Warren,
Below is a reprint of what I posted a week or so ago. While reading this mini review, keep in mind that I have not compared these eps to Radians, but I did used to own Radians and never really cared for them. I do realize that I am probably in the minority in not liking them, and that it's a sin to say anything negative about any TV eyepiece!
To steal a phrase from Mike Hosea regarding a different line of eps, the Radians are the eyepieces that really introduced me to the term "lateral color". Also, you may want to look at the recent thread about the Siebert Starsplitter series of eps, as they sound very promising as well, and are also priced at $99.
I recently picked up the 4mm and 5mm Burgess/TMB planetary eps, and am really very pleased with them.
On a recent clear steady night, an observing buddy and I compared the two Burgess eps to his 3.5mm and 5mm Pentax XWs in his Starmaster V8 with a Stevens mirror and we were both pretty well amazed at the results. The 60 degree field of view, coupled with the 16mm of eye relief made the Burgess very comfortable to use.
While the contrast in the Pentax may have been slightly better, it was extremely close. I think that I can speak for both of us when I say that the difference certainly wasn't 3x as great, which is the price difference between the Burgess and the Pentax XW. Light scatter was virtually identical, meaning hardly there, and the field was nice and flat. The tone on Jupiter and Saturn was pretty well neutral in the Burgess ep, which pleased me as I don't care for "warm" eyepieces like the Radians.
Looking back on it, we didn't look specifically for lateral color, but none stands out in my mind.
I consider these eyepieces to be a real bargain, and I don't just mean "for the price", as you often hear associated with lower priced eyepieces.
Now the downside; my 4mm arrived with a definite rattle coming from the eyelens. This is reportedly a common problem, but one that is pretty easily fixed by tightening the retaining ring. Still, it was an annoyance that shouldn't have been present. I have also heard that there are some reflection issues when the moon is placed just outside the field of view in these eyepieces, however, I have not had a chance to observe the moon with them, and I don't consider myself much of a lunar observer anyway. In spite of these minor issues, I just picked up a used 6mm Burgess and look forward to using it.
Doug
Midway, FL
