173 replies to this topic

[Nut2But]

Just sitting here pondering eyepieces. And the thought of immersion came to mind. A quick google search returned a post from 15 years ago. So I thought I would re ask the question to see if things have changed at all as new eyepieces have come along.

What are some of the most immersive eyepieces you’ve used?

I know the term is very subjective. But none the less it is one of importance to some. Not looking to start fights here. I’m just curious what everyone’s thoughts are. I personally seek to lose awareness of where I’m at when viewing to get lost in the stars and would like to know which eyepieces might give me the best chances of that happening.

Take Care
Tyler

[Astrojensen]

In no particular order: 17mm ES92, Masuyama 16/85, Masuyama 26/85.

 

I have other wide-fields, but these stand out.

 

 

Clear skies!

Thomas, Denmark

[truckerfromaustin]

My 40mm Swan 70 degree afov and my Luminos 23mm 82 degree afov are my best answers to this depending on which scope I'm using.

Clear Skies

Edited by truckerfromaustin, 24 January 2025 - 03:59 PM.

[StephenVP]

To me immersive means it gives you the impression of being a portal to a real place rather than just a flat, pretty picture.
My AT28 UWA certainly qualifies. I find Morpheus to be very "portal-like". At first glance one might assume wide apparent fields bring about this quality but I have seen it in narrow field orthos. Whatever gives the image depth of field as if you could reach in and grab a handful of stardust is what I call immersive.

~Stephen

[CrazyPanda]

In this order:

 

1. 17mm ES92

2. 12.5mm & 17mm Nikon NAV-HWs (17 only when used without a Paracorr)

3. Docter / Noblex

4. 31 Nagler (only when used without a Paracorr)

5. De-cloaked DeLites in a binoviewer - talk about a portal effect! Only thing that breaks the immersion is that it's hard to hold your head in the right place. However, that's also the thing that makes them immersive. Double-edged sword there.

[NiteGuy]

I have the 9mm, 14mm and 17.5mm Morpheus eyepieces and they all provide that wonderful "immersive" feeling where the eyepiece just seems to get out of the way when you're looking at objects. The nice comfortable eye relief certainly contributes to the immersive effect and that effect is best when the eye guard is rolled down. I also have a 4.5mm Morpheus but that doesn't provide the quite the same feeling (probably due to the tiny exit pupil size when using that eyepiece on most scopes).

 

Some observers hate the word "immersive" but I've always felt it's a perfect descriptor. That holds especially true when side-by-side comparing the Morpheus line to other quality eyepieces.

[rgk901]

think that would be my 100 XWA's since I have to get my eyeball right up in there and than bam! sea of stars

morphs close second but since eye relief is so far up I see my surroundings sometimes at home ( I like to observe cups down for that slim edge) but at dark skies it's not an issue since it's darker around me.

[25585]

48mm Brandon

40mm Pentax XW

40mm TV Wide Field

40mm Rodenstock

40mm Vernonscope Erfle

30mm Pentax XW

30mm APM UFF

17.5mm Morpheus

17mm ES92

12.5mm Noblex

12mm ES92

9mm Morpheus

[areyoukiddingme]

I think of emersion being in part caused by the eyepiece having an exit pupil that is very easy to acquire and maintain. Another part for me is that I can see a crisp field stop should I decide to go looking for it, and that there are no obvious/jarring aberrations, like edge of field brightening, lateral color, and astigmatism.

 

My list is similar to the panda's .. . 

 

17 Nikon HW in my Televue 101.

 

16.5 Pentax XW in anything.

 

12.5 Docter, in anything.

 

I would sort of think of adding my Leica zoom, but the fact that changing the magnification is always in the back of my mind is always a bit of a distraction, though a useful one.

 

Having said all of that, I can think of a case where none of this was true, but the view was so compelling that I forgot about the lack of optical perfection. That was Andromeda in my 80mm refractor with 30mm ES 82. There was a huge bright ring around the edge of the field, perhaps caused in part by field curvature. But the view showed me obvious dust lanes, as well as obvious satellite galaxies. I sat transfixed for half an hour.

[sanbai]

I don't know now if it's my most immersive eyepiece, but the Nagler 22 T4 comes to my mind.

I guess the approximate recipe for that is not too much magnification, wide apparent field, comfortable, generous eye relief.


The Ethos 17 would be also on my list, but I haven't been out in a good while. I need a refreshment!

Edited by sanbai, 24 January 2025 - 04:53 PM.

[havasman]

All when matched with the right scope & object for the moment:

31T5

Ethos/Ethos SX & XWA's

 

So, everything I use except for solar.

[sevenofnine]

It's a 2" ES 28/68 for me. No matter which scope it's in, I'm always immersed   

[dave253]

I like the ES 18/82, I don’t think I’d benefit from going any wider.

 

It also works great with the 2” ED Barlow element attached in my ST 120, which gives about 50x (haven’t measured it).

[vrodriguez2324]

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) the earliest evidence for the word 'Immersive' can be traced to 1635 in the book titled "Speculum Mundi, or, A Glasse Representing the Face of the World" written by John Swan who was a Church of England clergyman and encyclopaedist.

 

https://archive.org/...ge/186/mode/2up

 

In a section titled "Of Rain" he wrote: "the Sunnes immersive heat doth so boyle the water in the cloud" (p. 149). 

 

In modern written English the word immersive appears about seven times per million words. I wonder what the frequency of the word is in the Cloudy Nights forums.

 

Okay...back to the OPs question. 

 

What does immersive mean according to the OED:

With reference to an audience's experience of art, entertainment, etc.: providing a sense of being surrounded by or a part of that which is presented. Also more generally: engaging one's full attention or interest; absorbing, engrossing.

 

In that case, I find the EPs in my main case to all be immersive and have selected those because of this subjective quality (and due to their objective optical quality). 

 

31NT5 - 22NT4 - 14M - 9M - 6.5M - 4.5M

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Edited by vrodriguez2324, 24 January 2025 - 06:21 PM.

[vdog]

The ES 92 12 for sure.

 

A close second:  the Morpheus 12.5 and 9.

[areyoukiddingme]

Looks like there was a tiny blip around 1770

 

[Kutno]

Naglers and Ethos

[rfcooley]

It's a 2" ES 28/68 for me. No matter which scope it's in, I'm always immersed   

I have a Svbony 26mm/70* 2" works great in all of my OTAs. At least the ones it will fit in.

 

RF

[fishhuntmike]

Others beat me to it. ES 92 17mm because I wear glasses for astigmatism and love the eye relief.

[Finbarius]

For me it is the pair of Masuyama 16mm (85°) in the MaxBright II binoviewer: magnification, exit pupil, TFoV°

 

Sky Rover 130mm (f/7) with GPC 1.25 [=1.2×] : 69×, 1.88mm, 1.22°
Tak FOA-60Q (f/15) with GPC 1.25 [=1.2×] : 68×, 0.89mm, 1.25°
CFF 105mm (f/6) with GPC 1.25 [=1.2×] : 47×, 2.22mm, 1.78°
Tak FOA-60_ (f/8.8) with GPC 1.7 [=1.44×] : 40×, 1.51mm, 2.12°

[aatt]

My ES 100 degree eyepieces are pretty immersive.
30mm Sterling Plossl is a very fine 2” ep and very good for faint fuzzy work.

[TayM57]

The most immersive EPs I've ever used have all been 100° EPs.

[manolis]

for me it will be the 12.5 Nikon NAV-HW ,when i position my eye and head right for relaxing views , it's like it draws you in space and not just a picture, I've yet to try my new masuyama's 16 85* in my binoviewer. it will have to wait until spring.

[Astro-Master]

My 17 Ethos 122x in my 18" Obsession Classic and used with my AP Barlow any power between 214x to 305x is possible, making one immersive Ethos to become many.

Edited by Astro-Master, 25 January 2025 - 03:07 AM.

[Cielo_nocturno]

Explore Scientific 25mm 100 degree for sure