TheSkySearchers

Buy these and let me know how they work.
Then I can decide if they will be in the 2024 astro budget.

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/8499 ... eyepieces/

I have sold all my 82 deg, but for Pentax I would make an exception.

If they manage release for Christmas, I bet there will be a few available on the used market early spring.

I do not have happy thoughts about 80° and wider eyepieces so will be waiting for someone to test them.
I would expect being from Ricoh that they will be good but still...

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 4:06 am I do not have happy thoughts about 80° and wider eyepieces so will be waiting for someone to test them.
I would expect being from Ricoh that they will be good but still...

Me too except I'll be dismissing them out of hand.

The widest I ever looked through was Baader Morpheus. IIRC it is 78deg. Did not like it a lot to be honest. I somehow prefer keyhole like view ortho's give. I doubt that >80 deg would convince me.

For several years I utilized the ES 82 series and enjoyed them immensely - particularly the 18mm and 11mm. I always thought I would not care for anything larger. However, I ran across a very good deal on a used TV Ethos 13mm and took the plunge. I couldn't be happier with that choice. It has been a real workhorse for me in my galaxy hunting endeavors. Despite my reluctance, I found that the 100° AFOV did not bother me.

I eventually picked up a new 21mm Ethos from Agena because I was given one of their gift cards for Christmas, which helped lessen the kick to the wallet at little. While it is indeed a huge EP and expensive, it is outstanding to view through. Also, I moved to the Pentax XW series for my higher mags, getting good prices for the 10, 7 and 5mm models via Amazon Japan as compared to US based dealers. So the combination of 100° and 70° EPs are working out quite well for me at least. In my case the 100° AFOV is not problematic, as I had originally thought it might be. So personally I would not see the 85° AFOV of the new Pentax series problematic. But I know that is very individualistic, and some simply are not comfortable with that much eye movement to take in the whole field.

@kt4hx
So your review will be posted mid January Alan?

I like the Docter 12.5mm 84° and the Nikon HW 102° though I prefer the Nikon SW at 74° more.

PeterD wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 11:46 am The widest I ever looked through was Baader Morpheus. IIRC it is 78deg. Did not like it a lot to be honest. I somehow prefer keyhole like view ortho's give. I doubt that >80 deg would convince me.

I have no issue with the Morpheus but 95% of the time I am viewing with eyepieces between 30° - 50°

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 5:14 pm @kt4hx
So your review will be posted mid January Alan?

I like the Docter 12.5mm 84° and the Nikon HW 102° though I prefer the Nikon SW at 74° more.

mmmmmm....likely not! At about $480 a pop, I doubt I will be buying one. Granted, its not as bad as an Ethos price-wise, but at 16.5mm and 23mm, I don't feel its something I need. That said, I did just buy a used 12.5mm University Optics Zebra Ortho. But that was for a special purpose. This next spring I would like to emulate William Herschel's greatest night of discovery, when he discovered 73 objects in one sweep, otherwise known modernly as the Herschel Sprint. He was using a finding magnification of around 150x, but with narrower eyepieces than I have. This ortho will give me about 159x, 18' TFOV and an exit pupil of 2.8mm. I likely will not use Herschel's drift method though as it is quite time consuming. I will simply star hop to them. Should be interesting!

kt4hx wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 5:56 pm

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 5:14 pm @kt4hx
So your review will be posted mid January Alan?

I like the Docter 12.5mm 84° and the Nikon HW 102° though I prefer the Nikon SW at 74° more.

mmmmmm....likely not! At about $480 a pop, I doubt I will be buying one. Granted, its not as bad as an Ethos price-wise, but at 16.5mm and 23mm, I don't feel its something I need. That said, I did just buy a used 12.5mm University Optics Zebra Ortho. But that was for a special purpose. This next spring I would like to emulate William Herschel's greatest night of discovery, when he discovered 73 objects in one sweep, otherwise known modernly as the Herschel Sprint. He was using a finding magnification of around 150x, but with narrower eyepieces than I have. This ortho will give me about 159x, 18' TFOV and an exit pupil of 2.8mm. I likely will not use Herschel's drift method though as it is quite time consuming. I will simply star hop to them. Should be interesting!


Table-The-Herschel-Sprint.pdf

That's a fun project, good luck Alan! When I was observing galaxies with a mixed set of ES82s and Meade UWAs I have used Baader Classic Orthos and older TV Plossl smoothies on occasion to squeeze a few more photons on extra faint galaxies. However, since I have switched to Pentax XWs it hardly ever happens.

kt4hx wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 5:56 pm mmmmmm....likely not! At about $480 a pop, I doubt I will be buying one. Granted, its not as bad as an Ethos price-wise, but at 16.5mm and 23mm, I don't feel its something I need. That said, I did just buy a used 12.5mm University Optics Zebra Ortho. But that was for a special purpose. This next spring I would like to emulate William Herschel's greatest night of discovery, when he discovered 73 objects in one sweep, otherwise known modernly as the Herschel Sprint. He was using a finding magnification of around 150x, but with narrower eyepieces than I have. This ortho will give me about 159x, 18' TFOV and an exit pupil of 2.8mm. I likely will not use Herschel's drift method though as it is quite time consuming. I will simply star hop to them. Should be interesting!


Table-The-Herschel-Sprint.pdf

That should be a interesting attempt Alan.
The UO zebra/ Galoc ortho are nice quality eyepieces.

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 7:08 pm That should be a interesting attempt Alan.
The UO zebra/ Galoc ortho are nice quality eyepieces.

I feel it will be a nice test of my observing skills. After using the 13mm Ethos for a while now as my main galaxy eyepiece, the Ortho will be a real through the straw experience for me. But I wanted to make it as close to what he experienced as I could. Though admittedly I would not like the 20 ft focal length and having to climb around!

Thanks for the comment on the UO Zebra / Galoc orthos Gabrielle. I just hope in my f/4.5 17.5 inch it will perform well. Push come to shove, I can always pull the Ethos out of the case.

Bigzmey wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 6:45 pm That's a fun project, good luck Alan! When I was observing galaxies with a mixed set of ES82s and Meade UWAs I have used Baader Classic Orthos and older TV Plossl smoothies on occasion to squeeze a few more photons on extra faint galaxies. However, since I have switched to Pentax XWs it hardly ever happens.

Thank you Andrey. It should be fun and taxing at the same time. Its been many a year since I've looked through an ortho, or even a Plossl, so will be an interesting experience for me.

@kt4hx
I imagine you should be alright at f/4.5. Abbe orthos should be good to f/4 without introducing any major abberations.

With the older UO eyepieces there was a possibility of a single blue/green ghost on brighter objects. (some Claves did the same)
If you have not seen it then the eyepiece is a newer version with better coatings.
If there is a ghost you can just go slightly off axis and the ghost will move the opposite direction leaving you a clear image.

I intend to test the 85° Pentax XWs as soon as they are available.
Other than the normal 19 factors I look for to evaluate an eyepiece, I will specifically be looking for:
--diameter of threads under the eyecup, which will determine DioptRx compatibility
--depth of eye lens below eyecup top (to determine effective eye relief for glasses wearers)
--whether another rubber eyecup can be attached to increase the effective eye relief
--Paracorr setting (I suspect setting E, but don't know yet)
--how the 23mm compares to the 22mm Nagler in most factors.

The marketplace for these eyepieces will not be huge, but it will take quite a while to quench initial demand.

I'm not a visual guy at all except when our local astronomy club does public star parties. Usually, I'm buried in a laptop screen looking at the results of 120-600sec subs. But I do have a selection of Explore Scientific 82° eyepieces including the 30mm & 6.7mm along with a TeleVue 27mm Panoptic which is 68°. I prefer the 30mm ES over the 27mm TeleVue.
But I'm not in the market for any new eyepieces right now.

What is the general thought on putting two 70° AFOV EPs in a bino viewer?

Curious minds want to know...

JayTee wrote: ↑Sat Nov 12, 2022 3:33 am What is the general thought on putting two 70° AFOV EPs in a bino viewer?

Curious minds want to know...

I used to use pairs of Delos for that, rather happily. That was back when I had the Baader Mark V.

There should be no issue JT as long as the IPD works for you.

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 7:08 pm The UO zebra/ Galoc ortho are nice quality eyepieces.

I think the one and only dodgy UO Zebra ortho ever made must have landed in my eyepiece box