My new e/ps on PF65-ED II A. (1 Viewer)

martin,

have a peep at this:

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-discussion/111148-celestron-x-cel-lx.html

woodhornbirder said:

martin,

have a peep at this:

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-discussion/111148-celestron-x-cel-lx.html

Click to expand...

They look interesting don't they. 60* afov seems fine to me. I read somewhere else that it is unlikely that they are rebrabded paradogms because the e/r is very different- 20mm and 13mm.

I'd like to try them out.

The new XCel seem to be the old XCel with a bigger field stop. Previously they were sharp to the edge so maybe the original design was a little conservative. I suspect they don't fall off so fast after that.

Perhaps people didn't buy them because of the 55 degree field so this is a bit of specmanship. I can see the difference comparing to other EPs I have. It's just getting to the point were you don't need much more (in the sixties degrees AFOV).

But it's interesting they didn't take them to 65°. Perhaps that was pushing them too far. I think it also let them put the price up a few dollars too but they did change the eyecup to something more recent.

The 55* afov put me off. I tried one a while back (17 or 18mm I think) and didn't really check it out thoroughly because the tunnel view put me off straight away. I dismissed it without really assessing the view.

Celestron might lure me back in with 60* though.

Eitanaltman:

"no, it's a standard fitting. are you SURE? did you have the collar loosened completely? I have two WO Zooms and they both fit fine with the factory compression ring in place.... they just can't come to infinity focus!!"

Very sure. Perhaps your factory compression rings are narrower than mine or perhaps they have been used more and are worn? I've not had any difficulty inserting any other EP (Vixens and/or TV Radians), just my WO Zoom - it does not want to fit with the factory compression ring in place.

Martin:

The Celestron X-cel EP's have a good reputation for value (price/quality). They have never been considered top quality EP's. If looking for excellent image quality, 60 degrees AFOV and 20 mm of ER: Tele Vue Radians will deliver (at an appreciable increase in price). My 12 mm TV Radian works nicely in my PF-65; however, my 8mm Radian yields too much magnification (49x). The depth of field is so narrow it becomes difficult to focus. That's why I limit my viewing to 43.3x (Vixen NLV, 9 mm).

However, I'm holding on to both TV Radians in hope of someday getting a larger scope to use for combination birding and light astronomy. A TV-85 although no more expensive than an Alpha is rather heavy, bulky, it requires a very substantial tripod and it delivers a reverse image. Thus I was dissappointed to find that the new Zen-Ray scope does not take standard 1,25" EP's.

bearclawthedonut