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Paul_R
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/05/05
Posts: 1648
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Have a 21mm Pentax XL. Really like it, great eye relief. Field curvature does bother me sometimes on sprawling, full fov large clusters.
Toying with alternatives. Tried 20mm Pentax XW, no real dif, save e.r. not as comfortable. 21mm Denk had to press up to eyecup, though sharper for more of the fov. (Likewise 17mm LVW years ago, which was bulky, too.)
What about the 24mm Hyperion? Or the 22mm LVW? Would they be viable alternatives to the 21mm Pentax?
Would the eye relief comfort be as good as the Pentax or noticeably worse? How about field curvature? I'd be using it at f/5 and f/5.4.
Oh, and what about their size vs. the XL?
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Mr. Mike
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/08/05
Posts: 855
Loc: Churchville, NY
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Uh oh.... its the dreaded "which eyepiece should I try" thread! Just kidding....kind of.
Ummm... Im going to go out on a limb and highly recommend the Vixen LVW line as I usually do. They are sharp to the edge, extremely comfortable/easy to use, and produce little or no pincusion in my 80mm ED refractor. Great throughput too!
My 22mm LVW is my GoTo eyepiece. Its collected more photons than any other eyepiece I own.
Baaders also get good reviews here. Ive never looked through one but they are highly regarded. They might be a slight notch under the Vixen but are likely pretty close in performance. Pentax makes great EPs from what Ive heard. Never looked through one but I hope to next week at a local star party. However, if you didnt like your other Pentax then perhaps they are not for you???
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Stellarvue NG 80mm ED
Meade 7x50 Binos
Pentax XW 5mm
Meade 5K UWA 8.8mm
Vixen LVW 13mm
Vixen LVW 22mm
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Randy Roy
sage
Reged: 10/07/05
Posts: 382
Loc: Tennessee
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I've owned lots of eyepieces over the years. For my C14, I find the LVWs to be the overall best eyepiece. IMO, they are sharper than Hyperions and more comfortable to use than Naglers or Panoptics at the shorter focal lengths. By comfortable, I a referring to generous eye relief and no eye placement issues such as blackouts, etc. I have the 22, 17 and 13 and am very happy. At the low end, I use a 40mm Paragon. It is quite good though suffers a bit from internal reflections. I may replace it with a 42 LVW soon.
Randy
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kaaikop
sage
Reged: 07/13/08
Posts: 459
Loc: Ste-Therese, Canada
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Quote:
I've owned lots of eyepieces over the years. For my C14, I find the LVWs to be the overall best eyepiece. IMO, they are sharper than Hyperions and more comfortable to use than Naglers or Panoptics at the shorter focal lengths. By comfortable, I a referring to generous eye relief and no eye placement issues such as blackouts, etc. I have the 22, 17 and 13 and am very happy. At the low end, I use a 40mm Paragon. It is quite good though suffers a bit from internal reflections. I may replace it with a 42 LVW soon.
Randy
What he said 
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Benoit, RASC Montreal
-C 9.25XLT on EQ6 Pro / ED80SF on Portamount
-Plossls, Radians, Naglers, LVW's & Orthos.
-a pair of 7x50's
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Phillip Creed
Idiot Seeking Village
Reged: 07/25/06
Posts: 1030
Loc: NE Ohio
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22LVW. I threw this in my low-tech "Mauler"--a 16" f/4.5 that doesn't have a Paracorr (gasp!), a $300 Moonlight focuser (blasphemy!), a 1/gazillionth-wave Zambuto mirror ( ), etc...
But...it was pretty sharp! All I could see was the tell-tale fan-shaped coma from the telescope's mirror, and that was only near the very edge. I've looked through several Panoptic eyepieces, and I'd lump the 22LVW right in there with them.
I might suggest going here:
http://www.telescopes.com/telescope-accessories/eyepieces/lanthanumwideeyepiece35mm114inch.cfm
They're offering an incredible sale on them. They're normally $229 new, but you can get one for $129 right now.
Clear Skies,
Phil
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"Why suffer from insanity when you can revel in it?"
Wilderness Center Astronomy Club member since 1995
ICQ Comet Observer Code: CRE01
*****
16" f/4.5 Truss Dobsonian (FOR SALE!!)
Orion 120mm ST Refractor
23mm Axiom LX
13mm Nagler Type 6
9mm Nagler Type 6
1.75X Siebert Barlow
*****
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jtpowers1972
Professor or something
Reged: 11/03/05
Posts: 817
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Another vote here for the 22LVW. Sharp and COMFORTABLE. Don't underestimate comfortable! I started with the 22 and 8LVW, and now have all but the 17mm. And that will change soon, hopefully. 
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letimotif
no complaints
Reged: 05/20/07
Posts: 1061
Loc: Far Flung Isles of Langerhans
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I'd agree with the folks above. The 24mm Hyperion is not really going to do good service in such a fast scope. I've had the opportunity to look through a 22LVW on more than one occasion, and I think you'd be pleased.
If you can find one at the sale price, that makes it an unquestionable bargain.
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Celestron CPC 1100
Celestron C6R-GT
Orion 120ST
B&L Banner Astro 80mm
Astro Telescopes 'tis a mystery 80mm ED
Sundry Oddments
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a Heaven for?
Ad astra per aspera
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Paul_R
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/05/05
Posts: 1648
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Thanks for pointing out that deal! Shipping is $5, but if you hunt around the net, there's a valid $10 off promotional coupon for telescopes.com. Final price $124.
Not too shabby that!
It'll be interesting to see how it does vs. the 21mm Pentax which I really like (save the f.c.) and the 21mm Denk which is superb (save for the tighter than expected eye relief for eyeglasses).
I almost didn't buy it as I haven't been observing in ages... but with fall coming on, I'm sure to be out there a fair amount and it'll be nice to have a nice toy to play with!
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Rccarruth
member
Reged: 06/28/08
Posts: 21
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Man, I wish I had known about the coupon before I ordered. There's also a valid coupon for $25 off orders over $250. I'm kicking myself for not even thinking about looking for coupons. 
-Clark
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BillP
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/26/06
Posts: 2196
Loc: Vienna, VA
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I have not tried the XL or XW in the20mm focal lengths. However I have/had both the 24 Hyp and 21 Denk. The 24 Hyp will show a good amount of FC. The 21 Denk is a full step up IMO in optical performance. So if you are looking for something better than how the Denk performs, the 24 Hyp would not be viable. For star fields the 24 Pan is probably the sharpest off axis, you pay for this though with a good amount of Rectilinear Distortion (if you are sensitive to this) which is significant in comparison to the 21 Denk. FWIW have always heard good things about the 22 LVW but never observed thru one.
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250mm f/4.7 Orion XT10i Dobsonian
102mm f/8.0 Tak TSA Super-APO
66mm f/5.9 WO ZenithStar SD APO
40mm f/10 Coronado P.S.T.
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backwoody
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/08/07
Posts: 895
Loc: Idaho USA
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Quote:
I've owned lots of eyepieces over the years. For my C14, I find the LVWs to be the overall best eyepiece. IMO, they are sharper than Hyperions and more comfortable to use than Naglers or Panoptics at the shorter focal lengths. By comfortable, I a referring to generous eye relief and no eye placement issues such as blackouts, etc. I have the 22, 17 and 13 and am very happy. At the low end, I use a 40mm Paragon. It is quite good though suffers a bit from internal reflections. I may replace it with a 42 LVW soon.
Randy
Vixen LVWs are indeed outstanding EPs. My 17mm is one I use most often. If you were put off by the bulk/weight of the 17mm LVW, expect the same for the 22mm, despite the outstanding optical quality. For a lighter, more compact EP in that range with similar quality, take a look at a Panoptic 24mm.
good luck,
--------------------
woody
a parsec farther out...
12.5" f/4.8 custom truss dob, EQ platform
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ausastronomer
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/30/03
Posts: 763
Loc: NSW Central Coast (Australia)
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Quote:
Have a 21mm Pentax XL. Really like it, great eye relief. Field curvature does bother me sometimes on sprawling, full fov large clusters.
Toying with alternatives. Tried 20mm Pentax XW, no real dif, save e.r. not as comfortable. 21mm Denk had to press up to eyecup, though sharper for more of the fov. (Likewise 17mm LVW years ago, which was bulky, too.)
As you noted yourself the 21mm Denk is optically an outstanding eyepiece. I have used everything you are considering and rate the Denk as the best of the lot optically.
One question re the Denk. Did you try it using the rubber winged eye guard removed? I had a lot of trouble using both the 14mm and 21mm Denks with the winged eye guard fitted, but once I stripped the winged rubber eye guard off them I could easily use them both with my eyeglasses on.
If you didn't try the 21mm Denk with the guard removed I suggest you do because its a better eyepiece optically than all the others you are considering.
Having said all of that, the 22mm Vixen LVW at the current sale pice is also a good option, notwithstanding that it is slightly inferior optically to the 21mm Denk. Great value at that price.
Cheers,
John B
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John Bambury
AS of NSW
AS of Hunter Valley
18"/F4.5 Obsession with Argo Navis and Servocat, 10"/F5 Newtonian with Argo Navis
Lots of Pentax XW's. Plus 12mm & 17mm Nagler T4's, 31mm Nagler T5 & 13mm ETHOS. TV Paracorr and 2.5X Powermate
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ibase
super member
Reged: 03/20/08
Posts: 108
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Quote:
Thanks for pointing out that deal! Shipping is $5, but if you hunt around the net, there's a valid $10 off promotional coupon for telescopes.com. Final price $124.
Where can the $10 promotional coupon be found? Thanks.
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Poppy
member
Reged: 11/03/07
Posts: 15
Loc: Sierra foothills, No. Ca.
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Do a search- "telescopes.com coupon" . Several coupon choices will come up including the $25 off coupon. Click the coupon link and it will save the code and take you to the site. When you're ready to purchase, right click then choose paste to enter the number. You can also just write down the code number.
Jim
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wprince
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/26/06
Posts: 533
Loc: Atlanta, GA
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$124 shipped for the 22mm LVW? That's an outstanding deal!
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Wade
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Mr. Mike
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/08/05
Posts: 855
Loc: Churchville, NY
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Quote:
I find the LVWs to be the overall best eyepiece. IMO, they are sharper than Hyperions and more comfortable to use than Naglers or Panoptics at the shorter focal lengths. By comfortable, I a referring to generous eye relief and no eye placement issues such as blackouts, etc. I have the 22, 17 and 13 and am very happy. Randy
Exactly.... in longer focal lengths, the Naglers Ive looked through are excellent. Its the higher-power Naglers that I was very disappointed with. Panoptics are excellent... I plan to get a 35mm at some point.
--------------------
Stellarvue NG 80mm ED
Meade 7x50 Binos
Pentax XW 5mm
Meade 5K UWA 8.8mm
Vixen LVW 13mm
Vixen LVW 22mm
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Paul_R
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/05/05
Posts: 1648
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John, thanks for the nudge. I'm going to give the 21mm Denk another whirl under the stars...
But w/o the eyeguard, it's a metal top that'll scratch the glasses! The eyeguard doesn't seem to make much different in the fov when I hold it up to my glasses, w/ or w/o. Of course, that's the indoor, daytime test, night-time is often different.
Who knows? Maybe I'll find the Denk's e.r. acceptable this go around--my frames are different these days and that could make a difference!
As to the 22mm LVW, it's been years since I tried the 17mm... and, as I've seen, the LVW's on a second design, so it'll be interesting to see how I react to it.
Alas, the 24mm Panoptic doesn't have enough e.r. or I would have for it in a flash! A green flash that is!
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KWB
Postmaster
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 7619
Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.1646Meters
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I'll be real interested in hearing your results when used with your eyeglasses,Paul. I'm highly interested in this eyepiece as I haven't got around to using one as of yet. I place high value on John's opinion as to it's optical excellence. I really do need at least 19mm's of useable eye relief with my thick glasses with a 21mm focal length eyepiece in an F/5 scope.
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Kenny
"When dealing with a mystery,choose the most unlikely of the likely possibilities"-Sherlock Holmes
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Paul_R
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/05/05
Posts: 1648
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KWB, I take it you're talking about the 21mm Denk. While I haven't tried it again w/o the eyeguard, w/ it, I found that could see the entire fov by pressing right into the eyeguard-- not comfortable, but not too shabby. Reminded me of the 22mm Panoptic I once owned.
If you've ever used a Pentax or an Epic/Xcel, their eye relief is perfect for me and my eyeglasses, so that would give you some sense about the Denk. It's rated at 20mm, but the top lens is a bit recessed making the effective e.r. less.
One can sacrifice some fov for sharpness across the fov... I always liked the view in the 22mm Epic (55 degrees) and might never have purchased a 21mm Pentax if that had come out first. The larger fov of the Pentax does lose a bit when f.c. (field curvature) sets in.
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KWB
Postmaster
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 7619
Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.1646Meters
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I am talking about the 21mm Denk. I have owned a couple of XW eyepieces. Are you saying the effective eye relief of the Denk is a shade less than the XW?
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Kenny
"When dealing with a mystery,choose the most unlikely of the likely possibilities"-Sherlock Holmes
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