Pre-Review: Paul Rini 30mm EP (65° AFOV)

I've been looking for the widest true field I could find in a 1.25"
eyepiece for my binoviewer, and I noticed that Paul is advertising a
new series of eyepieces at astronomy-mall.com. The 30mm is described
as having a 65° apparent field. I contacted him and found out that the
clear aperture of the field lens is 28mm (maybe a little more in
reality as the barrel is only 1mm thick and there's no field stop),
the lends are coated with magnesium flouride on all air-to glass
surfaces, and the lens edges are blackened. So I ordered a pair - at
$29 apiece, they are not expensive.

They arrived yesterday. They are black, with "Paul Rini 30mm" stamped
in the black metal barrel. They come with lens covers top and bottom,
look very professionally made, and are threaded for filters.
As I did not have much free time last night, I set up a 90mm ETX and
slipped one of these in to the eyepiece holder. I just had a quick
view of the moon. At f/13.9, the eyepiece was literally sharp to the
edge. I noticed that you had to move your eye around to get the entire
field of view (the eye lens is over 1.25" in diameter) and I'd say
that the apparent field is a bit greater than advertised. But I think
that the baffling in the ETX may have vignetted the field a tad.
Contrast was very good, as the sky qppeared quite black despite the
lunar glare.

I hope to provide more feedback on these in 10 days or so, but they
appear to be very promising.

Clear skies,
Shneor Sherman

"Shneor Sherman" wrote in message
om...

As I did not have much free time last night, I set up a 90mm ETX and
slipped one of these in to the eyepiece holder. I just had a quick
view of the moon. At f/13.9, the eyepiece was literally sharp to the
edge.

Hi Shneor,
If you would, in your upcoming review of these eyepieces, please keep in
mind your impressions of the WideScan III. I'd like your thoughts on their
similiarities, if any, as far as edge performance. I have experience with
the WS3 so the comparison has relevance.

Thanks,
Stephen Paul
Shirley, MA

"Stephen Paul" wrote in message ...
"Shneor Sherman" wrote in message
om...

As I did not have much free time last night, I set up a 90mm ETX and
slipped one of these in to the eyepiece holder. I just had a quick
view of the moon. At f/13.9, the eyepiece was literally sharp to the
edge.

Hi Shneor,
If you would, in your upcoming review of these eyepieces, please keep in
mind your impressions of the WideScan III. I'd like your thoughts on their
similiarities, if any, as far as edge performance. I have experience with
the WS3 so the comparison has relevance.

Thanks,
Stephen Paul
Shirley, MA

Hi Stephen,
I have a Widescan II (with blackened lens edges), but I expect it's
otherwise optically identical to the Widescan III. But the Rini is a
1.25" eyepiece, not a 2". I hope to be observing September 11 - the
views then will be using a Denkmeier binoviewer through an f/4
(effectively f/5 with the 2" OCS).

Clear skies,
Shneor

(Shneor Sherman) wrote in message . com...
I've been looking for the widest true field I could find in a 1.25"
eyepiece for my binoviewer, and I noticed that Paul is advertising a
new series of eyepieces at astronomy-mall.com.
Clear skies,
Shneor Sherman

Where on the astronomy-mall website do you see the Rini ad for his new ep's?

Thanks,

-sh

Sky-High wrote:
(Shneor Sherman) wrote in message . com...

I've been looking for the widest true field I could find in a 1.25"
eyepiece for my binoviewer, and I noticed that Paul is advertising a
new series of eyepieces at astronomy-mall.com.
Clear skies,
Shneor Sherman


Where on the astronomy-mall website do you see the Rini ad for his new ep's?

Thanks,

-sh

Try this website for Paul Rini eyepieces. With Paul's serious health
problems about 5 years ago or so, I wonder if his son has taken up the
ball here?

http://www.ganymedeoptics.com/

Lawrence Sayre

--
My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as
a moral being, with his own happiness as the moral
purpose of his life, with productive achievement as
his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.

Ayn Rand (in the appendix to 'Atlas Shrugged')

(Shneor Sherman) wrote in message . com...

But the Rini is a 1.25" eyepiece, not a 2".

Something does not add up -- or should I say multiply. The field
stop of a 30mm EP with a 65-degree AFOV needs to be slightly under
1.5 inches. It is physically impossible to do that in a 1.25-inch
barrel.

- Tony Flanders

Try this website for Paul Rini eyepieces. With Paul's serious health
problems about 5 years ago or so, I wonder if his son has taken up the
ball here?


Hi:

Dunno, but I _always_ enjoyed his dirt cheap but effective eypieces, especially
the 2 inchers. The Chinese have _yet_ to catch up to Paul in this realm.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
Like SCTs and MCTs?
Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers!
Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html

Lawrence Sayre wrote in message . ..
Sky-High wrote:
(Shneor Sherman) wrote in message . com...

I've been looking for the widest true field I could find in a 1.25"
eyepiece for my binoviewer, and I noticed that Paul is advertising a
new series of eyepieces at astronomy-mall.com.
Clear skies,
Shneor Sherman


Where on the astronomy-mall website do you see the Rini ad for his new ep's?

Thanks,

-sh

Try this website for Paul Rini eyepieces. With Paul's serious health
problems about 5 years ago or so, I wonder if his son has taken up the
ball here?

http://www.ganymedeoptics.com/

Lawrence Sayre

Healthwise, Paul is doing a lot better I stopped over to see him about
3 months ago, and he is the one doing the eyepieces etc. Have known
Paul for a number of years, never met or new he had a son. Clear
skies, Bob Midiri

Healthwise, Paul is doing a lot better I stopped over to see him about
3 months ago, and he is the one doing the eyepieces etc. Have known
Paul for a number of years, never met or new he had a son. Clear
skies, Bob Midiri

HI Bob:

Next time you see him, remind him how much many of us have enjoyed his
eyepieces over the years, and how glad we are to see him back in the game.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
Like SCTs and MCTs?
Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers!
Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html

Rod Mollise wrote:
Healthwise, Paul is doing a lot better I stopped over to see him about
3 months ago, and he is the one doing the eyepieces etc. Have known
Paul for a number of years, never met or new he had a son. Clear
skies, Bob Midiri


HI Bob:

Next time you see him, remind him how much many of us have enjoyed his
eyepieces over the years, and how glad we are to see him back in the game.

Peace,
Rod Mollise


I'll second that! I've only ever owned his 2" 38mm Modified Plossl, but
I enjoyed using it a great deal, and it was a great value for the $$$.
Optically superior to the 30mm Wide Scan II and the 30mm 1rpd, for (as I
recall) $46.

Lawrence Sayre
--
My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as
a moral being, with his own happiness as the moral
purpose of his life, with productive achievement as
his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.

Ayn Rand (in the appendix to 'Atlas Shrugged')