Telescope Reviews: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field

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Equipment Discussions >> Eyepieces

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: andydj5xp]
#5465334 - 10/11/12 12:55 PM

Yes, if I bought two for binoviewing, I'd definitely choose the 1.25" adapters. In any case, any eyepiece I use with my binoviewer is going to require an OCA to come to focus in my Newts. That's just the way it is.

I could always insert this Meopta Zoom w/1.25" built-in adapter into a 1.25"-2" adapter to use it "directly" - hardly the word in this case - in my 2" focuser. Would there be a chance of vignetting after all this "adaptation?"

I suppose, though, that the Zoom has a sufficiently narrow field stop that this would not be likely. Vignetting might be more likely in my old-school Burgess Binoviewers.

Mike

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johnnyha
Postmaster

Reged: 11/12/06

Loc: Sherman Oaks, CA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: BillP]
#5465531 - 10/11/12 03:26 PM

Quote:

I would be more excited if it's price were around $300 AND if it were designed as an astronomical eyepiece instead of a spotting scope EP that requires the adapter which will put the field stop way above the focuser so it will need lots of in-focus.

Hey, I just read a nice review of the Meopta spotting scope, it has "fluoride optics"!

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csrlice12
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: johnnyha]
#5465624 - 10/11/12 04:20 PM

Then it'll never need dental work!

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Tamiji Homma
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 02/24/07

Loc: California, USA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: andydj5xp]
#5466566 - 10/12/12 09:40 AM

Quote:

How about you, Tammy?

I'll let you know when it arrives here

Maybe in two weeks or so.

Tammy

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Doug Culbertson
Post Laureate

Reged: 01/06/05

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: Tamiji Homma]
#5466598 - 10/12/12 10:06 AM

Quote:

Quote:

How about you, Tammy?

I'll let you know when it arrives here Maybe in two weeks or so.

Tammy

I knew it! I really look forward to the report. BTW, did you purchase one or a pair for the bino?

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Tamiji Homma
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 02/24/07

Loc: California, USA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: Doug Culbertson]
#5466620 - 10/12/12 10:23 AM

Hi Doug,

Just one eyepiece for now. The tapered shape of the eyepiece worries me a bit for binoviewer use. I mean IPD wise.

Tammy

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Doug Culbertson
Post Laureate

Reged: 01/06/05

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: Tamiji Homma]
#5466632 - 10/12/12 10:28 AM

Yes, that's my problem as well. My IPD makes it hard for me to use anything much wider than a pair of plossls. For example, I could barely use a pair of Radians!

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: Doug Culbertson]
#5466674 - 10/12/12 10:59 AM

I have a pair of Meade 5k UWA 6.7mm that I manage to binoview but the eyepieces are tight. I really should deshroud them!

Mike

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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan

Reged: 02/28/06

Loc: Petaluma, CA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: Astrojensen]
#5467508 - 10/12/12 10:42 PM

You can get two different focal lengths, actually, and they are $399 in the US (30-60x or 20-70x). You'd need an adapter, though.

http://www.eurooptic.com/meopta-spotting-scopes.aspx

Regards,

Jim

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mkothe
super member

Reged: 03/08/07

Loc: Boston, MA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: jrbarnett]
#5467960 - 10/13/12 10:02 AM

They also make an adapter to mount your iphone to the eyepiece for photos :-)

http://www.eurooptic.com/meopix-iphone-iscoping-adapter-540810.aspx

Could be fun.
Michael

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Tamiji Homma
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 02/24/07

Loc: California, USA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: Tamiji Homma]
#5495072 - 10/29/12 05:55 PM

It is finally here. It took longer than usual.
It was shipped on Oct 16th, arrived today on Oct 29th.

Just took regular snapshot. I did take a quick peek at terrestrial view. Good eye relief, comfortable, twist up eyeguard. The tapered eyepiece shoulder is about 60mm in diameter. I think I can use those in binoviewer.

Meopta with APM 2" M42 adapter on left, Leica with Starlight Instruments' adapter on right:

Eye lens:

Field lens:

More later when I get a chance to look through at night.

Tammy

Edited by Tamiji Homma (10/29/12 08:57 PM)

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johnnyha
Postmaster

Reged: 11/12/06

Loc: Sherman Oaks, CA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field new

new

[Re: Tamiji Homma]
#5495246 - 10/29/12 08:09 PM

Thanks Tammy. Looks like the Leica has better coatings and I like the overall build quality of the Leica better (what's with the rubber skirt? Or is that rubber?). Anxious to see how they compare. BTW do you see CA in the edge of the Leica, mine shows quite a bit in the outer 15%-20% or so on luna without a barlow.

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sixela
Postmaster

Reged: 12/23/04

Loc: Boechout, Belgium

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field [Re: johnnyha]
#5495301 - 10/29/12 08:57 PM

You mean lateral colour?

Strange, can't see it at all (well, I can see it, but it's not more than in any other wide field I know), but then I always barlowed the Leica when I was using it.

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Tamiji Homma
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 02/24/07

Loc: California, USA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field [Re: johnnyha]
#5495326 - 10/29/12 09:18 PM

Hi Johnny,

It is hard to judge coating quality from the photo. I'll take better photo later.

The skirt is made of similar material as eye guard. The eye guard is similar to Leica Zoom eye guard but Leica one is bit harder than Meopta Zoom.

When I use Meopta with BARCON/AP16T, I noticed long focal length side had vignetting, something similar to Televue Plossl with Barlow lens. It disappears soon as zoom-in (shorter focal length) and field edge is clean.

Field is very flat. It reminds me Delos. With TMB 130SS f/7, it is very sharp to the edge. I see very little pincushion as I expected. This reminds me Nikon NAV SW.

The weight is about 440 grams with 2" M42 thread adapter.

PS: I don't see much lateral color with Leica. I wonder if you are seeing out of focus CA, field curvature maybe? Does it disappear (or lessen) when you refocus to edge?

Tammy

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ohioalfa64
member

Reged: 08/16/12

Loc: Ohio

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field [Re: Tamiji Homma]
#5495367 - 10/29/12 09:42 PM

Tammy, will the Meopta fit and focus to infinity in your APM 100ED bino?

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johnnyha
Postmaster

Reged: 11/12/06

Loc: Sherman Oaks, CA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field [Re: ohioalfa64]
#5495438 - 10/29/12 10:31 PM

The lateral color I am seeing (which is a form of chromatic aberration, at least) does not focus out, which was my first thought since I'm using the FS152 and it shows color either side of focus. Actually I will try again tonight to see if refocusing makes any difference, I'm not 100% sure. But what I see is a yellow-green halo on the edge of the Moon when it almost fills the FOV, and a bright blue-purple halo on the edge when the Moon is almost leaving the FOV, and only in the outer 15%-20% of the field with the unbarlowed Leica. This was with the Moon high above the horizon. Very, very bright, the colors are simply electric. I see nothing like it in any of my other eyepieces with the FS152 - I have never seen any extraneous color on the Moon except when it is low to the horizon. I tried both my AP Maxbright diagonal and the 2" Zeiss prism with the same results.

OK I just went out and checked, it does not focus out BUT... the lateral color disappears almost completely when I move my eye off axis and view "across the eyepiece" to the far side - but I can then ONLY see the outer edge of the FOV. Anyway this does lead me to believe it's lateral color and probably more pronounced in my case due to the combination of the zoom lenses, the angle my eyes are viewing from, and my getting-older eyes.

Edited by johnnyha (10/29/12 11:09 PM)

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Tamiji Homma
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 02/24/07

Loc: California, USA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field [Re: ohioalfa64]
#5495534 - 10/29/12 11:23 PM

Quote:

Tammy, will the Meopta fit and focus to infinity in your APM 100ED bino?

Nope. With 1.25" adapter at bottom of M42 thread, focal plane is waaaay up so it won't come to focus to infinity with APM 100ED binoculars.

Tammy

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sixela
Postmaster

Reged: 12/23/04

Loc: Boechout, Belgium

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field [Re: johnnyha]
#5495745 - 10/30/12 04:16 AM

Quote:

The lateral color I am seeing (which is a form of chromatic aberration, at least) does not focus out,

Ah -- it now rings a bell. Try to move your head and see if you can make it disappear. I have a hunch that this is lateral colour you get because when you look at the side the eye pupil is no longer centred on the exit pupil. Took me some time to get used to the eyepiece to avoid it.

If you have to move your eye too far out to cancel it, it suggests you're not holding your head at the correct distance either (for me the eyeguard is a bit short even in the extended position).

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johnnyha
Postmaster

Reged: 11/12/06

Loc: Sherman Oaks, CA

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field [Re: sixela]
#5495769 - 10/30/12 05:22 AM

Yes, thanks Alexis. I had some luck after working with it a bit and moving my head around. It's a minor distraction, this eyepiece is just fantastic. It really is like a widefield ZAO-II zoom.

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Doug Culbertson
Post Laureate

Reged: 01/06/05

Re: New 16mm - 8mm Zoom with constant 66° field [Re: johnnyha]
#5495795 - 10/30/12 06:39 AM

Another convert! Glad that you find the Leica as amazing as I do. I was really surprised that a zoom could even come close to the legendary ZAO II.

Tammy, that new Meopta looks like even I could bino with it!

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