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NHRob
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 3151
Loc: New Hampshire
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Looking for a lowest-power, sweeping eyepiece (comets, star fields, etc.) for my f/7 TEC140. A 40XW or Pan41 would be great but, I need money for other focal lengths.
I first started byt thinking ... Nag31! Then I thought, it might be nice to have a 40MM + something around 25mm+ instead (28UWAN?).
Anyway, this got me thinking of a slightly-less-than-top-shelf ep. The Titan II 40mm mseems intruiging. Then I noticed the 38mm Titan. Is there significant improvement with the Titan II? Are these good eyepieces at f/7??
Thanks,
Rob
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Rob
**********************
Canon 12x36 IS binos
TEC-140: #433 on CGEM
Faworski orthos (7,10,16.7mm)
stuff ...
no free time ... lots of clouds !
" Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" !!
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Arizona-Ken
sage
Reged: 08/31/08
Posts: 304
Loc: Scottsdale, Arizona
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If you are first considering a Nagler 31, and looking for something a level below in cost, I suggest looking at the Titan II 40, Hyperion 36, perhaps a TMB Paragon 40 if you can find it used.
Read David Knisely's excellent report on the Hyperion 36 in the CN Reports. Bill Paolini did an excellent report on the Titan Type II 40 vs the Sterling 40 Plössl a few months ago. These reports should help.
Maybe they will chime in here.
I have a Titan 38 and I consider it a beginner, low cost wide-field. It gives decent views in my f/10 C8, but the Hyperion 36, which I also have, is a better eyepiece.
I think that if you want some performance near the Nagler-Panoptic-XW class for less money, you will need to get in the ~$180 - $200 price range as a minimum to get good performance.
Arizona Ken
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"Considered as a collector of rare and precious things, the amateur astronomer has a great advantage over amateurs in other fields ... the amateur astronomer has access at all times to the original objects of his study; the masterworks of the heavens belong to him as much as to the great observatories of the world. And there is no privilege like that of being allowed to stand in the presence of the original."
--Robert Burnham Jr, Burnham's Celestial Handbook
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bdcmd
member
Reged: 03/14/08
Posts: 24
Loc: Glen Rose, Texas
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The 40mm Titan II and TMB Paragon are excellent eyepieces at f7 or slower. I use the Paragon, and have compared it extensively with the Titan II, and they seem to be the same optically. The Titan II is slightly better ergonomically, I feel, due to the twist-up eyecup. Either should work very well as a low power finder or for wide-field sweeping. Both show minor astimatism at the field edge, and some (very) mild field curvature. I like the view through my Paragon enough that I don't have any plans to replace it with anything from Pentax or Televue. If I did have to replace it, I would just get the Titan II. The Paragon was compared to the Panoptic 41 and Nagler 31 here on CN by Tom Trusock. That review convinced me to buy the Paragon, and I haven't looked back. Get the Titan II (I can highly recommend the 30mm as well).
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NHRob
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 3151
Loc: New Hampshire
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Neat. Thanks for the inputs.
How is the Titan II for eye placement? Is it fussy? any kidney beaning?
Rob
--------------------
Rob
**********************
Canon 12x36 IS binos
TEC-140: #433 on CGEM
Faworski orthos (7,10,16.7mm)
stuff ...
no free time ... lots of clouds !
" Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" !!
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BillP
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/26/06
Posts: 3927
Loc: Vienna, VA
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The Titan is a 5 element design, whereas the Titan II ED is a 6 element design, so it gives better off-axis performance especially in faster scopes.
I had the 32mm version of the Titan by another brand. In my fast f/4.7 Dob I felt it was no where near up to the task (with or without Paracorr). The 40 Titan II ED on the other hand does quite nicely in the fast Dob even without the Paracorr. In both my f/8 and f/6 APOs it similarly does quite nicely. As already noted, the far outer FOV has some astigmatism, but other than that it's great. In my APOs I've looked at the 40 Titan II ED against the 40 XW. Yes the XW is in a whole other class (and price), and really showed its advantage in the fast Dob. But in my APOs, the Titan II ED held its ground quite well -- and give the price difference is $159 vs $579 new, kind of a no brainer.
I would expect the Titan II ED should perform quite well in your TEC140. In my slightly faster APM 80/480 I was observing Pleiades last evening for a loooong time; very beautifully rendered and jewel-like with the 40 Titan II ED. As long as I adjust the eye cup on it, I find no eye positioning issues.
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Bill Paolini
XT10i Dob---TSA-102 S-APO---APM80/480 S-APO--- P.S.T.
TMB Supermonos---Meade UWAs---TV Panoptic---AT Titan II ED
To your own eyes be true...
Edited by BillP (11/08/09 12:15 PM)
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