I am seriously considering the Televue 8-24mm eyepiece, they are reasonably cheap at €249 and for that you get four eyepieces, 8, 12, 16 and 24mm.Has anyone out there got any experience of this zoom?ThanksPaul
Actually, you get more than four powers as you have the complete range from 8 to 24mm, not just 8, 12, 16 & 24. This TeleVue zoom eyepiece is actually manufactured by Vixen and I have the Vixen version. The TeleVue version is available with a click stop at each power whereas the Vixen version isn't. It's also sold under other branded names.
I really only bought it for my Coronado PST, as many other PST owners have as well, and rarely use it for night sky viewing, as I prefer individual eyepieces for deep sky observing. Unfortunately, while zoom eyepieces seem a bargain, there are compromises to be faced. The AFOV is smaller at all powers than individual eyepieces and this is especially noticeable towards the 24mm end. This is a common feature of most zoom eyepieces. It's also not quite parfocal so some refocusing is necessary between different powers. I cannot confirm other objections sometimes made against zoom eyepieces such as dimmer and softer views, as my Vixen zoom performs very well in these regards.
As long as you are prepared to accept the compromises, then the TeleVue 8-24 zoom is a good buy but don't expect it to perform as well as individual eyepieces.
