Yet *another* newbie eyepiece question....

So I've been a good newbie, reading all of the eyepiece reviews I can find, searching the threads for advise, you know. So now it's time to upgrade the used Celestron Plossl set that I bought with my N8i. What I've settled on is the Meade SP 4000 1.25 set (6.4 9.7 12.4 15 20 32 40). Is anyone out there able to tell me what will be different? By this I mean how will DSO's and planetary objects look different with the new EP's. Does anyone have any dissenting opinions about this choice?
Also, what would be a good to average price for this set including case in new, unused condition?

Personally I don't think there will be much difference. The Celestron Plossls are pretty decent Chinese Plossls as are the Meades. There was a time when the Meade 4000 series Super Plossls were considered to be a step up, not quite Celestron Ultima's or TeleVue's but better than the average Plossl, but I think that time has passed.

Meade is obviously sucking every last drop out of that past recollection by selling the "Super Plossls" at $99 for the set but I am quite sure they are not losing money by doing so.

If you want to improve your eyepiece set, I suggest looking for some premium eyepieces, something that will provide you with significantly improved performance. Most often this means a wider field of view.

Jon

There won't be much of a difference in the quality of view you will get. Since you have a set of plossls already, I would consentrate on the fl's you use most often and then upgrade those. If you like plossls you certainly can't go wrong with TV's they run about $80.00 new and around $60.00 used. The Celestron/Orion/Antares Ultima/Ultrascopic/Plossls would be another good choice along with University Optics orthos.
Jason

If you were starting out, I'd recommend the Meade over the Celestron plossls, but as a step up I don't think it's worth it. There was little optical difference, if any, in my Meade vs. my inexpensive Orion plossls. My Ultimas/Ultrascopics definitely edge out my Meades - sharper, especially at the edges of the field. That's a worthwhile upgrade, IMO. University Optics Konigs and Orthoscopics are also worthwhile upgrades, IMO.

Thanks all. I've aborted before it was too late......now to find a store front selling Ultimas or Ultrascopics in Central Flordia.....


Dannon

I second the Helix recommendation; (although they don't sell the Antares version of th Ultima/Ultrascopic design...I wonder why?). They specialize in brands of eyepieces unfamiliar to most newbies, but they're great to work with and seem to carry only quality products.