379 replies to this topic

[tony_spina]

There was a time I stayed away from 0.956 eyepieces, but as I get older and rediscovered the joys of the classic 60mm and 76mm scopes of my youth I have started to use them again.  

 

How about you all?  

Are you still using them?

What are your favorites?

 

 

Post your pictures and stories!

 

 

Here are mine.  The first set is my main set that I use all the time

 

 

The second set I use occasionally if I feel nostalgic or I'm showing someone what the views looked like with the original eyepieces that came with the scope.  Some are good others are crappy. I'm sure Galileo would have taken the crappy ones over the ones he had 

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[M11Mike]

Tony - all I can remember is that they had several colors that came with my Sears 76mm that I had around 1969 or 70.  And that most left a LOT to be desired.  I upgraded to Edmund 1.25" stuff with I believe a hybrid .965/1.25 diagonal.   Mike P  

[tony_spina]

Mike,

Yes, I agree the Sears eyepieces (Towa?) left a lot to be desired. Not very sharp, low contrast, and besides the 22mm, the other eyepiece felt like the eye relief was a non existent! 

 

It wasn't until I purchased the Kellners and Orthos that I saw how good these eyepieces can be

[Juha]

I am

 

 

[Astrojensen]

I do have a whole bunch of 'em, but I don't use them much any more (but I'm not going to sell them!). Once in a while, I do pull them out, for nostalgia and amusement and to remind me just how much better the modern 1.25" and 2" stuff really is, at least in terms of wide fields and ergonomics. Most of my old 0.965"ers had amazing optics, particularly the Zeiss and Kokusai Kohki orthos, so bad optics is not the reason I changed to modern eyepieces, but after I tried my first high-quality wide-field eyepieces, I became enamored with the views and the vastly increased comfort. 

 

 

Clear skies!

Thomas, Denmark

[tony_spina]

I am

 

 

Nice looking set!

[Rick-T137]

I have some that I've picked up to go with a Jason Comet Chaser 480 that I have - but I really don't use it much (my 70mm f/10 is MUCH better). 

 

The only 0.965" eyepiece that I have that I really like is my avatar - a 6mm Tanzutsu (Diamond Z) Ortho:

 

[grif 678]

Tony - all I can remember is that they had several colors that came with my Sears 76mm that I had around 1969 or 70.  And that most left a LOT to be desired.  I upgraded to Edmund 1.25" stuff with I believe a hybrid .965/1.25 diagonal.   Mike P  

Same thing here, the green, blue, black ,red ones that came with my 76 sears from 1970. All I about remember that the 6mm and 4mm were useless. But the nostalgia factor still exists, and I think it always will for me.

[roscoe]

What's in the pretty box???

 

 

Skinny little eyepieces!!

 

 

They are what I use with Red Molly, my ATM 60:

 

 

 

[tony_spina]

Same thing here, the green, blue, black ,red ones that came with my 76 sears from 1970. All I about remember that the 6mm and 4mm were useless. But the nostalgia factor still exists, and I think it always will for me.

If only I knew then what I know now 

[Esso2112]

Here’s a set of my favorites. The Goto eyepieces are top notch. My other regular set is my complete set of .965” Takahashi ortho’s. 

 

[tony_spina]

What's in the pretty box???

 

965 case.JPG

 

Skinny little eyepieces!!

 

ep's.jpg

 

They are what I use with Red Molly, my ATM 60:

 

DSCN1033.JPG

What a beautiful set and box.  One of these days I will get a wooden box made for my top 12 set

[tony_spina]

Here’s a set of my favorites. The Goto eyepieces are top notch. My other regular set is my complete set of .965” Takahashi ortho’s. 

 

E34140B8-636B-4912-B319-9A8A112F7275.jpeg

Kurt,

In your opinion are the Goto better performers than the Taks?

[tony_spina]

If I were to get another 0.965" eyepiece I would most likely get an 8mm fl.  Does anyone know if celestron made an 8mm ortho?

Edited by tony_spina, 02 November 2018 - 05:28 PM.

[Esso2112]

Kurt,

In your opinion are the Goto better performers than the Taks?

The Tak ortho’s are better than the Goto’s. It is not entirely a fair comparison as the Goto eyepieces are Huygens. I can say the Goto’s blow away every other Huygen I have.  

[Astrojensen]

If I were to get another 0.965" eyepiece I would most likely get an 8mm fl.  Does anyone know if celestron made an 8mm ortho?

Almost no one made 8mm 0.965" eyepieces in modern times. On top of my hat I can think of only four: Carton (8mm plössl), Vixen (huygenian-mittenzwey), Spectros and Zeiss (both orthos). The 8mm Zeiss ortho is made in only one batch and in very small numbers and sells for outrageous amounts of money (+$1k) among collectors, who now own almost all of them. 

 

There's probably others as well, but compared to the number of other focal lengths that are easily available, 8mm is a rare bird and not easily found. 

 

 

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark 

[Astrojensen]

What's in the pretty box???

 

965 case.JPG

 

Skinny little eyepieces!!

 

ep's.jpg

 

They are what I use with Red Molly, my ATM 60:

 

DSCN1033.JPG

Now that's a spiffy lookin' scope! 

 

 

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

[tony_spina]

Almost no one made 8mm 0.965" eyepieces in modern times. On top of my hat I can think of only four: Carton (8mm plössl), Vixen (huygenian-mittenzwey), Spectros and Zeiss (both orthos). The 8mm Zeiss ortho is made in only one batch and in very small numbers and sells for outrageous amounts of money (+$1k) among collectors, who now own almost all of them. 

 

There's probably others as well, but compared to the number of other focal lengths that are easily available, 8mm is a rare bird and not easily found. 

 

 

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark 

Thomas,

Thanks for the history on the 8mm ortho. I didn't know they were rare

[Boom]

My workhorse .965" EP for splitting doubles and planetary detail work.     

 

[tony_spina]

 

I think I have one lower in quality than that! It has a plastic barrel as well as a plastic  top and most likely plastic  lenses

Edited by tony_spina, 02 November 2018 - 06:13 PM.

[Terra Nova]

These are my 0.965” Carl Zeiss Jena eyepieces.

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[tony_spina]

Terra,

Now those are eyepieces!   Wow hope to get one eventually in my lifetime. What's your favorite focal length 

[Terra Nova]

Thanks Tony. They are all really excellent optically and are made with brass bodies. I have a BlueFireball 0.965” to 1.25” adapter with the brass compression ring so as not to maar the barrels. Otherwise I use them in slotted, twist-lock, or compression ring 0.965” diagonals. The 25mm ortho is really heavy and has beautiful glass. It’s hard to pick a favorite but if so, the 25mm or the 6mm ortho.

[tony_spina]

Terra,

I don't think I have ever seen a compression ring 0.965" diagonal.   Who makes them? 

[Bomber Bob]

My 1980s Swiss-made spectros .965" eyepieces get used almost every session; the 35mm barreled Kellners less often, but y'all should see the flat-field views in my "long" refractors.

 

Edited by Bomber Bob, 02 November 2018 - 06:41 PM.