Tele Vue Nagler Type 2 12mm

4.0 Televue Nagler Type 2 12mm

Not too heavy, great 82 degree FOV, stunning planetary views.

Expensive, poor eye relief

This was the most powerful Nagler I borrowed at a star party on the night of Oct 13 '07 and it was the least I liked from the various TeleVue eyepieces I tested. Jupiter was visible early and the 12mm was and is a planet killer. Only three moons were visible but the bands of the planet were sharp and the view was nice. There was a sliver of the Moon that was viewable for a while early and it was nice.

This eyepiece has collars for both 2" and 1.25" diagonals which is a nice feature. Eye relief is a poor 11mm at best and for eyeglass wearers, this is not that great. This 12mm eyepiece showed good contrast and sharp stars across the entire field with no color problems. On planets and possibly for the Moon, this eyepiece comes into its own. However, I personally prefer lower powered eyepieces best for deep sky.

The cost is new around $350 and you can find it for less on the used market. It features 8 glass elements and the weight is just over one pound. Like with all Tele Vue eyepieces the coating is on all glass surfaces and is perfect.