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Antares Speers-Waler Zoom 5mm-8mm
| Brand | Antares |
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| Availability | available |
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Reviews
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Mar 2, 2008
Antares Speers-Waler Zoom 5mm-8mm
Pros:Excellent fit & finish; Replaces 3 high power eyepieces.
Cons:Expensive; Slight lateral color on fast scopes; Possible in-focus problem on Newtonians.
Comments:At a recent star party I had a chance to borrow and use this zoom eyepiece in my 8" f/10 SCT. I'm not that familiar with zooms but this EP was quite different as it is so huge. At the 5mm setting, it's almost 8 inches long. At 8mm it's over 6 inches long.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
In my friend's f/5 Newtonian reflector, this eyepiece reached focus, but just barely. Some may have to buy a low profile 1.25" adapter to reach focus. Eye relief is very close. I think it is between 10mm and 12mm at best. So eye lash oil does have to be cleaned from time to time. The fit and finish is very nice, but if you have a small scope this may not be the zoom for you. The weight is a hefty 1.5 pounds.
There was a slight amount of lateral color in viewing the bright Moon, but it was acceptable. Also, at $250 new it is a tad expensive. I recommend this for most scopes over f/8 as it worked very nicely in my f/10 SCT. M45 and M42 came in very well. The FOV is somewhat smaller (as is the case with most zooms) but the views were enjoyable.Jan 17, 2007Antares Hits Home Run with 'Zoom'
Pros:Wide field; Good Contrast
Cons:Odd Form Factor; Adjustuble Tension Screw Version a little awkward
Comments:This zoom is excellent for deep sky as it offers a wide field of view for the high magnification it offers. This makes it especially adept for identifying and viewing planetary nebulae as well as small globular clusters. This eyepieces has good contrast and surprisingly good throughput for having so many elements. This eyepiece is rather large and very long especially when 'zoomed' in. The early version had a varible tension screw to adjust the tension on the moving barlow to allow the user to loosen it to move it back and forth. It works like left-hand plumbing threads which may be difficult for some to get used to. The newer version has a simple thumbscrew.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesDec 6, 2006An Excellent Zoom For A Reasonable Price
Pros:Excellent edge correction at f5, versatility, value, and immersive views.
Cons:Large and awkward, some lenses not fully blackened, and significant infocus required.
Comments:This was my first premium eyepiece and still a favorite in my eyepiece case. I bought it because I didn't know at the time if I would stay in astronomy long and this eyepiece takes the place of 2 or 3 expensive eyepieces at the same cost ($240 new). It isn't technically a "zoom" as it uses a screw that you tighten and loosen to adjust the focal length. The screw slides along a small slit at the base of the eyepiece which can sometimes cause problems with allowing stray light in if you live in a light polluted area. The focal lengths are not parfocal and will require some minor adjustments after you switch magnifications.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
I've used this eyepiece in both an f6 and f5 Dobsonian as well as a friend's 8 inch SC. It worked great in every scope, although it did require a low profile 1.25" to 2" adapter in my 12" Dobsonian to reach focus (costs about $30). This eyepiece is very long (6"-9" depending on selected focal length) and slightly heavy which may be an issue with some people.
The optics are excellent with near edge to edge pinpoint stars in all telescopes used. The field of view is also massive and definitely adds a more immersive view than many other eyepieces. I think this is one of the best bang for buck eyepieces around. To me, it especially shines when used to hunt down planetary nebulas or outer planets (Uranus/Neptune). You can use the 8mm focal length to identify possible targets and then zoom in to a high magnification to verify if you've found a planetary or just a background star. This avoids the constant back and forth swapping you would have to do if you were using two eyepieces of different focal lengths.Sort by
