Telescope lenses, or ocular lenses, can be very expensive in an already expensive hobby. The point of using a good lens or eyepiece is to be able to see what you’re trying to find as clearly and sharply as possible. After all, putting a price on how well you can see a celestial object with your own eyes is almost laughable. Still, you want to get the most bang for your buck.
Buying any piece of telescope equipment, especially the telescope lens, has to be carefully researched and thought out in advance. Because they’re so expensive, you need to be able to get your money’s worth. A great product like this is one with fantastic lenses and durability that will last for years. The rest comes down to preference and what you need out of a telescope. Are you wanting to see the Moon or Saturn? Asking yourself questions like this, basing your criteria on distance and objects, can help narrow down the list.
The list of available telescope lenses is very long, and the products all very expensive and interesting. Depending on what you need from your eyepiece, there is likely a piece of equipment on our list of best telescope lenses to fit your needs. To start you off on your research journey, here are some suggestions to get you in the astronomical mood:
COMPARISON TABLE
Telescope Lens (Eyepiece) FAQ
1. What Is A Telescope Eyepiece?
A telescope eyepiece is a piece of equipment that goes on the viewing section of a telescope. They contain telescope lenses and varying degrees of magnification and filters.
2. What Does An Eyepiece Do?
The primary purpose of this final lens is to focus the object into creating an image for your eye to see as clearly as possible. The better the image sharpness combined with distance from the object, the better the eyepiece, within the parameters of the telescope itself.
3. How Do Telescope Lenses Work?
Telescope lenses use light to mirror the same image multiple times before reaching the viewer’s eye in a clear picture. Moving the eyepiece nearer or further away will adjust the focus on the image. While they are usually permanently mounted in binoculars, they are often a separate component of a telescope.
4. Where Can You Buy A Telescope Lens?
Telescope lenses, eyepieces, and other telescopic equipment can be purchased at online stores like Amazon or at local hobby stores.
5. Can Eyepieces Be Used By People With Less Than Perfect Eyesight?
In short, yes, people without perfect vision can use telescopes and their eyepieces. Some eyepieces are designed with eyeglass wearers in mind.
How We Reviewed
The following products were reviewed based on the quality of the items. They are not in a numbered list, and each item is great for different reasons. While many of them are expensive, they are some of the best for getting excellent images of the night sky. Not many of the objects are any better or worse than the others, so knowing your own equipment and what you need from an eyepiece is a great place to start your journey for more equipment.
Overall Price Range Of Telescope Lenses
Most of the objects in this list are over $100 but less than $500. Some are more or less expensive than this range though. The list was not made entirely with price in mind as any good telescope equipment will be expensive to purchase. At the end of the day, you want something that will be a great product and will last for years. We wanted to reflect excellent products in this list despite their prices.
What We Reviewed
- Orion 08890 1.25-Inch Premium Telescope Accessory Kit
- Gosky Plossl
- Celestron 8 to 24mm 1.25 Zoom Eyepiece
- Celestron X-Cel LX
- Baader Planetarium 24mm Hyperion Eyepiece for 1.25” Focusers
- Televue 13mm Ethos 2″ / 1.25″ Eyepiece
- Baader Hyperions
- Explore Scientific 62 Degree 40mm Waterproof Eyepiece
- Orion Lanthanums
- Televue 7mm Nagler Type 6 1.25 inch (1-1/4 in.) Eyepiece
Orion 08890 1.25-Inch Premium Telescope Accessory Kit
Features
In buying a kit, you get the most bang for your buck. The Orion kit comes with twelve accessories: five telescope lenses, six eyepiece filters, and one versatile Barlow lens to double the magnification. The five lenses vary in size from forty millimeters, seventeen millimeters, ten millimeters, seven and a half millimeters, and six and a third millimeters. All lenses are made to fit a one and a quarter inch telescope.
Price
This product can be found on Amazon for around $180.
Warranty
The manufacturer’s warranty can be requested from customer service.
PROS
- This kit comes with five telescope lenses, six filters, and one Barlow lens
- The lenses come in a variety of sizes
- The kit comes in a carrying case for easy travel
CONS
- A little expensive but the range of accessories are worth the price
Gosky Plossl
Features
This twenty-five-millimeter eyepiece has a wide viewing field with extra sharpness and long eye relief. The broad field of view is perfect for seeing medium-sized star clusters and cloudy nebulas. The lens comes with eyepiece cups to protect it from the environment and is also threaded for standard one and a quarter inch filters though they aren’t included.
Price
This product can be found on Amazon for around $20.
Warranty
The seller must be contacted for warranty details.
PROS
- Wide field of view with great attention to detail.
- Comfortable for the user.
- Able to have filters installed.
CONS
- Doesn’t come with filters.
Celestron 8 To 24mm 1.25 Zoom Eyepiece
Features
This super-premium eyepiece has a focal length of eight to twenty-four millimeters. With a forty to sixty degree field of view and a fifteen to eighteen-millimeter eye relief, there are few out there that are better. The lens is fully multi-coated. It can zoom from low to high power instantly.
Price
This product can be found on Amazon for around $65.
Warranty
Contact the seller for warranty information.
PROS
- Allows for greater magnification options
- Forty to sixty-degree field of view
- Instant zoom
CONS
- Is a bit expensive for a lens but the viewing range is worth it.
Celestron X-Cel LX
Features
This Barlow lens doubles the magnification of any one and a quarter inch eyepiece. The rubber grip helps avoid an accidental drop, and the barrel is fitted to take any standard one and a quarter inch filter.
Price
This product can be found on Amazon for around $70.
Warranty
Contact the seller for warranty information.
PROS
- This lens doubles the magnification of almost all eyepieces
- Has a rubber grip to avoid drops
- Threaded to take filters
CONS
- Doesn’t come with filters.
Baader Planetarium 24mm Hyperion Eyepiece For 1.25” Focusers
Features
This Planetarium lens comes with an eight to twenty-four-millimeter eyepiece. The eyepiece includes a one and a quarter inch and a two-inch barrel. The two-inch barrel attaches through an included adapter ring. The ring has standard two-inch by twenty-four TPI SCT threads.
Price
This product can be found on Amazon for around $290.
Warranty
The seller must be contacted for warranty details.
PROS
- Comes as an adaptable eyepiece and two barrels
- There is an adapter ring included for the two-inch barrel
CONS
- Expensive but you get what you pay for
Televue 13mm Ethos 2″ / 1.25″ Eyepiece
Features
This eyepiece has an apparent field of view of one hundred degrees with a focal length of thirteen millimeters and eye relief of fifteen millimeters. The effective field stop is twenty-two and a third millimeters. The barrel size is an adaptable one, either being one and a quarter inch or two inches in diameter.
Price
This product can be found on Amazon for around $630.
Warranty
The seller must be contacted for warranty details.
PROS
- The apparent field of view is one hundred degrees
- The barrel size can be adjusted between one and a quarter inch or two inches in diameter
- Accepts DIOPTRX for astigmatism correction
CONS
- Very expensive but a great product
Baader Hyperions
Features
These Hyperion lenses come in a variety of sizes. The typical eyepiece includes a one and a quarter inch and a two-inch barrel. The two-inch barrel attaches through an included adapter ring. The eyepieces are modular for wide ranges of view.
Price
This product can be found on Amazon for around $150 to $250.
Warranty
The seller must be contacted for warranty details.
PROS
- The eyepieces range from eight to twenty-four millimeters in diameter with many sizes available in between
- Each comes with adapter rings to adjust barrel sizes
CONS
- Price varies based on size, not quality
- Each eyepiece size sold separately
Explore Scientific 62 Degree 14mm Waterproof Eyepiece
Features
The Explore Scientific lens has an incredible flat-field of view that transforms astronomy. The field of view, as is in the name, is sixty-two degrees and near-par focal design. The design allows for averted vision, giving you the chance to see faint images.
Price
This product can be found on Amazon for around $90.
Warranty
The seller must be contacted for warranty details.
PROS
- Flat-field of view
- Near-par focal design
- Allows for averted vision
- Excellent contrast
CONS
- Comes in a variety of sizes sold separately
Orion Lanthanums
Features
The Lanthanums lens has a twenty-millimeter focal length for true-color views. The eyepiece has a high-index, low-dispersion lanthanum glass to eliminate aberrations for clear views. This optic has an eighty-degree apparent field of view for immersion. The eye relief is twenty millimeters and the diameter of the lens is thirty millimeters. Even eyeglass wearers can use this lens. Comes with a two-inch barrel threaded for filters.
Price
This product can be found on Amazon for around $270.
Warranty
The manufacturer’s warranty can be received upon request to customer service.
PROS
- Eighty-degree apparent field of view
- The thirty-millimeter lens diameter allows eyeglass wearers to view objects comfortably
CONS
- Expensive item but worth the price
Televue 7mm Nagler Type 6 1.25 Inch (1-1/4 In.) Eyepiece
Features
Tele Vue Naglers are some of the best eyepiece optics available. With edge-to-edge sharpness, views are the absolute best they can be. Truly versatile as well, you can expect great performance in multiple telescopes. For an excellent general purpose eyepiece to use on a wide variety of targets, you will find it hard to beat a Nagler.
Price
This product can be found on Amazon for around $321.
Warranty
Contact the seller for information about the warranty.
PROS
- 82 degree apparent field of view
- Seven elements
- 12mm eye relief
CONS
- Expensive item but worth the price
The Verdict
Each of these telescope lenses is excellent for what it’s designed to do: see worlds beyond our own. It’s unfortunate that the hobby is often very expensive, but the lenses listed here aren’t as expensive as most other equipment or even most other lenses. You’re getting an excellent bang for your buck by investing in products that are made to be durable and to last. By doing the research and getting the right kind of equipment, the rewards you’ll reap will be well worth the work.
If you’re looking for excellent telescope lenses but find yourself still hesitant about this list, you can always start out with the Explore Scientific Sixty-Two Degree Eyepiece. That product is not as expensive as some of the others on our list but is still of a great quality that can last you for a long time. If you still want more or find you want to branch away from a flat-field, any of the other telescope lenses on this list are excellent choices depending on what your latest target is. For instance, the Gosky Plossl lenses give you an entirely different range of views. As long as you know what you need and have the extra cash to spare, the magic can be all your own.
Last update on 2023-03-28 at 00:12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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