255 replies to this topic

[clamchip]

I'm interested in telescopes from 1608 to present, long focal length as well as short and fast, and anything

from professional observatory instruments to happy meal spyglass, I need a eyepiece that will work in any scope.

My Celestron Ultima's do just that. Here's my dirty dozen and I have marked the Ultima with a dot so you know

positively what they look like.

Robert

 

[Terra Nova]

I don’t have many Classic eyepieces left, so I guess in the 1.25” category, it would be my set of six circle T Orthos, a circle T 20mm Erfle, my 1.25” 32mm 1947 Chester Brandon, and my red-band Edmund 28mm RKE and three brass WWII military widefield eyepieces. I guess that’s around a dozen. They must be my favorites because they’re the ones that I kept. I still enjoy using them too!

I forgot, I also have a set of four Meade (Japan) Series 4000 1.25” eyepieces, 26mm Super Plossl, 9.7mm Plossl, and 13.8mm and 18mm Super Wide Angle. They stay in the eyepiece holes in the cabinet of my H-alpha solar scope. Funny how we forget some things that are tucked away.

Edited by Terra Nova, 09 March 2025 - 03:30 PM.

[Terra Nova]

Here’s my set of classic Japanese 1.25” orthos:

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[deSitter]

Here’s my set of classic Japanese 1.25” orthos:

Those look good enough to eat.

 

-drl

[clamchip]

These spotting scope eyepieces are extremely nice.

They came with my Bausch & Lomb Balscope Sr. and fit B&L, Bushnell, and many others.

Add a barrel from a Meade Research Grade or Cave and you can use these in your telescope focuser.

They look suspiciously like Meade RG's.

Robert

 

Edited by clamchip, 09 March 2025 - 07:24 PM.

[petmic]

Here’s my set of classic Japanese 1.25” orthos:

Terra, the case is nowhere that pretty as yours but the content of my set is similar.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Terra Nova]

Terra, the case is nowhere that pretty as yours but the content of my set is similar.

Very nice. I have that same 20mm Erfle in another case along with a classic Brandon 32mm. I really like that Erfle! 

[Bob Myler]

I purchased these spotting scope eyepieces right here on CN.  
I would rate all four of them to be in very good condition.

 

Not sure of their optical design, but given the shape of the outer surfaces of

both their eye lens and field lens - plus their 45 to 55 degree Apparent F.O.V. -

I would guess that they are either of a kellner or a non-abbe ortho design.

 

They are marked: 15x, 30x, 40x + 60x, implying FL's of 27mm, 13mm, 10mm, & 7mm, 

respectively (if used on a 400mm FL spotter).  While their threads are too large for my

Bushnell Spacemaster, I've been told that they might thread directly into either a vintage

Yashica or a Swift 821, but I have no way to confirm this, as I don't own one. 

 

HOWEVER - given their 1.17" O.D. across the "peaks" of the attachment threads -

a standard 1-1/4" chromed-brass drain tailpiece with 0.040" walls might be able

to convert them into a nice set of decent 1.25" format oculars, simply based

on 1.17" + 0.04" + 0.04" equaling 1.25"....

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[petmic]

Very nice. I have that same 20mm Erfle in another case along with a classic Brandon 32mm. I really like that Erfle! 

So do I. I originally wanted to get 25 Ortho but this little Erfle is better I think. And it gives the same FOV with higher magnification. 

[Bomber Bob]

My first 1.25" eyepieces were Meade RG & Series 2 Orthoscopics / Modified Achromatics.  I still have the RGs, but I wore out the S2's decades ago -- they were my Field / Country Trip set.  I proved that they can be dropped on chopped fields without breakage.

 

Gotta a lotta love for the Tani Volcano Top Orthos & Erfles.  50 years ago, these were highly desired, and gave me great views in my D&G 5" F10.  Since some of the Meade eyepieces were Tani, I guess I'd have to say this Maker is my Favorite from back in the day.

 

 

For the .965" format, that's easy:  The 10-piece spectros set that I bought here on CN.  I cleaned, polished, and boxed-up the 3 Big Kellners with 35mm barrels (Collector's Items), but the 6 Zeiss Size (as described on many ZEN ads) get regular use.  Poor Man's Zeiss indeed.

 

[stomias]

Quite a few cite the RG 20 Erfle. Love that piece. UO 32 Konig, another old fave. 26 Vixen silver top smooth side. Nagler 12. 

[BillinBallard]

I have been around long enough that just about everything I have is now considered classic or vintage.  I particularly like this old 26mm Celestron Plossl.  It is bright, sharp to the edges, and a great first look eyepiece in all my scopes.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[steve t]

For the .965" format, that's easy:  The 10-piece spectros set that I bought here on CN.  I cleaned, polished, and boxed-up the 3 Big Kellners with 35mm barrels (Collector's Items), but the 6 Zeiss Size (as described on many ZEN ads) get regular use.  Poor Man's Zeiss indeed.

 

spectros Eyepiece Set 20160721 S01.jpg    

 

Hi Bob,

In the front row of the Spectros eyepieces photo, are they filters? 

Steve T

[PawPaw]

I like these Nikons the best from my collection.  That includes 1.25 and .965.  

 

In my opinion these eyepieces excel on double stars. 

 

As Daniel Mounsey puts it:  "I'm a big admirer of small, light weight, narrow field eyepieces which help focus your attention on what's being observed. The barrels are also smooth, so I can switch them out quickly and easily. This is the type of observing where wide field eyepieces are less important and are actually, sometimes distracting because they're often heavier and present other unrelated objects in the FOV I don't need to see."

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Bomber Bob]

For the .965" format, that's easy:  The 10-piece spectros set that I bought here on CN.  I cleaned, polished, and boxed-up the 3 Big Kellners with 35mm barrels (Collector's Items), but the 6 Zeiss Size (as described on many ZEN ads) get regular use.  Poor Man's Zeiss indeed.

 

spectros Eyepiece Set 20160721 S01.jpg    

 

Hi Bob,

In the front row of the Spectros eyepieces photo, are they filters? 

Steve T

Yes, Xavier included a trio of color filters -- as with the eyepieces, very high quality.

[Bomber Bob]

I like these Nikons the best from my collection.  That includes 1.25 and .965.  

 

In my opinion these eyepieces excel on double stars. 

 

As Daniel Mounsey puts it:  "I'm a big admirer of small, light weight, narrow field eyepieces which help focus your attention on what's being observed. The barrels are also smooth, so I can switch them out quickly and easily. This is the type of observing where wide field eyepieces are less important and are actually, sometimes distracting because they're often heavier and present other unrelated objects in the FOV I don't need to see."

Wow!!  Very nice Set.  On ZEN, the Nikon eyepieces run neck & neck with the CZJ's prices.

 

Speaking of NIKON:  Has anyone bought one of the Large Nikon Prisms (with a wooden case) sold on ZEN??

[steve t]

Yes, Xavier included a trio of color filters -- as with the eyepieces, very high quality.

Very nice set of eyepieces and filters. 

[Bomber Bob]

Very nice set of eyepieces and filters. 

Thanks!  IIRC, I bought a Med Blue filter from the German Seller who sold me my first spectros - a 7.5mm Plossl.

 

When Xavier posted his ad, I hit the Jackpot.  All 6 are parfocal, even though the 5 & 7.5 are Plossls, and the other 4 are Kellners,  The K-10 is one of my favorite .965" eyepieces -- sharp! and zero internal reflections / glare.

[CharlieB]

Seen before, but worth another view.

 

Superb 1950's Nippon Kogakus

 

 

Very fine Gotos, probably from the 1970's.  Eye lenses are quite small, but I use them mostly with a Goto spectroscope.  Still, they are very sharp visually.

 

 

Charlie

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kefka1138]

I really love my Ultima Series, especially the 30mm - it's one of my favorite EP.

 

However, I just picked up an Intes 21mm -"super" erfle, man that thing is sharp. Modest 60°, but the contrasty views are sublime. Would love to test other focal lengths, but they don't seem to come up used all that often.

[Steve Allison]

Is there any optical advantage to using very small eye lenses in short focal-length eyepieces, as Goto apparently did?

[PawPaw]

Here is a Nikon you don't see often....H 40mm

 

It was designed to screw onto Nikons 43mm eyepiece adapter.  With a 45 degree fov and 30X with a 8cm refractor.  eye relief is 2.7mm.

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 

Edited by PawPaw, 13 March 2025 - 06:48 AM.

[PawPaw]

Is there any optical advantage to using very small eye lenses in short focal-length eyepieces, as Goto apparently did?

Great question and likely more than one answer. 

 

If memory serves me they were based on the .965 zeiss standard at the time.  Nikon, Goto and Takahashi and others were still using this standard through the late 1980's and maybe longer.  I read somewhere they are still being made by at least one manufacturer.   I can atest it presents a very small fov and little eye relief.  They do work well for me on doubles being used on long FL refractors.  F/12 and up.

 

I did take the time a few days ago to compare the newer Nikon designs with the older.  Wow what a difference in weight and size.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Jon Isaacs]

Something I toss out there... Televue eyepieces 25 years or older... 

 

31mm Nagler.  All the type 4 Naglers, All the Radians. The 35mm, 27mm, 22mm, 19mm and 15 mm Panoptics.  All the Powermates except the 2 inch 2x.  

 

These are fine eyepieces (and I have and use several of them) but they just don't seem like "classics" to me.  I see many interesting "classic" eyepieces in this thread.

 

To me, the 31mm Nagler is a modern eyepiece that is still at the top of the heap... 

 

Anyone else??

 

Jon

Edited by Jon Isaacs, 17 March 2025 - 01:41 PM.

[Roger Belveal]

I'm still a huge fan of my mostly all University Optics volcano top orthos... I get my best views of the moon and planets with these jewels...

Attached Thumbnails

•