368 replies to this topic

[25585]

I've decided to open a new phase of my Vixen LV obsession… I've ordered a Maxbright II binoviewer and was thinking what eyepieces would be skinny enough, and have enough eye relief and image quality, and be cheap enough, to be bought in pairs for lunar/planetary work with a bino. Well… LVs!

 

I've already put together 20, 18, 15, and 6mm pairs. 

 

I'm looking high and low for a 40 and a 12. 

 

If you have one you want to get rid of, PM me ;D

I have 25, 20, 18, 15 & 7 in pairs. 

[Matej]

I have got a Vixen LV set that fits my needs the best: 2,5mm (that I don't use, I just have it), 5mm, 10mm, 15mm, 25mm and their bigger brother 42mm LVW. I just do not need anything else. If I ever come across a nice 20mm, I might buy it...

[radiofm74]

I have the complete set, missing the 12 and the 50 2".  I think I saw a 1.25" 40 at one time in an ad but have never seen one.  

 

I use them most on public nights at our observatory for looking at planets as they are easy to look through and it is easy for the public to attempt to snap a pic with their phone as the eyecup seems to help them line it up as they all seem to want to do this.  The younger crowd in particular seems to like this and are actually pretty good at it.

 

The views are always pretty good through these and seem to be a step up from the newer LER eyepieces though the FOV is slightly smaller but all of our scopes track so no big deal. 

The 40 is a marvel, especially when using my C8 at its native focal length. It's my "full disk Moon" and large cluster eyepiece. I'd love to have a second one for binoviewing as my lowest-power, brightest, maximum FoV eyepiece. They are also nicely stepped from the 20s I already have!

[Matej]

I especially love my 42mm LVW. It gives the magnification of 28x with my refractor and provides me with a view that is enormously beautiful. And my 25LV that I have been owning for 33 years is my basic eyepiece with all my telescopes.

[25585]

I just bought a 15mm LV. There are 8, 9 & 25 FL on ebay, also 8, 30 & 42 LVWs. LV zoom as well.

Edited by 25585, 10 February 2025 - 03:24 PM.

[25585]

Apart from Vixen, TV (zoom), and Orion, Soligor also sold LV eyepieces under their own name  https://m.youtube.co...h?v=iVcP6U-dzU0

[radiofm74]

First, modest results of the great binoviewer Vixen LV market offensive… The 18s are new old stock, and a wonderful pair to look through. 

 

 

This was yesterday night's set-up and it was amazing on Jupiter and Mars, despite pretty compromised meteorological conditions.

 

[Sergey Stern]

Just a picture of three LVs and LVWs.

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Edited by Sergey Stern, 28 February 2025 - 05:56 AM.

[25585]

Some of my LVs and LVWs with my 120 Equinox refractor.

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[CHASLX200]

Some of my LVs and LVWs with my 120 Equinox refractor.

Gotta add a 2.5mm.

[25585]

Gotta add a 2.5mm.

Have one now, my shortest FL. 

[radiofm74]

Have one now, my shortest FL. 

My least used, too… although it happens ;D

[BillinBallard]

After 5 years and 350+ replies maybe the question is, “Who isn’t still using…”  Not me. I still have an LV zoom that sees quite a bit of  terrestrial use.

Edited by BillinBallard, 08 March 2025 - 09:43 AM.

[25585]

After 5 years and 350+ replies maybe the question is, “Who isn’t still using…”  Not me. I still have an LV zoom that sees quite a bit of  terrestrial use.

I use a pair for binoviewing.

[JeremySh]

Some of my LVs and LVWs with my 120 Equinox refractor.

 Whoa! That looks risky, Richard.

Only 2 tube rings on that OTA??? 

[25585]

 Whoa! That looks risky, Richard.

Only 2 tube rings on that OTA??? 

Those good OE CNC rings in that size are hard to find

[lwbehney]

I presume the the letter L in the LV represents the word lanthanum.  

I have a request to ask those of you who have one of these eyepieces who have fluorite refractors. I compared a TPL 12.5 mm eyepiece against my ES 92 17 mm eyepiece on iota cancri.  The blue color tone of the companion star of that double was subtly stronger in the TPL eyepiece. 

My thoughts are that lanthanum lens elements (or the coatings used with them) reflect blue photons to a greater extent than other non-lanthanum lens elements. Perhaps those who own the the LV line of eyepieces could perform this comparison. 

On planetary observations, I believe this could be a beneficial feature of these Vixen LV eyepieces in reducing scatter and enhancing contrast. 

[lwbehney]

I had the chance to compare a modern Skywatcher 6mm wide field (58*) with my 6mm LV in the ST 120 the other night on the moon… the SW is nice for a budget ep, but the LV blew it out of the water.

 

It also made most of the CA magically disappear. 

Fascinating- is this because the LV cuts blue out of focus light?

[dave253]

Fascinating- is this because the LV cuts blue out of focus light?

I don’t know; all I can report is that the 6mm LV shows a dramatic reduction of CA compared to the cheaper eyepiece.

 

I have also noticed that the 15mm LV provides outstanding views in my 14” SW dob, at the expense of AFOV. 

 

They are just really great eyepieces.