Are zoom eyepieces worth it?

They tend to occupy the middle ground of focal length/magnification, so you may still need a very high and low magnification eyepieces (short and long focal length, respectively), but a zoom could handle everything in between for you. On the face of it, they are a fantastic tool, but nothing is perfect.

How do zoom eyepieces work?

Zoom eyepieces provide the ability to obtain a range of focal lengths from a single eyepiece. It’s basically a regular eyepiece with a moveable Barlow lens, though some of the eyepiece elements may also move. By varying the distance between the eyepiece and Barlow, you change the magnification.

Can you use a zoom eyepiece with a Barlow lens?

Basically, any eyepiece can be used with a barlow provided the the combination doesn’t exceed the useful magnification.

Are Svbony eyepieces any good?

they perform extremely well. the eye relief is a little tight but they are sharp nearly to the edge in my f8 refractor,and I think the 62 degree f o v is accurate. even if they were 5 times the price they would be a bargain.

What is a good zoom for a telescope?

For most purposes, a telescope’s maximum useful magnification is 50 times its aperture in inches (or twice its aperture in millimeters) . So you’d need a 12-inch-wide scope to get a decent image at 600×. And even then, you’d need to wait for a night when the observing conditions are perfect.

Should I buy a Barlow lens?

A cost effective way to increase the magnification of your eyepieces. An extremely useful tool every amateur astronomer should have is a Barlow Lens. If you attach a 2x Barlow lens to that eyepiece you will double the effective magnification of that eyepiece to 100x. …

Is a Barlow lens worth it?

The obvious benefit of using a Barlow lens in astronomy and astrophotography is that it is an affordable way to magnify the image from your telescope. In this case, you cannot use the eyepiece of different focal lengths in order to magnify the image. The most common Barlow lens offers a 2X, 3X, or 5X magnification.

Is a 2X or 3x Barlow lens better?

To put it simply, Barlow lenses are a cost-effective way to increase the magnification of your eyepieces. Their effect is to increase the magnification of any eyepiece used with them, usually 2 or 3 times. As you’d expect, a 2x Barlow doubles your eyepiece magnification, whilst a 3x trebles it.

What are Plossl eyepieces?

The Plössl is an eyepiece usually consisting of two sets of doublets, designed by Georg Simon Plössl in 1860. Since the two doublets can be identical this design is sometimes called a symmetrical eyepiece. The compound Plössl lens provides a large 50° or more apparent field of view, along with relatively large FOV.

Which is better a zoom eyepiece or fixed eyepiece?

You can set it for the best view allowed by the observing conditions of the moment, an advantage over fixed focal length oculars. A zoom eyepiece does not, however, make fixed focal length oculars in its focal length range redundant, as some inexperienced buyers assume.

Which is the best 8-24mm zoom eyepiece?

The Celestron, Meade, Tele Vue and Vixen zooms all offer a focal length range of 8-24mm. Astronomy and Photographyhas previously reviewed all of these zoom oculars and these reviews can be found on the home (index) page.

How much does a Celestron Meade zoom eyepiece cost?

Typical 2009 online discount prices of the (discontinued) Tele Vue Click-Stop Zoom is $210-$240 and the (currently manufactured) Vixen NLV Click-Stop Zoom is $189-$220. The Meade Series 4000 Zoom runs $125-$130 and the Celestron Zoom is only $60-$65.

Are there Zoom eyepieces for an astronomical telescope?

It is not surprising that zoom oculars for astronomical telescopes are becoming increasingly popular. Zooms are hot sellers. They are affordable, convenient and tremendously improved from the bad old days when serious amateur astronomers would not be caught dead with one. Most major ocular brands now offer a 3:1 ratio, mid-range zoom eyepiece.