Orion Highlight Plossl
I recently took advantage of the sale at Orion Telescope and got the
following
Highlight Plossls. I use them with my XT6. Using the experience of
SAA to remember that additional eyepieces should be factored into the
cost of a scope, I purchased 2 eyepieces. I realize that these aren't
the premium eyepieces that sell for several magnitudes more and my
comparison is to the Sirius Plossl line.
Highlight Plossl (Fully multi-coated):
32mm - As stated in another post, this is not the worst eyepiece. FOr
me it gave very functional results. It "seemed" to give good contrast
on the Orion Nebula.
7.5mm - Viewing conditions last night weren't the best, but I used it
when viewing Saturn. THis gave me a clear view of the Cassini
division. the image is best in the center of the FOV, at the very
outer edges, it is not as sharp. Eye relief is a bit short but that
is probably true for the 7.5mm Sirius plossl.
The highlights do look very nice with the shiny finish on them and
they feel sturdy. Fit well into the focuser - no play.
Sirius Plossl (these come with the XT6)
25mm, 10mm. I have found these eyepieces deliver a clear and sharp
image. I have no issue with them and these two give a good image. I
have looked at really bad eyepieces - Bushnell 70mm relector with the
supplied 9mm - and I would have to say that at least the XT6 supplied
eyepieces are capable.
The bottom line is that on sale the Highlights are $8 US more than the
Sirius plossl and are they worth the extra expense? Well, my opinion
is that if you do most of your viewing from a backyard in a place with
light pollution it probably is not worth the $8.00 as the Sirius
eyepieces are good. I suspect that I wouldn't "see" the difference
unless the viewing place is a dark sky place. At $33 for the Sirius
plossl, these deliver good value. To get the "noticable" difference,
one would have to spend alot more money than the $8.00 delta on an
eyepiece.
If I get even a tad bit more astronomy and aperature fever, then I'll
get the primo eyepieces - clear crisp images and long eye relief -
that cost more than my telescope :-). In fact I am saving my money
now to do that.
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