To design and
manufacture zoom eyepieces can be challenging and compromises are
sometimes inevitable. You may therefore get better performance
(image quality) from a single eyepiece than from a similarly priced zoom
eyepiece. The following benefits of zoom eyepieces should however
be considered:
- You only use one eyepiece for all of your
viewing. This is particularly useful when you have an audience
and want to show them several objects of different sizes
(e.g.: the Moon, a lunar crater, an open cluster, a double
star, etc). All these objects can be viewed at an optimum
magnification that frames the target nicely and that reveals the
most detail for the viewing conditions without making a single
eyepiece change.
- Relocating your target when it drifts out of
view is a breeze. Simply zoom out and centre your target
again. Once the target has been relocated, you can zoom in
again to an appropriate setting. No need to go back to the
viewfinder.
- Lots of time is wasted in changing eyepieces,
reducing your viewing time dramatically. You can therefore
view more objects during the same viewing session.
- The eye relief in most quality zoom eyepieces
is superior to those of similar short focal length fixed eyepieces.
- You would have to be an exceptional amateur
astronomer to see the reduced quality of a zoom eyepiece when
compared to a fixed eyepiece of the same price. Image quality
is in most cases more degraded by light pollution, atmospheric
conditions, eyesight and other effects rather than by the quality of
the eyepiece.
- One quality zoom eyepiece will cost you less
than a range of quality eyepieces with fixed focal lengths.
Eridanus Optics CC can supply the following zoom
eyepieces:
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