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Which classic eyepieces do you like best

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#201 Terra Nova

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Posted 24 January 2025 - 10:24 AM

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!


Edited by Terra Nova, 24 January 2025 - 10:24 AM.

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#202 dave253

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Posted 24 January 2025 - 10:30 AM

I love my 30 year old Vixen LVs; 6, 15, 25. And a 12.5 volcano top ortho.

 

They just put up fine images in all my scopes.


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#203 Terra Nova

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Posted 24 January 2025 - 10:35 AM

I love my 30 year old Vixen LVs; 6, 15, 25. And a 12.5 volcano top ortho.

 

They just put up fine images in all my scopes.

I almost forgot! I do have the LV20 that I got with a 4” Vixen apo in 2001! I like it too! Do I guess I have a Baker’s Dozen! :lol:


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#204 mlpke

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Posted 24 January 2025 - 03:31 PM

Tele vue Circle NJ 13mm, Tak LE 7.5, Celestron Ultima 12.5



#205 starman876

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Posted 24 January 2025 - 08:58 PM

I see this thread got new life.  There are so many great eyepieces.   In the last few years China lenses have made some advances. However. Still hard to beat the old televue lenses.


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#206 dave253

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Posted 25 January 2025 - 02:51 AM

 I recently had the conditions to compare a modern 6mm wide angle with the old 6mm LV in all scopes with and without modern ED Barlow; the LV wins every time. 

I see this thread got new life.  There are so many great eyepieces.   In the last few years China lenses have made some advances. However. Still hard to beat the old televue lenses.


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#207 yeldahtron

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Posted 25 January 2025 - 02:30 PM

this one also  -- looong !

may be best 10mm i got

attachicon.gif speers.jpg

This was the first premium EP I bought.  An excellent EP. Great contrast, ,a wide-angle view (70* FOV) and great eye relief -- why it's called a WALER.  I upgraded to a 9 mm Nagler, which I like better because only because it's shorter and has a wider apparent field of view, but the WALER still gets lots of use on my ST80 when the Nag is mounted in the Lightbridge.  It's a great EP for the money.


Edited by yeldahtron, 25 January 2025 - 02:39 PM.


#208 Bomber Bob

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Posted 25 January 2025 - 06:14 PM

I see this thread got new life.  There are so many great eyepieces.   In the last few years China lenses have made some advances. However. Still hard to beat the old televue lenses.

+1 for Classic TVs.  I've done lots of SxS between brand new AT Paradigm Series and old Televue Naglers & Radians:  Close, but not there yet.  But... for the price, the AT's remind me of the Classic TANI Volcano Tops.  IOW:  Very Good Buys.

 

I have more 0.965" Classics than 1.25" / 2" versions, including my 6-pc 1980s spectros -- the poor man's Zeiss.  Maybe... I'll get to use them tonight with my 1975 Tak TS-50...



#209 Lentini

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Posted 27 January 2025 - 11:41 PM

The oldies I like:

 

Meade RG … 20mm Wide Angle in particular. 
Carton 20mm Erfles. Did they make other focal lengths? 

Celestron Ultimas, 30mm in particular. 
Meade UWA 4000 series… especially 14mm and 8.8mm.



#210 rmorein

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Posted 28 January 2025 - 12:03 AM

Brandons.


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#211 photiost

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Posted 28 January 2025 - 08:38 PM

Televue, Celestron Ultima and Meade Super Plossls   


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#212 Jay_Reynolds_Freeman

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Posted 29 January 2025 - 07:37 PM

I have been an amateur astronomer for long enough that according to the 25-year definition, nearly all of my eyepieces are classics, so I am not going to list all of them. My favorites are:

 

(1) For observations where a particularly wide field is either not necessary or impossible (no 2-inch focuser): Brandon 8, 12, 16, 24 and 32 mm.

 

(2) For wide-field, long focal-length views, where a two-inch focuser is available: Brandon/Vernonscope two-inch-barrel 32, 40 and 48 mm.

 

(3) For wide field at fast focal ratios: 20 mm Meade Research-Grade Erfle.

 

 

Now let me explain why I list these eyepieces: I should mention in passing that I use more modern eyepieces as well -- notably including Explore Scientific 82-degree-field units for wider fields, and TeleVue 2-4 mm and 3-6 mm zoom Naglers for high magnifications.

 

I am particularly fond of deep-sky observing. For that purpose I make most use of exit pupils of about 4 mm and about 1.5 mm.

 

At f/9 to f/11 -- Schmidt-Cassegrains and some refractors -- those exit pupils are well matched by 40 mm and 16 mm eyepieces. The Brandon/Vernonscope eyepieces are superb and all work well at these focal ratios, and when I am using a 1.5 mm exit pupil I am generally looking at specific objects that do not require a particularly wide field, hence the 1.25-inch barrel of the Brandon 16 is no real restriction, even at 244x with my C-14.

 

At around f/8 -- many refractors -- the same argument produces 32 and 12 mm focal lengths, and again I use the Brandon/Vernonscope stuff, with the two-inch barrel 32 mm used with two-inch focusers.

 

At f/5 -- think rich-field telescopes -- the Meade 20 mm Erfle has worked well for me for a 4 mm exit pupil. I do have a 20 mm Brandon wide-field which also works, but I bought that only recenly so have mostly used the Meade for this purpose. I have played with several eyepieces to get the 1.5 mm exit pupil at f/5, but most often use f/5 for rich-field work, so am not listing them.

 

At f/15 or thereabout, I don't have a really good solution for 4 mm exit pupil views, but the Brandon 24 mm does well for the 1.5 mm case.

 

I don't have any classic eyepieces that I use regularly for planetary or double-star work: For that stuff I use more modern types, like the zoom Naglers.


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