Leica Televid Wide Angle 14mm

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Brand and Model:Leica Televid Wide Angle 14mm
Price ($USD):$229.00
Type:Misc Wide Angle
Focal Length:14 mm
Barrel Size:1.25 in.
Apparent FOV:69.0 degrees
Field Stop Dia.:0.0 mm
Eye Relief:15 mm
Elements:0
Weight (lbs):0.63
Description:

Vote Highlights Vote
Leica Televid Wide Angle 14mm
I have used the 11, 14 and 22mm Leica televid eyepieces on my 6" f8 Orion optics reflector for a short while. I tried these to see if they offered anything over the Televue Naglers/Panoptics and Pentax XLs I also have. I am now using them in preference to both because I think they have the required parameters in just about the right balance for a comfortable but accurate wide field astronomical eyepiece.

Apparent field 70 degrees, minimal pincushion distortion, decent eye relief, good adjustable (2 position) eyecup and a big eye lens. The image is a little soft at the edges but is very good everywhere else. They produce a very natural, accurate and lifelike image - similar if not better than the Televues and preferable to the XLs. As good and well balanced as they are, The XLs to me do not produce as realistic an image as the Televues or Leicas. I've not tried the Pentax XWs.

Because the image of the Leicas is so nice I do not regard the reduced apparent field compared to the Naglers as a negative, especially as the short focal length Naglers (17mm and below) do not allow the full 82 degree field to be seen in one go without blackouts. They are also as good on the moon as they are for everything else and work fine with a barlow. However, I have read that they may not be quite as well corrected as the Televues for short focal length telescopes.

They have a bayonet fixing and require the Leica astro adaptor to fit the standard 1.25" focusser, you might want to check the availability of these before purchasing the eyepieces. I would expect that other spotting scope eyepices from Swarovski, Zeiss and Nikon have similar performance.

Well worth adding to your short list

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:9 Value:9
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=472214

Leica Televid Wide Angle 14mm
I've had the 14mm Leica w/2" adapter for about 6 months now & it has become my favorite eyepiece in the 10mm-18mm range. The throughput & resolution of the Leica is outstanding, and there is zero lateral color. The color purity of this eyepiece is second to none. The eyepiece is very comfortable to use, and surprisingly lightweight, so it should not cause any balance issues.

I use mainly Naglers, and have run many comparisons to my 12mm Type 4, and I like the Leica better. Despite the lower magnification, I see more stars in the Leica when looking at globular & open clusters, as well as more field stars when viewing extended objects. Stars pinpoint up better in the Leica too.

I've also run comparisons to the 13mm Nagler Type 6, and though this comparison is closer IMHO, I find I still prefer the Leica. So I'm in the process of selling the 12mm Nagler T4.

Overall an exceptional eyepiece, and I'd probably rate the optics a 9.5. The value is good, although mine cost a bit more because the only one I could find had to be sent from Germany. A little more expensive that way, but I'd do it again without question.

Thanks for reading.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:9 Value:9
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=349585

Leica Televid Wide Angle 14mm
Tested this eyepiece (EP) side-by-side against a 14mm Radian in my 6" F10 Alter 603 using a binoviewer (BV) with one EP on each side. Could actually merge the two images by pulling the Radian all the way out to the lip of the BV holder to bring it to focus. This implies that the Leica requires about an inch of additional back-focus than does the Radian. I moved back-and-forth multiple times and switched the two eyepieces left-to-right in the BV and retested. BTW, this is a neat way to compare two eyepieces - you only have to move your eye back-and-forth a couple inches so the previous view is easy to retain.

Bottom Line: The Radian looks slightly sharper in the center while the Leica looked sharper away from the center due to off-axis color in the Radian that the Leica didn't have. Both have generous eye relief with the Radian having a little more. The FOV of the Leica is substantially larger and that's why I decided to keep it. Might have kept the Radian if I had a very slow planetary scope (>F15) where a 14mm would be used as a high power planetary EP where the slightly sharper center could be used advantageously. At this focal length (14mm) in general purpose scopes, the additional field is a definite advantage and the Leica is not that less sharp than the Radian.

The Leica is physically larger than the Radian but the weights are not all that different. Have ordered another Leica for BV use that should produce exceptionally nice views.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=43667

Leica Televid Wide Angle 14mm
The best 14mm semi wide angle eyepiece on the market.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=43666

Leica Televid Wide Angle 14mm
Bright, extremely sharp, wide fov, comfortable eye relief, no false color. Eye ring pops up and down-two positions only. Slight blackouts if eye not properly centered but no big deal. Great detail seen on Jupiter, Saturn, and the moon. Beautifully made. Available with 1.25" or 2" adapter, both threaded for filters. Adapted from 32x Leica Trinovid spotting scope eyepiece. Requires more infocus travel than most eyepieces so may not be suitable for use in some refractors or Newts. Definitely a "Radian eater".

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=43665

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