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asaint
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/25/03
Posts: 2022
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Coronado Cemax
Edited by jrcrilly (03/25/08 02:38 PM)
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RandyR
Enginerd
Reged: 04/01/04
Posts: 14082
Loc: Castle Rock, CO 6677' MSL
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Interesting review. I find it surprising that "the 12.5 Kellner which comes with the PST gave the 12mm CEMAX a real run for its money, providing very comparable performance...." I think David must have received a different 12.5mm Kellner with his PST than I did with mine, because mine was a real piece of junk. SO saying that the CEMAX was given a run for it's money is not a glowing recommendation of the CEMAX eyepiece from my point of view.
I've looked through a couple of the CEMAX eyepieces and decided that my standard TeleVue Radians were much better for the purpose than the CEMAX's. Everyone has an opinion, and that's my $0.02 worth.
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"Dark Skies & Great Viewing"
RandyR / NQ0R
GPS 9.25 XLT/Sky Align /FeatherTouch
TV85 w/FeatherTouch
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moynihan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/22/03
Posts: 1517
Loc: Wisconsin
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Thanks for your thoughtfull review. I decided a few weeks ago to go with a U.O. 12mm HD for the main occular for my pst, and use a 7mm classic from the same for "high" power.
So i for one, am glad not to have buyer's remorse. 
My kellner that came with the scope was not as good as my orthos, but was o.k.. I have had days though when viewing say, in the afternoon, any eyepiece i use suffers. I think heat turbulence is a major factor in the view. I try to use my PST in mid a.m., if possible.
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"Gosh, you've... really got some nice toys here"
Dual mount/ambient temperature Hominid Widefield Photon Collectors®
Pleistocene™ ½ watt Wetware Integration Unit.
entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem
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rustynpp
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 1011
Loc: Rye, NY
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I dont know about you guys but I was surprised when I saw the stated eye relief versus the measured ER. Kinda makes me leery about buying an ep without double checking the specs...
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Nick P
N8i
Nikon 10x50
PST-SM40
Rye, NY
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Don W
Postmaster
Reged: 05/19/03
Posts: 13244
Loc: Wisconsin, USA
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Good review, David. I only have the 12mm Cemax and I agree with your assesment compared to the 12.5 Kellner that came with my PST. The Cemax looks very nice and does perform well, but not that much better to justify the price.
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Don Wyman
Obsession 18" f/4.5 #1166
W/Argo Navis DSC and Torus Primary
William Optics Megrez 90
Coronado PST
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John Kocijanski
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/22/03
Posts: 1488
Loc: Monticello, NY
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Nice review. I also decided to go with a UO 12mm HD with my PST. After comparing one to a 12mm Cemax I decided the Cemax wasn't worth it. I also use a 16mm Konig II with the PST and find it works well.
Edited by John Kocijanski (11/18/04 04:58 PM)
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6787
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Quote:
Interesting review. I find it surprising that "the 12.5 Kellner which comes with the PST gave the 12mm CEMAX a real run for its money, providing very comparable performance...." I think David must have received a different 12.5mm Kellner with his PST than I did with mine, because mine was a real piece of junk. SO saying that the CEMAX was given a run for it's money is not a glowing recommendation of the CEMAX eyepiece from my point of view.
I've looked through a couple of the CEMAX eyepieces and decided that my standard TeleVue Radians were much better for the purpose than the CEMAX's. Everyone has an opinion, and that's my $0.02 worth.
Well, while the 12.5mm Kellner that came with my PST isn't exactly an outstanding eyepiece, it is "adequate" for use in that scope. It certainly does *not* fall into the "junk" category like the "soda straw" HMs and narrow 35 degree Kellners found in the common department store refractors we see today. The 12.5mm has a somewhat smaller eye relief than the 12mm CEMAX, and has a smaller apparent field of view (43 degrees vs. the 52 degree field of the CEMAX). The barrel is chromed metal and is threaded for filters, while the upper segment is hard plastic with a standard rubber eyecup. At least two of its optical surfaces are coated (and perhaps more). I noted no signs of major bubbles or dust motes when using it in the PST. In short, it is a standard garden-variety Kellner, no more and no less. It gave good performance at the f/10 of the PST, which was good enough to be compared with the 12mm CEMAX. The 12mm CEMAX was superior in field of view and slightly better in contrast, but not enormously so. When using my PST, the 12.5mm Kellner stays in the scope for "quick looks" to judge solar activity, and if things are hopping, I switch to a 10mm Orion Ultrascopic for a bit more power. I have used the 9mm Nagler in the PST, but didn't see a lot more than I did with the Orion 10mm eyepiece. As for the 10mm Radian, that does provide the eye relief people might need for daylight work (and a tad more apparent field), but at a cost that is still higher than that of the 12mm CEMAX. Again, I have eyepieces that work about as well as the CEMAX series, although the CEMAX eyepieces have a *very* clean clear field which is free from the occasional daylight (H-alpha) dust motes or minor bubbles in the glass that sometimes pop up even in some expensive eyepieces on the market today. Clear skies to you.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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Craig L
sage
Reged: 05/10/03
Posts: 353
Loc: London, Ontario, Canada
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Quote:
I dont know about you guys but I was surprised when I saw the stated eye relief versus the measured ER. Kinda makes me leery about buying an ep without double checking the specs...
I acquired a Cemax EP set with my Maxscope in a deal via Astromart. I saw the stated eye-relief from Coronado's website and as soon as I tried them in my scope, I realized that the marketing department was definitley pulling a Meade vis-à-vis stated vs. actual specifications. The ER was well below 20mm. They are good for Ha observing, but I also find my UO orthos (HD and standard) to perform equally well.
Cheers,
- Craig
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7x50, 20x80
Maxscope 40
90mm f13.8 ETX
102mm f8 AP APO
13.1" f4.5 Dob
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reboston
member
Reged: 11/29/05
Posts: 17
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I've read every one of these reviews amd many others about solar eyepieces. I can understand about 20% of what I read. I'd really appreciate it if someone who is truly into solar observing would make this easier for me. I don't mind spending $389 but would rather not. However, I want the best views of Sol that I can get through my new SM 40. PLEASE, someone share with me your recommendations (as if I was your new, favored son-in-law). What low, medium and high power eyepieces (and maybe a barlow, if important,)would you recommended your son-in-law spend his (and your daughter's) hard-earned money on? (Keep in mind we won't go over the $389 cost of the Cemax Set. I want to settle this delima and place my order in a week to 10 days. Hope this isn't too much to ask. Your talented, gifted, knowledgable input will be most sincerely and respectfully appreciated.Please eliminate the technogeekology and get to the heart of the matter. As Jack Web would have said, "The facts ma'am. just the facts". Respectfully. rboston - bless you for giving me your time!
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spaceydee
Postmaster
Reged: 04/16/04
Posts: 15355
Loc: Where the Kittens Are
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you may want to ask in the solar forum.
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Dee
space-scientist
student violinist
Nexstar8i,SV80S,80/9D,FC100,94 Brandon,TMB92SS,GM8
8" f/7 Discovery,12.5" Portaball, PST
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6787
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Quote:
I've read every one of these reviews amd many others about solar eyepieces. I can understand about 20% of what I read. I'd really appreciate it if someone who is truly into solar observing would make this easier for me. I don't mind spending $389 but would rather not. However, I want the best views of Sol that I can get through my new SM 40. PLEASE, someone share with me your recommendations (as if I was your new, favored son-in-law). What low, medium and high power eyepieces (and maybe a barlow, if important,)would you recommended your son-in-law spend his (and your daughter's) hard-earned money on? (Keep in mind we won't go over the $389 cost of the Cemax Set. I want to settle this delima and place my order in a week to 10 days. Hope this isn't too much to ask. Your talented, gifted, knowledgable input will be most sincerely and respectfully appreciated.Please eliminate the technogeekology and get to the heart of the matter. As Jack Web would have said, "The facts ma'am. just the facts". Respectfully. rboston - bless you for giving me your time!
Ok, for "just the facts", the CEMAX eyepieces worked very well in my PST (as I stated in my review of the set). That having been said, I feel that while they are quite good, they are not really enough better than my "garden variety" Plossls to justify their extra cost. I ended up using a fairly decent "generic" 7-21mm zoom eyepiece for the PST and forgetting about all the other options, as this combination ended up being the most versatile overall. Clear skies to you.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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Ralph Marantino
Postmaster
Reged: 05/01/05
Posts: 5261
Loc: Old Bridge, New Jersey
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For me the CEMAX set works very well in my 70mm Calcium k Line Telescope but I do not see much if any improvement in my h-alpha scopes.
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Lunt H-alpha LS200THaDS with 3200 blocker (Pre- ordered)Xmas Maybe?
Rockland Astronomy Club
Member BAA Solar Section
Central Appalachian Astronomy Club(Greenbank NRAO)
Astronomical League
DSPST,PST & 70mm Coronado Cal K telescope.2.2A 500mm FL 1200 blocker
14.5 inch f 3.74 Starmaster Zambuto Dob
2 inch APM Herschel wedge LUNT Cal K Module in a80mm Brandon 500mm FL 2.4A 1200 blocker...
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Jim Rosenstock
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 2413
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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Quote:
I've read every one of these reviews amd many others about solar eyepieces. I can understand about 20% of what I read. I'd really appreciate it if someone who is truly into solar observing would make this easier for me. I don't mind spending $389 but would rather not.
Then DON'T!
IMHO, the Cemax eyepieces are little more than a marketing ploy, a way to get you to spend some more money with Coronado, as long as you have that credit card out...
I have the 12mm Cemax, which came with my Coronado MaxScope 40 (purchased used). It's a decent eyepiece, no doubt, but no better than my 12.5mm UO ortho.
90% of the time I use my old Nagler 9mm type 1 in my Coronado. Works like a charm.
I'm fairly sure you'll find that your favorite night-time eyepieces will work nicely on the Sun, too. If you have eypieces you like with the Moon, try them on the Sun!
(I'm assuming you're already observing at night; if our "day star" is your first venture into telescopic astronomy, then of course you'll need to purchase some eyepieces. For a SM40, I'd recommend a 9 or 10mm, a 12mm, and (when daytime seeing allows higher magnifcations), a 6 or 7mm. Any reasonable quality plossl, ortho, ultrascopic, etc. will serve you well.
Cheers,
Jim
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Keith Howlett
professor emeritus
Reged: 03/06/07
Posts: 710
Loc: Northumberland, UK
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I used to have the Cemax eyepiece set but now I'm using Televue Plossls with my SM90.
The Televues work just as well for me for H-Alpha. They are a bit less expensive, they are much easier to find secondhand and they come in a wider range of focal lengths than the Cemaxes.
BTW, I thought that was a good and fair review, thank you.
--Keith
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14" f10 RCOS / AP1200
AP 105 Traveler / AP400 QMD
Coronado SM90 Filter
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longfocus
sage
Reged: 02/03/07
Posts: 378
Loc: Sunshine Capital of Canada
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Quote:
Quote:
I've read every one of these reviews amd many others about solar eyepieces. I can understand about 20% of what I read. I'd really appreciate it if someone who is truly into solar observing would make this easier for me. I don't mind spending $389 but would rather not. However, I want the best views of Sol that I can get through my new SM 40. PLEASE, someone share with me your recommendations (as if I was your new, favored son-in-law). What low, medium and high power eyepieces (and maybe a barlow, if important,)would you recommended your son-in-law spend his (and your daughter's) hard-earned money on? (Keep in mind we won't go over the $389 cost of the Cemax Set. I want to settle this delima and place my order in a week to 10 days. Hope this isn't too much to ask. Your talented, gifted, knowledgable input will be most sincerely and respectfully appreciated.Please eliminate the technogeekology and get to the heart of the matter. As Jack Web would have said, "The facts ma'am. just the facts". Respectfully. rboston - bless you for giving me your time!
Ok, for "just the facts", the CEMAX eyepieces worked very well in my PST (as I stated in my review of the set). That having been said, I feel that while they are quite good, they are not really enough better than my "garden variety" Plossls to justify their extra cost. I ended up using a fairly decent "generic" 7-21mm zoom eyepiece for the PST and forgetting about all the other options, as this combination ended up being the most versatile overall. Clear skies to you.
I have now tried them all now. Funny how they physically resemble and optically (besides red coatings inside) perform at the level of very similar looking and fitting inexpensive GSO plossls??? They look nicer reanodized on the outside and really honestly, that's about it. I read David's review and definately agreed with his take on the 25mm CEMAX. Same problem with the equivalent GSO 25mm.
TeleVue Plossls work much better and use much finer glass and coatings IMHO. Want the red coatings? Try attatching a night time H-alpha filter to your eyepiece for a similar result as the CEMAX oculars. Not necessary though.
Everything else Coronado is first rate!!
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DanJ
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/01/04
Posts: 1026
Loc: Youngsville, NC
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I use my 8-24mm zoom just about all the time. It gives great views and I can dial in the range, as seeing permits. I find the 12mm - 18 range works the best for me.
Cheers,
--------------------
Dan J.
XT8i
ETX 90
PST
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longfocus
sage
Reged: 02/03/07
Posts: 378
Loc: Sunshine Capital of Canada
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The problem with zooms is the number of lenses one puts into the optical path, ghosting, etc.. I have rarely found a zoom to be on par with a premium Plossl like a TeleVue Plossl, except for the former Pentax zoom- which was also quite expensive.
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edwincjones
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/10/04
Posts: 4430
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I got a set with my MS90, then ordered a second set for the binoviewer-they are good eps, not great but good. I like them better than my panoptics for solar viewing.
edj
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n w arkansas
Binocular, Solar, General Amateur Astronomy
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Jim Rosenstock
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 2413
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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Quote:
BTW, I thought that was a good and fair review, thank you.
Indeed. Thanks for all you do, David!
Clear skies,
Jim
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