mm DSO eyepiece? Eye relief is the distance from the eye lens to your eyeball, and the higher the better (within reason). You will see these under many brands, including Orion, Celestron, GSO, and others. I currently own a Mak127 ( that can't use 2"eyepieces) and a 80ED ( that one can hold 2"eyepieces). They also offer more eye relief than Plossls at the shorter focal lengths. The focal length range for 1.25 Plossls is about 6mm to 45mm. We will use 10 mm as the eyepiece focal length, but we will look at three different 10 mm eyepieces, each with a different apparent field of view, AFOV. Now put the zoom on a 3X barlow and you have: Using the zoom approach with a Barlow your eyepiece set would consisit of a 32 mm low power eyepiece. Again, does it create a more immersive viewing experience? You can still get eyepieces, but there are few choices. 130 mm scope will have a max of 260X for planning purposes. I have a 4 element (traditional) and a 5 element 32mm Meade, both from the same era in Japan, and the 5 element is much better by quite a bit. Kellner eyepieces work perfectly with small and medium-sized telescopes. You are asking about a very specific eyepiece in a very specific scope combined sometimes with a Barlow. That is up to you and your budget. Thanks so much. The zoom can be used with any 1.25 focuser too. A 6mm Plossl has a tiny eye lens. A decent barlow might cost as much or even more. You probably dont need to worry about upgrading them as soon as you get your telescope, unless you can see an optical problem in the one youre using or you find the short eye relief for the short-focus eyepiece uncomfortable. Orion Q70 38 mm works well. 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. Just search on Astronomy Club and you will probably find one in your area. 30 = 60 = 1.3 This doublet design has an apparent field of view of 50-degrees or wider but can suffer from short eye relief making them difficult to use for some . Celestron 2026 Erecting Prism Barlow Lens Set is well suited as an astronomical viewing lens kit or for enjoying terrestrial sights like nature walks, sporting events, and more! Lets give an example. Explore Scientific recently extended this offering by adding a series of 82 degree eyepieces labeled LER, or Long Eye Relief. Its made up of four lenses in two groups. Conclusion. I just added the 4.7 mm. As new anti-reflection coatings were developed, it became possible to actually make use of complex lens arrangements (not just in relatively simple 4-element systems but also in convoluted, extreme wide-field eyepieces such as the TeleVue Nagler). Ideally, you want a minimum of three eyepieces for (1) low power (2) peak visual acuity and (3) high-power viewing. So, for your 30 mm, 82/60 = 1.36 degrees. Required fields are marked *. (Compare, for instance, 20mm of each type, or 10mm of each type.) I couldnt find any suggestions on your site about diagonal recommendations. In the case of the Celestron, you get all the focal lengths from 24 to 8mm in one eyepiece that costs $100. Many compare these favorably to eyepieces that are much higher priced. However, sometimes i am at the end of the range of the binocular focus adjustment. If you just want eyepiece recommendations and dont care about the details, Im adding that section right below before we go into the specifications that answer the above questions and make use of the formulas. SVBONY Telescope Eyepiece Set Telescope Accessory Kit with 2x Barlow Lens 4 Element Plossl Design 6.3mm 32mm 40mm for Astronomical Telescopes. I havent been into the hobby for long but my experience is in line with whats been said. A common problem are eyepiece kits, which are big boxes that some telescope suppliers will sell you with half a dozen eyepieces, most of which include annoyingly short focal length Plossl eyepieces. Cheap to try, and if you don't like it, easy enough to sell also. While eyepieces with relatively complex, proprietary, or bespoke designs are becoming more commonly available in the beginner price bracket, there is often good reason to choose a much simpler design. At one time Plssls were premium eyepieces. Now looking for a couple of decent eyepieces. i dont have 1 of everything, and i bought the best i could afford on a low budget; meade and orion. Plossls and Kellners, like other simple eyepiece designs, have moderate fields of view and tend to have short eye relief as you scale them down to shorter focal lengths. Because some objects look better at low power, some at medium power, some at high power, and some at very high power. You are looking through a LOT of atmosphere which distorts the image. Free shipping for many products! You can enjoy wide-angle views without giving up any of the clarity or sharpness when using Plossl eyepiece while Kellner will give you more magnified views but at less than half the brightness levels in comparison to other lens designs on this list if light pollution was involved. Was compairing the Apertura standard 15mm Plossl with their 15mm super wide angle eyepiece (70 afov). At least you'll have one budget eyepiece that will give you a larger part of the sky at low magnification. So its best for use during duller times when there isnt much brightness visible. However, for your extra money you get the finest manufacture, the best polish and coatings available. Plossl eyepieces have 4 lenses that are paired in two doublets. I am looking for as much as best I can buy. Suggesting an F6 scope becomes an F18 would also imply things like reduced CA in a refractor. 5-Minute Read, How To Increase The Magnification Of A Telescope; 5-Minute Read. Very often, those eyepieces will be in the outdated 0.965 format rather than the modern 1.25 or 2 diameter barrel format. 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. You also get 7 1.25 filters which include the following, #80A Blue Filter, #58 Green Filter, #56 Light Green Filter, #25 Red Filter, #21 . Just give yourself some time to learn the app and to understand the scope. Would a higher magnification eyepiece help do you think or am I already pushing my telescope (XT8) to highest sensible magnification I can with BH zoom on setting 8mm and 2x Barlow? As I mentioned earlier in the article, not all Plossls are created equal, which simply means that there are good Plossls and then there are bad Plossls. Warranty Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for one year from date of purchase. These are two very important considerations when you are looking for eyepieces. These will eventually be used in an 8in dob whenever it arrives. Meanwhile, Plossl eyepieces are much more common and easy to find. I dont have a specific diagonal to recommend and I am not aware of any specific issues with the one that is included with the scope. ES 82 degree series plus 1 meade uwa @20 mm with 1800 focal length optical tube lowest mag 51 x / highest mag 300. Note to spectacle wearers: Plssl eyepieces with 15mm and longer focal lengths are good choices for spectacle wearers. Again thank you very much for all the information in the page, excellent notes. Your email address will not be published. I want to help you select the best eyepieces for your budget and your telescope. 600 mm / 200X = 3 mm This will be the focal length of our highest power eyepiece. If you do not have your Hyperions yet I recommend you wait until you have these and try them out before you buy the Plossls. If you are on a strict budget, this is a good choice as a zoom eyepiece. If you just want a quick answer, skip to the conclusion at the end of the article. The basic design hasnt changed much, but the real costs of manufacturing have dropped. How does that field of view impact the viewing experience? It costs three to four times as much as the Celestron Zoom, but if you have the budget, this is the one to get. Both will provide the same magnification. Goldline series of eyepieces provides the best value in this price range, better than Plossls. The 21mm is simply amazing, I can't believe that TV decided to discontinue this little gem, it is better than the newer version in every category including eye comfort, the overall shape along with fit and finish is one of the best from TV. A Plossl eyepiece has a field of view thats very wide, so if youre looking at the full moon or some other object in space with it, chances are youll see the entire thing. This eye piece provides the maximum true field of view in the 1.25 inch format. Plossl eyepieces have a wider field of view that can go from 50 to 56 degrees. I am not aware of any such solutions for Newtonian reflectors. If your scope uses eyepieces that are closer to 1, then you have an old style .965 that is now obsolete. The quality of a Plossl eyepiece completely depends on the brand and model, so be very careful in our selection. Note that many cheap eyepieces promise a wide AFOV but deliver a view with a lot of distortion or aberration as you move away from the center of the field of view. In my scopes a simple zoom eyepiece like the Celestron 24-8mm or the Baader has replaced the higher powered plossls. Comparing to Plossl, the Expanse eyepiece is a lot more expensive. Plossl eyepieces are often included in better telescope packages as the starter eyepieces. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Higher than 3X is usually reserved for astrophotography. Also work very well with my binoculars that have removable focal reducers built into. Plssl's were top of the line at one time, and are still being sold today, so that says something too. The stock 9 and 15mm Omnis were very good. Ive added comments on where you may find and use them. Some optics brands have taken the next step and launched some eyepieces they have labeled as Super Plossl. The big problem with Plssls is that the eye relief is about 0.75 times the focal length. I possess an embarrassing array of fine eyepieces with names like Ethos and Nagler and Delos. They have a 60deg apparent field, long eye relief, adjustable eye shield and extremely well corrected. As we go along, I will refer back to these, so dont worry if you cant answer the questions or understand the formulas now. Are Plossl eyepieces good? Imagine you are looking at the moon with each of these eyepieces and consider what you would see. And remember, when all else fails, read the instructions. If you cant use 2, that 32 mm Plossl, which has a 50 degree AFOV, will give you about as wide a field of view as you can get in a 1.25 eyepiece. And, the quality of the eyepiece clearly comes into play here. Eye Relief: This refers to how close your eye has to be to the lens in order to see the full field of view. Come join the newest, most engaging and inclusive astronomy forum geared for beginners and advanced telescope users, astrophotography devotees, plus check out our "Astro" goods vendors. Hi Ed, Celestron 2026 Erecting Prism Barlow Lens Set is another great choice for those looking to get a variety of magnifications. Most telescopes come with one or two eyepieces. Plossl eyepieces are very good and fairly inexpensive, typically between $25 and $50 each. And, in general terms, the higher the AFOV, the harder it is to make an eyepiece that will present a good image all across the field of view, which also drives up the cost. If you had to choose 1 low-power 2 EP for chasing deep sky objects (again, at 600mm f7.5), what size piece would you go for? If you are going to wear your glasses when you observe, you want at least 18 mm of eye relief and 20 mm is better. Not all are Plossls, but excellent eps at f/10. They have decent eye relief and little curvature of field. 50 150X, no Barlow Note that as we get into the higher magnifications, the millimeter jumps between eyepiece focal lengths gets smaller. For modern eyepieces, the differences between Plossl and Super Plossl is going to depend on the manufacturer. the reality is that today's eyepieces are all quite good, particulalarly in an f/10 telescope. So save yourself this future unnecessary expense and just buy a Plossl. Note that we also gained a 16 mm magnification at no additional cost. The availability of good quality relatively wide field-of-view inexpensive eyepieces has kind of put them in the second tier of eyepieces, but they still hold their own in the longer focal lengths and excel if one does not demand a wide field-of-view. I have an SCT and my eyepiece case only hasPlssls (and one Ortho) in it. Very worth it for me, as I like to use bino-viewers. In the box you'll receive 5 1.25 eyepieces at following sizes, a 32 mm Plossl Eyepiece, 17 mm Plossl Eyepiece , 13 mm Plossl Eyepiece, 8 mm Plossl Eyepiece, 6 mm Plossl Eyepiece, a 2X Barlow Lens 1.25.