eitanaltman
Well-known member
Just to give everyone who doesn't follow astro forums a heads-up, there is an interesting new entry from Baader into the world of zoom eyepieces.
http://alpineastro.com/Eyepieces_Accessories/Eyepieces_Accessories.htm#Zoom
For those who don't know, the Baader Hyperion line is (like the Orion Stratus) a clone of the Vixen LVW's, but the Hyperions are considered to be superior to the Stratus's because of Baader's propriety coatings (which Baader refers to as their "phantom group" coatings).
Well, Baader's brand-new 8-24mm zoom just went on sale in the U.S. two days ago through their US retailer, Alpine Astro.
The specs look very interesting -- it appears to be an attempt to mimic the Zeiss Vario zoom. The most important characteristic (to me) is that the Hyperion zoom provides true wide-field views, ranging from 50* AFOV up to 68.5* at 8mm (just like the Zeiss, which is the king of wide-field zooms).
I conversed with Bob (owner of Alpine Astro) and he said he is extremely impressed with the zoom, and that while it is only 50* at 24mm, he said it opens up really fast and looks to be close to 60* AFOV once you're past 21mm or so! He said at 8mm it feels just like the fixed-fl Hyperion 8mm in terms of FOV.
In addition to the AFOV specs and physical appearance, another reason I believe it's a clone of the Zeiss is that this Hyperion zoom can be mated directly to the Zeiss Diascope bayonet mount by unscrewing the 1.25" chrome barrel -- you can see this in the stock image at the bottom of the description.
So, to make a long story short, I bit the bullet and ordered one, so I can be the official first-adopter/guinea pig for the Pentax crowd. I have the PF-65EDa, so this zoom should effectively be 16X-49X.
I'm currently using the 14mm Pentax XL and the 9mm TMB/BO planetary, so this zoom will have stiff competition. I also have a cheap Scopetronix 7-21mm zoom that I got for $30 off eBay, to give me a zoom comparison.
With the Scopetronix and other zooms, that narrow FOV is a huge disincentive for me, since the XL14 provides such beautiful widefield views. I had originally thought that my only option for a widefield zoom ep was to drop $400 on the Zeiss Vario, plus another $100 on a 1.25" adapter, which doesn't sound like any fun at all, especially since I'm not even sure it will reach focus in the Pentax scope.
I'll let you guys know if this new Hyperion zoom is the solution I have been looking for, at a relatively measly $189. Ideally, I'll bump into someone who is birding with a Zeiss Diascope and ask to swap in the Hyperion. If this zoom can be 95% of the Zeiss at less than half the price, I'll be very happy.
http://alpineastro.com/Eyepieces_Accessories/Eyepieces_Accessories.htm#Zoom
For those who don't know, the Baader Hyperion line is (like the Orion Stratus) a clone of the Vixen LVW's, but the Hyperions are considered to be superior to the Stratus's because of Baader's propriety coatings (which Baader refers to as their "phantom group" coatings).
Well, Baader's brand-new 8-24mm zoom just went on sale in the U.S. two days ago through their US retailer, Alpine Astro.
The specs look very interesting -- it appears to be an attempt to mimic the Zeiss Vario zoom. The most important characteristic (to me) is that the Hyperion zoom provides true wide-field views, ranging from 50* AFOV up to 68.5* at 8mm (just like the Zeiss, which is the king of wide-field zooms).
I conversed with Bob (owner of Alpine Astro) and he said he is extremely impressed with the zoom, and that while it is only 50* at 24mm, he said it opens up really fast and looks to be close to 60* AFOV once you're past 21mm or so! He said at 8mm it feels just like the fixed-fl Hyperion 8mm in terms of FOV.
In addition to the AFOV specs and physical appearance, another reason I believe it's a clone of the Zeiss is that this Hyperion zoom can be mated directly to the Zeiss Diascope bayonet mount by unscrewing the 1.25" chrome barrel -- you can see this in the stock image at the bottom of the description.
So, to make a long story short, I bit the bullet and ordered one, so I can be the official first-adopter/guinea pig for the Pentax crowd. I have the PF-65EDa, so this zoom should effectively be 16X-49X.
I'm currently using the 14mm Pentax XL and the 9mm TMB/BO planetary, so this zoom will have stiff competition. I also have a cheap Scopetronix 7-21mm zoom that I got for $30 off eBay, to give me a zoom comparison.
With the Scopetronix and other zooms, that narrow FOV is a huge disincentive for me, since the XL14 provides such beautiful widefield views. I had originally thought that my only option for a widefield zoom ep was to drop $400 on the Zeiss Vario, plus another $100 on a 1.25" adapter, which doesn't sound like any fun at all, especially since I'm not even sure it will reach focus in the Pentax scope.
I'll let you guys know if this new Hyperion zoom is the solution I have been looking for, at a relatively measly $189. Ideally, I'll bump into someone who is birding with a Zeiss Diascope and ask to swap in the Hyperion. If this zoom can be 95% of the Zeiss at less than half the price, I'll be very happy.