34 replies to this topic

[MrsM75]

Televue 32 Plossl 50 deg, eye relief 22mm

Vixen NPL 30 Plossl 50 deg, eye relief 24mm 

 

Has anyone has both of this and compare side by side, which one is better? I am guessing they give the same FOV? 

 

Thank you.

[SeattleScott]

They will give about the same FOV. The Vixen has an adjustable height eyecup so you can set the eye relief to whatever you want. Many people who don’t wear glasses struggle with the long eye relief of 32mm Plossl.

I do like TV Plossls, although I’m not crazy about the 32’s sombrero, but that’s just an aesthetic thing. I haven’t tried the NPLs, although they have a good reputation, for mass produced Chinese Plossls.

[Shorty Barlow]

I have both. I think the 32mm TV actually has a fractionally bigger field stop.

 

 

The NPL's are very good though. I personally prefer the ergonomics of the 30mm Vixen. I'm with Scott about the Sombrero.

 

[MrsM75]

Sir SBarlow, does the Televue 32mm Plsol eyecup can be folded down? I wear glasses and I always folded down eyecup.

 

I have the 30mm Vixen Plssl, I want to try the Televue one, just to compare which better quality.

 

How about the 20mm Televue Plssl, is the eyecup can be folded down too?

Edited by MrsM75, 23 March 2025 - 01:20 AM.

[Shorty Barlow]

Sir SBarlow, does the Televue 32mm Plsol eyecup can be folded down? I wear glasses and I always folded down eyecup.

 

I have the 30mm Vixen Plssl, I want to try the Televue one, just to compare which better quality.

 

How about the 20mm Televue Plssl, is the eyecup can be folded down too?

 

Yes it can, although I've never been a huge fan of TV eyecups.

 

 

Sometimes I remove them altogether.

 

 

In my experience the 30mm NPL is more compact than the 32mm TV, more comfortable ergonomically with a more useable eye relief. YMMV.

 

 

There isn't a huge difference between the visual quality IME either. My 30mm NPL probably gets used more TBH.

[Simoes Pedro]

Eye placement on the TV 32 is hard, making it uncomfortable to use. The eyeguard extension is a 69€ accessory, here in europe, making it more expensive than the Vixen 30mm

[MrsM75]

Yes it can, although I've never been a huge fan of TV eyecups.

 

 

Sometimes I remove them altogether.

 

 

In my experience the 30mm NPL is more compact than the 32mm TV, more comfortable ergonomically with a more useable eye relief. YMMV.

 

 

There isn't a huge difference between the visual quality IME either. My 30mm NPL probably gets used more TBH.

 

 

Sir, how come you have 2 Televue eyeguard extender on that 32mm eyepeice? Does that means the 32mm Televue come with 2 eyeguard extenders, or you just put iot on?

 

When I Google the TV 32mm Plssl, it only show it has an eyecup, not an eyeguard extender.

[MrsM75]

Well I wear glasses so I don't need eyeguard extender, I need to be closest to the eyepiece as I can, so rather eyecup folded down, or I be remove the eyecup.

[RLK1]

The Svbony 30mm SV 207 is reportedly the same as the Vixen 30mm NPL according to various users in the eyepiece forum although the eyecup arrangement is different. 

 

My impressions of it can be found in this thread:    https://www.cloudyni...l#entry12351242

 

The SV 30mm goes in and out of stock on Aliexpress but it can go anywhere between $25.00-$35.00 or so, making it much more cost effective.

 

https://www.aliexpre...ler|query_from:

[Olimad]

I think that the OP already bought the full set of SVBony Sv207 for 50 $.

 

So if she also has the NPL 30, she can compare both.

[MrsM75]

yah. That is why I want to try this TV Plssol see how good it is compared to that two. I hope it doesn't come with a guard extender, as I wear glasses, I always put my eyes on the eyepiece, I don't need it far up, as my glasses already give me a space between my eyes and the eyepiece from the glasses.

[Shorty Barlow]

Sir, how come you have 2 Televue eyeguard extender on that 32mm eyepeice? Does that means the 32mm Televue come with 2 eyeguard extenders, or you just put iot on?

 

When I Google the TV 32mm Plssl, it only show it has an eyecup, not an eyeguard extender.

I used two extenders to try to help with the long eye relief with the eyecup rolled down. I've now removed the extenders & learned to use the 32mm Plossl with the eyecup in the rolled up position. I discovered that I didn't really need the extenders, which were aftermarket purchases. Live & learn right? Expensive lesson lol!

 

I still prefer the Vixen 30mm NPL. The 40mm NPL is the only 40mm Plossl I can use easily.

[Starman1]

This comparison question has been asked before.

 

The TV 32mm has a fold-down rubber eyecup and is easy to use with glasses.

It does not come with an eyeguard extender.

It has a slightly wider true field than the Vixen.

The 32mm would have a larger exit pupil in your Maksutov scopes, so a brighter image at a slightly lower power.

Getting large exit pupils, low powers, and brighter images are difficult in Maksutov scopes, so an advantage to 32mm over 30mm.

 

Also, the cheap plastic tops of the Vixens have a tendency to get loose.  I've seen too many loose ones.

 

Plössls have an eye relief in the focal length x 0.7 range, so about the shortest focal length for glasses use would be a 25mm.

[areyoukiddingme]

I bought a pair of the Vixens for binoviewing. Something was off and I couldn't figure it out . . . turned out that they had different sized field stops, so one was about 5 degrees wider than the other. They were fine, but I did not get the impression that build quality was a priority.

[25585]

I too found eye placement awkward with the TV 32mm (but 40 is fine). My Celestron Omni and Datyson 30mm are fine though. What is it with TV optical design that makes eye placement issues (for some people) while other manufacturers do not? Same with 35 Panoptic v 30 UFF, the latter is easier to use, though by less margin than the Plossl comparison.

[MrsM75]

I too found eye placement awkward with the TV 32mm (but 40 is fine). My Celestron Omni and Datyson 30mm are fine though. What is it with TV optical design that makes eye placement issues (for some people) while other manufacturers do not? Same with 35 Panoptic v 30 UFF, the latter is easier to use, though by less margin than the Plossl comparison.

 

This is why I want to buy one to test. I'm the opposite, I get complete blackout with the Vixen 40mm (too much eye relief), but it perfect with the Vixen 30mm. But then I wear glasses, you probably not wear glasses.

 

Televue is not an eyepiece to test since it like couple hundreds of dollars price, Delite it $300 and the 30mm Plossol it $155 (not count tax).

 

I'm just thinking it through as when I buy it I will keep it. Unless it like complete blackout.

[SeattleScott]

The Vixen 40mm has an adjustable height eyecup, so if it has too much ER, just raise the eyecup.

[Rick-T137]

I too found eye placement awkward with the TV 32mm (but 40 is fine). My Celestron Omni and Datyson 30mm are fine though. What is it with TV optical design that makes eye placement issues (for some people) while other manufacturers do not? Same with 35 Panoptic v 30 UFF, the latter is easier to use, though by less margin than the Plossl comparison.

That is weird, as I'm the opposite - I have eye placement issues with the Celestron Omni 32mm but everything is simply lovely with my Tele Vue 32mm. The only thing I can think of is the eye cup extender on the Tele Vue which I added - but I don't recall issues even prior to that. I just wanted the eye cup extender as I prefer to be in physical contact with my eyepieces (I live in a rough neighbourhood! LOL!).

 

Clear skies!

 

Rick

[Starman1]

The 32mm Tele Vue Plössl has a shallow eye lens, so it has a long effective eye relief.

People who don't wear glasses need to hover a good distance from the eyepiece or use an eyeguard extender.

People who wear glasses will find the eye relief too long if they have a short vertex distance (eye to glasses lens), but nearly ideal if they have a longer vertex distance.

 

When I used one, I was not using glasses and hovered above the eyepiece.  I had no problem with that because I was sitting to observe.

If you observe standing and do not use glasses, such eyepieces are difficult to use.

 

I actually preferred the even longer eye relief of the Meade Series 4000 32mm Super Plössl (5 element, Japan, no eyecup) because it had an even shallower eye lens and more effective eye relief.

And the 35mm Ultrascopic/Eudiascopic/Gold Series because its eye lens was 97% of the top area of the eyepiece and it had even MORE eye relief.  I guess I liked hovering.

[25585]

I had no problem with the TV's eye relief, wearing glasses, but eye placement was awkward compared to other low-30s mm Plossls, and the 35mm pseudo-Masuyamas (Celestron Ultima etc). 
 

Celestron/Vixen silvertop and Meade 3000 were a bit too short on eye relief, as was the 30mm Ultima, but their eye placement was fine.

[kwyjibo]

I had the same issue with the TV 32mm. I have no problem hovering with the ultima 35mm but can't seem to find the right placement with the TV. I bought the Vixen 30mm and with the twist up eye cup and find it much easier to use than the TV.

[Dave Mitsky]

I once owned a 32mm Tele Vue Plössl but sold it after I acquired a 2" 32mm Meade SWA, which was eventually replaced by a 35mm Tele Vue Panoptic, and a 30mm Celestron Ultima, which I still use from time to time.

[RLK1]

After reading these posts, all I've gotta say is I'm glad I've got the 30mm SV 207 and leave it at that...

[MrsM75]

Seem like eye placement varries from person to person.

 

I get blackout from the 25mm Vixen SLV that is 20mm eye relief, all of Vixen SLV are 20mm eye relief, and in that line the 25mm and 10mm gives me blackout, while the rest does not.

 

I get blackout and kidney beans with the Goldline and Redline 9mm and 6mm.

 

I guess I won't know until I try the Televue 32mm Plssol

[John Huntley]

Lat time I owned a TV 32mm plossl I found the eye relief too long for my comfort. I don't wear glasses and I don't like hovering my eye off the top of the eyepiece / eye cup. I added a TV eyeguard extender to the top of the 32mm plossl and found that did the trick and the eyepiece became a pleasure to use.