High Power EP

After paralasys my analasis, I've decided to ask this on a message board.

I'm about to enter the market for a high power eyepiece for a TAK FS102. The contestants are:

5mm Radian - I've read good and bad on this from kidney beaning to internal reflections.

5mm Tak LE - Good reviews and decent eye relief, but FOV is small compared to the Radian.

5mm UO Ortho - Same as above, but concerned about FOV. Maybe not as good as the TAK from reviews I've read, but a lot cheaper.

5mm Nagler Type 6 - Is this EP better than the Radian?

I don't have any motors on my mount so a widefield EP would be nice. I have had the scope at high power (+200X) and have noticed objects flying through the EP. It hasn't bothered me yet, but who knows.

Also, I may (read: on rare occasions) barlow it to push the limits of my scope.

Bottom line: I'm looking for a HIGH quality EP that will please me for years (and scopes) to come.

Thanks for the tips!
JOE

Out of the ones listed I would go with the 5mm Nag. Why? Because of FOV and it’s just as sharp and more contrast then any other EP. Stay away form the 5mm ortho. I had one and your eyeball is on the lens because there is hardly any ER.

I agree with Vladimir, get the 5mm Nagler if you
don't have a drive. Its quite good and the field
will help.

The performance of both the 5mm Ortho and 5mm Tak LE,
while generally fine eyepieces, does fall off towards
the field edges, and it will be quite a bother to
keep objects centered without a drive. The "sweet
spot" will be much larger on the Nagler.

Thanks for the responses!

Aaaah!!! The Nagler does seems like a sweet choice! Does it suffer in contrast or brightness compared to the others?

Even thought the eye relief stinks on the Orthos, the price sure is appealing!

Thanks!
JOE

JOE,

I'd like to add the 5.2mm Pentx XL to that list (or the new 5mm XW). I think you'll find it may be one of the most comfortable high power ep's around. And, as a benefit, it has one of the sharpest, contrasty wide field views going. The Pentax XL line is my favorite ep 21mm and below.

Clear skies,

Tom

If you have an equitorial mount, you should consider getting a drive for it, it really does help. There are ways of getting a motor without spending a fortune (often less than any of those eyepieces except the UO orthos).

Well, I would have to recommend the Pentax 5mm, either the new XW or the older 5.2mm XL. The new 5mm XW is pretty expensive though($340). I owned a Nagler 9mm Type 6 and a Pentax 10.5mm XL. The Nagler had too much kidney beaning. The Pentax had virtually none at all. Not to mention the Pentax was much more comfortable to view with. They were both sharp to the edge, and produced wonderful views.

If I were you I would seriously look at the new Pentax XW's. They all have a 70 degree FOV, and terrific eye relief. If they perform like the older XL's do then I would not hesitate to buy one.

Another choice, as others have hinted, is to
get the 5mm UO ortho and a DRIVE. Assuming you
already have an EQ mount, that may
still turn out to be cheaper than the
Nagler 5 T6 and you'll be able to use the
drive for lots of other stuff, too.

The UO ortho is a great eyepiece for planetary;
I personally prefer it to the Tak 5mm LE.
Though of course the eyerelief stinks, but
you can get used to it.

Hello there Joe,

I like my 5mm Radian, very sharp contrasty and bright. But if you have a motor drive (which I agree with others that you should for planetary viewing), why not give the 5mm TMB SuperMono a try. I found it actually more comfortable to use (in terms of eye relief and I'm very picky about eye relief) than the 5mm Celestron ortho (looked just like a UO ortho). For a comparison between the Radian and TMB SuperMono, please have a look here.
http://members.cox.net/ronby/Solar-System/Mars-081003-TV102.htm
After I got my TMBs, I was planning to continue to use my Radian more often on Mars, but it appears the plan is working out the way instead ;-).

Ron B[ee]

Hi Joe,

I have a 10" F/5 dob, a couple of long focus refractors and a Tak FC 100. While I have drives on the refractor mounts, I do not always use them (lazy) and the DOB is a "push-drive". The best planetary eyepieces I have used with the scopes are the TMB Monocentrics and the Pentax SMC orthos. Much more convenient and still excellent performers are the Pentax XLs (5.2 and 7mm for your needs). UO orthos are damn close but eyerelief suffers in shorter focal lengths.

Though I find the TMBs are a bit tight on FOV, they are still useable without the drives. You will not "outgrow" them (or the SMCs or XLs either)by switching to another scope and adding a drive would negate the FOV concerns. I have owned several TeleVue eyepieces (Radians, Panoptics and Naglers) and all are great performers. I just like the TMBs, SMCs and XLs for some reason.

While I would probably say the XLs are my recommendation for your scope, my advice is to borrow various contenders at a star party and compare them on the objects you like to observe. I found it pretty expensive doing it the other way- buying and trying to come to a decision. Perhaps it is the variation in our eyes, but certain eyepieces "work" better for me than others. Nothing in this is meant to be a snub to the other brands, I am not a brand-loyalty guy, I just like what lets my eyes see the most. Orthos and Monos are at the top for me , the others very close seconds.