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5mm EPs under $100

Started by Garrick, 02/13/2005 01:00AM
Posted 02/13/2005 01:00AM | Edited 02/13/2005 01:03AM Opening Post
I am asking for some suggestions.

I have a 10" Skyquest XT dob
1200mm focal length, f=4.7

I want to start to get some decent eyepieces to replace my cheap plossls. The first I want to buy is something in the 5mm range for planetary viewing.

My MAX budget is $100 per ep. That will exclude all those nice Naglers, Radians, and Pentax EPs out there.

I have looked through a 5mm Vixen Lanthanum and I should be able to get a used one under $100. I liked the view through it, especially the nice eye relief. Is that my best bet or is there something else better within my price range? Ideally, this would be something where I could then replace other EPs with the same type later on (7.5mm, 10mm, 15mm, 25mm, 32mm, etc.)

The Orion ED-2 (there is a similar Celestron line X-cel, I think) looks promising at an even lower price point ($50-$65). Anyone have any feedback on these?

Any good suggestions out there?

Thanks,

Garrick
Posted 02/13/2005 02:35AM #1
Orion's 5mm Ultrascopic is also nice. It's really a 10mm Ultrascopic with a built-in barlow lens so the eye relief is better than you'd expect.

I use a 5mm ortho myself but the eye relief down there puts some people off.
Posted 02/13/2005 04:06AM #2
Having a 12.5" Dob myself, I find I rarely have a use for any eyepiece under 8mm. I use to own a 5mm Naglar, but because of lack of use I sold it.

Carl