TeleVue Radian 5mm


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Subject: Lanthanum 5mm
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.96.125)
Date: 12/29/2004 10:44:22 am PST
I sold a 5mm Orion Lanthanum to finance the purchase of other equipment and have since regretted doing so! I used it with my Orion ED80, and coupled with a shorty plus, I was able to see the most magnificent views of Saturn that I have EVER seen, with any scope of any size. The Cassini division was extremely well-defined as was the shadow of the planet on the rings. Three friends and I literally sat there and viewed Saturn for about an hour and half! We couldn´t get enough of it! It was that good!.

Now, here is the surprising thing: The theoretical mag limit of the ED80 is only 160x. YET, we were viewing at 240x with absolutely NO distortion/degradation whatsoever in image quality!!!!. My friend who owns an 8 inch SCT was speechless. Granted, we had much better than average "seeing" from my suburban home in Colorado Springs.

The bottom line is that I agree that the scope should be taken into accouint when rating any given "premium" eyepiece. I can't say whether the Radian 5mm ep will out-perform the Lanthanum. But I know what I saw on that clear December nigth through the Lanthanum and the views have since been etched in my mind.

I am currently in the market for a 5mm ep. I know that I will probably not have many nights of near perfect conditions that will allow me to stretch the theoretical mag limit of my small scope. These nigts occur, but maybe two or three times per season. Given that, my question is: "Is it worth spending the extra $100 for the Radian(over the Lanthanum), knowing that I won't be able to use it very often with my 2x barlow?

I'm sure that the Radian will be a GREAT eyepiece at 120x; I'm also certain that the extra FOV will be a HUGE plus on the Radian's side. These reasons alone may justify the additional $100.

JR


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Subject: Re: vote by rodgerraubach
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.172.9)
In Reply to: rodgerraubach (Original Vote)
Date: 04/18/2007 11:24:53 am PST
>Update 12/1`5/2004: After using both a Pentax 7 XW and a TMB 6 super monocentric , I sold this eyepiece at the first opportunity. The only real advantage of the Radian line of ep's is the eye relief. I now find that in the shorter focal lengths , I am able to observe without my glasses. The TMB monocentric is MUCH better on planets , and the Pentax has a much brighter image on small globular clusters. Sayonara , Radian!

7mm vs 5mm. You don't think there's a problem with such a comparison? Duh.


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