Telescope Reviews: Astrovideo is great but keep critical EPs

There have been some comments about the potential "demise" of eye pieces. As much as I love astro-video, I encourage a healthy respect for eye pieces and those who use them. There is a balance--even for astrovideo users--between the use of EPs and assisted optics. Because people are passionate about astrovideo as well as pure EP use, it is profitable to posters to respect both approaches to visual observing. Further, there are some specific technical advantages to using a balance of certain EPs with astrovideo cameras. Read on about my experience if interested:

1. Matching EP/astro-video camera focal length. I regularly use a good quality Plossl EP that approximates the astrovideo camera focal length. The MallinCAM Hyper Color is approximately equivalent to an 8-mm Plossl 50 degree apparent field of view. With the FR3 focal reducer and a 10-mm extension on the reducer, the focal length is about 12.5-mm. For us, this means that having an 8mm and 12-13 mm EP is helpful. Having an EP with twice the focal length is also handy for similar reasons. This gives me an immediate visual reference for what I will examine on the monitor with the astro video camera. It is also a handy method for comparing object features with both astro-video and straight EP views.

2. Having a good quality wide field EP to keep from getting lost. I get lost frequently. I have a favorite quality wide angle EP (a 22-mm Panoptic) that weighs about the same as the camera and gives me a much larger field of view than my astro video camera. I cannot tell you how many times I have plopped the EP back in the focuser when I have lost my bearings using the astro video camera. I highly recommend one good wider field optic for this purpose, but I also chose one that is not too heavy or weighs about the same as a camera. Then switching the EP and video camera back and forth is easier (especially for Dob users where balance can be an issue). The wider field EP helps me know where to move the scope quickly to find my target.

3. Having a good quality 2 inch Barlow. I have had my share of cheap Barlows. But when I have a good seeing night and plop in a 2 inch Televue 2X Barlow in front of the camera, the views for small objects can be better enjoyed and studied. Some Barlows tend to give me some ghosting on the monitor scene, but the 2 inch has never done that and provides excellent optical advantage when the camera is mounted on the Barlow. While a good 1.25 inch Barlow is nice, my 2 inch fits like a glove in a 2 inch barrel (it should) and provides a hearty base for the camera with no slop. Outside of the 22-mm Panoptic, it is the most valuable optical glass I own. I understand Powermates can give similar performance but there is a lot more glass and weight compared to the straight Barlow. I won't sell my 2 inch Televue Barlow.

4. Having a good quality reticle EP. On some scope arrangements and when I am trying to center objects accurately before turning the astro video camera loose, having a reticle EP can be handy. I don't use it all the time, but it has sure been helpful when I do. I have two: one with a lighted reticle and one unlighted. If pointing accurately before employing a astro-video camera is an issue, then one might consider getting one of these. If I had a choice over again, I would have gotten a longer focal length reticle EP rather than my 8-mm version. The reticle EP is also helpful when piggy-backing a finder scope or small refractor on your primary OTA. It helps to accurately align both views, which makes finding things faster. There is one disadvantage to some reticle EPS: they are sometimes not real good EPs in their own right. I recommend trying one before buying them if you are trying to add it to your astro-video oriented use. Be sure it is going to be as helpful as you think it will be.

5. Always have a favorite "set" of EPs to pan the sky. About 1/2 of our nights observing with the MallinCAM Hyper Color or Pro Dob cameras are concluded with 15-20 minutes of EP use. Until technology changes or I invest in another scope with Hyperstar (a very expensive option), the narrow field of view of the astro-video tools is a known limitation. I still get blown away on a clear night by visually soaking up a wide angle view of some favorite sections of the sky. If I had to do it all over again--choosing a scope and related tools to observe--this is what I would do:

a. Find a good tracking scope.
b. Get 4 EPs: two Plossls to match or double my astrovideo camera focal length and two wide field good optics.
c. Get a good 2 inch Barlow.
d. Get one lighted reticle EP.
e. Buy the best astro-video camera I could get my hands on and couple it with a good monitor.

Thanks for reading.

Roland Beard
Crozet VA