All Other: Generic Series 500 Plossl Eyepiece - 15mm

2.0 Budget Eyepiece

Good clear, sharp image.

Extremely narrow field of view, no end caps included,

Like others, I won this Series 500 15mm Plossl Eyepiece in Astronomy Ratings' weekly drawing. Being an economy Plossl in this age of super-ultra-wide-angle eyepieces I didn't expect much. Amazingly, this eyepiece still managed to disappoint.

Superficially, this is a very basic eyepiece with a plain cylindrical body and a fixed, non-foldable eye-cup. The chrome-plated barrel is straight without a lock notch. One big disappointment was that the eyepiece did not include end caps of any kind although it was shipped in a bolt case.

In my telescope, the Series 500 15mm Plossl left me with a feeling of nostalgia. Even though it's a 1.25-inch eyepiece, the view reminded me of the .965-inch eyepieces that came with the department store refractor I started out in this great hobby with. Apparent field of view was tiny. I would estimate it at 45 degrees, possibly less. The edge of the field was also uneven and even jagged, giving an appearance similar to looking through a cardboard tube. On the upside, though small, the image was sharp, bright and contrast was good.

In conclusion, the Series 500 15mm Plossl eyepiece is an economy eyepiece that performs like an economy eyepiece and I would recommend you save your money and get a better, name-brand Plossl.