BUYER/NEW USER TIPS Last updated: 16 April 2001

Information on Eyepieces

Here is a new Excel97 worksheet dealing with several hundred eyepieces available on the place with some comments. The blue cells on the 3d line can be adapted to other optics (Aperture, F/D, focal lenght, etc). Column L is hidden for convenience and the table is sorted by focal and true field size. All technical data come from manufacturers catalog (Meade, Celestron, Vixen, Televue, etc).

This another view of an older version of the eyepieces worksheet but selecting only Tele-Vue eyepieces and sorted on magnification. It is well-known this brand has designed the best eyepieces, full certified aberration free up to f/4, etc. So the question is : what eyepieces and combo to choose for both wide field and high power ? To help me, I added some more columns to compute the magnification, true field and exit pupil using a Meade focal reducer 0.6x and a Tele-Vue 2x barlow. As it is quite difficult to find what eyepieces to buy in the list, this table gives you in one sight the eyepieces you need. Example : You want a 1°30' wide true field, OK. Buy a 40mm Tele-Vue Plossl. With the focal reducer its magnification is 29x, nominal (used alone), its magnifies 48x and yield a true field of 54'. At last with the barlow its magnifies 95x and yield a true field of 27', etc. of course this is not the best solution and optimized choice but you can easily compare the performances of each optical combo and select the best. You can do the same selection for any other Tele-Vue listed and then find redundants optics and exclude them from your selection. I think this is a useful table.

Thierry

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