It's hard to believe this video is 10 years old i just finished watching it and thought it was current. Sir you are by far the best in explaining this. Thank you
I've just purchased a second hand telescope as a starter to have a look at the night sky. These videos are by far the easiest to understand for me as a beginner and especially the one concerning the German equitorial mount set-up. Enjoyable learning. Thankyou.
Gotta be the most simple and easiest explanations for how to use barlows with a camera ive seen, once you know what you're doing i suppose it is easy but when learning it is about simplicity and this guy nails it
@heavenlyhighlights Hi there, thanks for watching! Generally the accessories supplied with telescopes are not always a good match for the main instrument. Look to upgrade these basic 'bundled-in' accessories as soon as you can. The good news is the upgrade path need not be expensive. Take a look at our vids on the topic of upgrading eyepieces. Hope this helps. A&NC
5x Barlow lens. Hello I own a celestron skywatcher 114mm diameter reflecting telescope with 500mm focal length, so quite a small scope. I have a 2x barlow which came with scope and works ok. I recemtly bought a 5x Barlow lens for £24 but when i use it with my 10mm eyepiece the image is actually smaller than when using my 2x Barlow with the 10mm eyepiece. I see some other reviews for this product saying a similar thing. Am i missing something? I don't want to name the actual product as it is probably ok, just perhaps my lack of understanding. how can it be labelled as 5x but give less than 2x magnification. I know a 5x is too big for my scope, i was just experimenting.
Wow, you’d have to be deaf to NOT understand this gentleman! Very clear, precise info and excellent suggestions, while pointing out positive/negative attributes from each Barlow variation. Why can’t ALL teachers be so clear and informative? Thank you Sir, (And I, being from America, I love your accent)
I could listen to you talk about this stuff all day. I’m really hoping you start making more and more content again. You’re the best on RUclips by far and away. Thanks for all the help.
Great video. I'm dabbling with photography and telescopes and was confused where and how the Barlow lens fit in. It answered my question of how to get closer (i.e. increase magnification) when you connect the camera to the telescope -- use a Barlow. Your video was great and easy to understand. You took your time and carefully explained things. Great work!
I'd just like to say i love your channel. The vids are so well made, very informative and your presenter is so reassuringly English lol. He just makes so much sense, and explains things so well and easy to understand. I'm 4 months in, on my 2nd ( 130mm aperture/900mm FL) Telescope and i'm loving every second of my new hobby, but there's sooo much complicated information to learn and absorb, and your presenter is brilliant at making sense of it all for the viewer. So Thank You and please keep up the great work! Wes.
I got a 2.25x Baader planetary QTurret Barlow, it is made of metal, it was about 50€, it has a detatchable lens that gives 1.3x , and quite happy with it. Combined with a 750mm focal lenght reflector and a 10mm ocular it gives nice sharp images and a good amount of magnification.
This channel has helped me so much for getting started, got my telescope 3 days ago, managed to get going with some books i've read and watched other videos, but you guys helped me advancing in only 2 days. How to use equipements such like the planisphere and alot of tips and tricks. Thank you so much!
Very interesting and understandable. I also watched the DSLR video which was great. I have a problem with a ZWO camera on my Sky Watcher 130 Newtonian due to limited back focus. Works with a Barlow x2 but too magnified for easy focussing. You mention a x2 / x1.5 Barlow 1.25inch, I cannot find these, is there a specific make? Thanks.
I got a question about the barlow lens. I got spherical prime mirror reflector telescope with short focal length of 300mm (mirror diameter is 76mm) if I use a x2 barlow is it going to reduce the spherical aberrations? I mean if it enlarge the focal length then may be it also reduce the spherical aberrations?
Hello , great Video , I just purchased a Galileo 800mm x 95mm with a 3x Barlow and a 6mm and 20mm eye pieces I would like to find planets and view them. Pls help me what do I need to do or get?
@paulkazjack Hi there, thanks for watching! The nett amount of light arriving at the eye-end of your telescope is determined by the instruments aperture. However the 'apparent' brightness of the image in a particular eyepiece is influenced by a number of factors, some small, some larger in impact. The actual size of the image presented to the eye is an example: with a fixed amount of light entering the scope - spreading this light over a wider area it will appear dimmer to the eye. KR A&NC
A very clear and helpful video - thanks. One quick question if I may and perhaps slightly off topic but would you recommend the use of a 'zoomable' eyepiece giving variable magnification? These seem very useful and practical in the field but does that practicality come at the cost of optical quality? i.e. would I get better results with 'prime' eyepieces?
+Somerset Pete If better results means quality of the image, least light loss, lack of aberrations, width of field, eye relief, and lots of other factors, then yes, a "normal" eyepiece of the same price range will be better. However, for casual observing especially without a motor drive and equatorial mount, a zoom eyepiece is a lovely convenience because you never have to take your eye away from the image or your hands away from the controls in order to change magnification or field of view. For casual observing, a single 8mm-24mm zoom eyepiece, even though it will cost twice as much as a pair of better "normal" eyepieces, can save you a lot of money because it can take the place of more than two eyepieces - perhaps as many as five! Some zoom eyepieces are even parfocal, which means that you don't have to adjust the focus while zooming in and out and even those that aren't parfocal tend to be nearly so. If you're looking at nebulae and wide clusters, or scanning for comets, you probably won't be changing eyepieces often or at all so you would be best off with a "normal" eyepiece with a fairly long focal length. If you're exploring the moon you might want to change magnifications frequently and a zoom eyepiece's drawbacks won't matter as much, therefore a zoom might be a great convenience and time saver. Not to mention just plain fun to use. Even for a serious observation session where you might be sketching details of the Martian surface or recording the apparent magnitude of variable stars, a zoom eyepiece can give you a quick idea of what focal length "normal" high-end eyepiece might be best to use based on the current atmospheric conditions.
Hello guys are new to the telescopes, my daughter received a 76 mm Firstscope and I would like to Barlow lens 3x or 5x buy using eye SR4mm and H20mm you think would be most appropriate?
I have a variable (2x - 3x) Orion Barlow that was 'free' with some lenses I bought. It is just a tube with a couple lenses inside at either end, and has a pinch screw in a slot that you move to the desired factor. You didn't mention those in this video. Would you please comment on them sometime? Cheers.
Hi, many thanks for the video. I think that the little blue telescope on your table is what I have (Meade etx 80?) is has a built in Barlow - is this any good ? I liked the idea of the 5x barlow, would this work with this telescope ? Bob
Buddy I shifting from refractor eyepiece projection lumix g8 and iam after a 150pds do I get shorty barlows or long barlows I normally use a (500mm douplet +star diaganol +5mm baader eyepiece because it screws into my T2 adaptor iam not sure if that will work with a reflector due to focal lengths what do you think
Hey man, thanks very much for this and your other videos. Ive been looking up at the starts since I was a kid, but its only now in my 20s i actually bought a telescope. Your information is invaluable, keep up the good work :)
Hi, i have Orion xt8 dobsonian and wanted to know, is Orion E-Series 7-21mm Zoom Eyepiece is better then individual plossl eyepieces. And please let me know eseries eyepiece are plossl, means crisp image as plossl eyepieces does.
I have a few old M42 Pentax camera teleconverters. Can they be used as a Barlow with the aid of a T mount adapter setup? TY for the videos, they are very helpful. 👍
I have a 3x barlow...I put it in the telescope, eye peice inside it but the image is still fuzzy...I focused all the way out to all the way in and it doesn't clear up...how do I fix that..what am I doing wrong
Hi I think the Barlow may be the weak point here. Typically a bundled-in 3x it will be a plastic barrel job with a single element lens. Invest in a better 2x Barlow with an achromatic lens head (two lenses) - they are not expensive. I hope this helps. A&NC
Hi, I currently bought the Tele Vue 2x barlow 1,25 but i thought that I could unscrew the bottom lens and put it in my eyepieces but unfortunately it’s not the same size! Looks like it’s not universal size! Do you know if there’s an adapter for it? Thanks
i dont think i will get an answer here but ill try it.. i am thinking to buy a omegon Teleskop N 130/920 EQ-3.. what sohould i buy to be able to see the jupiter in a very great picture/sharpnes with the cloud layers and maybe some moons of the jupiter? the 2x barlow or a 5mm okular? or maybe both
Does adding a x2 Barlow to your scope reduce the image brightness?So a x4 Barlow would produce a 'closer' image at the sacrifice of image brightness...?cheers.
Hi You probably got MA eyepieces with the scope (the Meade Plossl is 9.7mm) so you might consider upgrading the 9mm to a good quality Plossl eyepiece and also invest in a good quality 2x achromatic Barlow lens. Don't be tempted to go for a shorter than 9mm EP with this scope. A 9mm PL with a good 2x Barlow will give you about as good as you can expect to get from that little scope. I hope this helps. A&NC
Just got a celestron explorascope 114AZ telescope with a 3x barlow. I dont know if its a good telescope. Had nothing but cloud cover every night since i got it.
Ken, you do well, but I use a telescope calculator with the field of view with matching it power. Range...cost is the factor, last diffrent optical companies with the same eyepiece power have a diffrent in focus travel...
it should do. I have used similar on my Celestron Nexstar 130SLT which is effectively 650mm f/5 being 130mm dia. I must say I mainly use it with a camera so an eyepiece is only used for setting up alignment. I must also say the Alt-Az Goto is not good at tracking stars for astrophotography due to the way it works in steps - left-right, up-down, This is mainly down to the long shutter exposure required. But it does give good images of the very much brighter moon; with a much faster shutter. Whilst the Celestron 4SE does have a basic astrophotography function, it does say short exposure. My scope now mounts on a Celestron AVX EQ. The old Alt-Az Goto mount will handle a DSLR camera and lens but the longer a lens is, the more the slightest movement causes tails. The problem I found using a Barlow with the camera was getting the back-focus onto the sensor right - cameras are not all the same and I had to play with the "furniture" a lot.
Hi The short answer is no. The ultimate powerhouse of an astronomical telescope is the aperture. A well made modern telescope should be able to deliver about 50x magnification per inch (or 25.4mm in new money) of aperture. So a 50mm refractor is only going to give you good magnifications up to about 100x (other factors will also reduce this figure) Above about 100x you are just going to get a bigger more blurred image with such a scope - no matter what you do to the focal length. Regards RJD
I have just brought a MEADE ETX-70AT which is no longer being produced and i think the one your using is that one or the ETX-60AT,i'm new with telescope and hardly have much knowledge about these things and i just wanted to know what would be the best recommended eyepiece and barlow for my telescope that is best for viewing planets and if possible with my telescope nebula's, clusters and such.... and if needed the eyepiece i got with the telescope are 25mm and a 9mm thanks
On barlow lens they are good on some objects,but they loss some light and decrease the F.O.V...sky conditions must be great for thier use..on photo you need them. I have 2x barlow I hardly use it. Try to use high grade barlow lens, for better color correcting..at time their great with zoom eyepiece. Do your math and have fun!
Hi Robert, I bought an Orion 2x barlow multcoated lens for my Orion 70mm goscope 2 but couldn't get focus for far distances (short distances are fine). Is my Barlow faulty or am I missing something?
Hey!!! I recently bought a Celestron Travel scope 70, it came wiv a 3x Barlow lens. When I used it within my living room which is quite dark, it worked. When I took it outside it just was light/blurry, I thought it was due to the light being too much for the scope. I tried it last nite on the Moon & it was the same, the moon was quite bright, so I was wondering if you had any advice or help??? A moon filter or prehaps a 2x Barlow? thanks for time in response, I look forward to hearin from you!!
I have been watching the sky for a very long time (1974) usually naked eye, then with binoculars and now my first scope a Meade 2045. Thank you for explanation on Barlows. The 2045 is a 4" SCT with a focal length of 1000 mm, did I waste my money ($50 USD)? Or should I saved my pennies and got an 8"? Will the Barlows help with the 4" and planetary observation? Nebula?
@lordphilip Hi there, thanks for watching! Yes the current AC555 is furnished with a female filter thread on the front. Older versions lack this feature. Of course you can always add a filter at the rear (ie put the filter on the eyepiece before fitting the MagniMax) and this will increase the amplification effect - the more filters, the greater the amplification. This can be a useful feature of this type of image amplifier. Regards A&NC
Concerning the function of the Barlow, realistically, 2+2 equals 4, whether you do the math on your fingers, paper or with a calculator. Ultimately, a 2x Barlow does double magnification.
No, you won't get good view because 2x barlow lens does not doubles the size of primary lens/mirror. It just doubles the focal length so you get a bigger, blurred image.
This video has me working on my telescope...I had to take apart my tripod because it was rotating too much...found out I had a screw in the wrong place...now the tripod doesn't move around so much...going to buy a new Barlow eyepiece...the one I have now is rubbish
i note a dearth of brand names, model numbers and price ranges. i'm not asking to pimp a particular brand, just name what is out there, a quality rating of 1 to 5, and a price spread. how hard is that?
I’m so confused I know it’s something missing to a telescope was given to me - the barrel 3x barlow has grooves on it but apparently it is missing for something to screw onto it’s a power seeker- please help me
Hi there..great informative video...I had forgotten how to use my 2x barlow..! Do you have any videos on how to best achieve good pictures/videos with prime focus photography? I have a Canon just like yours and had my first go with prime focus tonight with the full moon..! I could not manage to get my camera setting off the Manual focus. I just used the focus knob on my telescope to clear the image before taking pics...thank you...!
Is it safe to assume that using a barlow with a zoom eyepiece wouldn't work given u said it affects the scope and not the eyepiece or do I have that wrong?
No the zoom will probably work OK with the Barlow lens. It's not worth trying to list the handful of scopes that may resist being 'Barlowed' with a zoom eyepiece as the general run is dominated by successful function. I hope this helps. KR RJD
Great video! My wife got me a Celestron 80LCM and it works great, but I was wondering if a barlow lens would help me see things more clearly such as deep field objects. Thanks for any help! * I'm new to these things*
@DonPipeFelipe The one in the vid is just an old banger we had lying around but the one we would recommend (we don't sell it I'm afraid) is the Philips SPC880 with a flash update to the SPC900NC specification. We do sell the best nose-pieces and filters for it however. Just Google SPC880 and click away! Hope this helps. KR A&NC
I just purchased an Orion 12" telescope. It seems to me that the eye piece fit is very sloppy. Is there a way to fix this and are their others who feel the same? My first thought was to wrap cellophane tape around the lens until it fits snugly. Using the laser collimator, all you have to do is simply touch it while inserted into the telescope and the laser moves completely off the alignment grid.
WARPHEAD are you using the eye pieces that came with the telescope? These eye pieces are usually of lower quality than other eye pieces. I would personally recommend Explore Scientific. The best customer service and really great quality. It makes all the difference when it comes to improving your view. These eye pieces may fit more snug than the ones that come with the telescope
Nice video. I was recently gifted with the Celestron 70Az PowerSeeker telescope, and when i use my 3X Barlow that came with it. i get a blurred image. with the 20mm lens, i can clear it up a little when i focus it but not much. what other things could i view with the barlow? could i see Jupiter and its moons? what will i need to see that?
@bicnarok Hi there. 2 ito 11/4 inch is a standard adapter and widely available. If you follow the links to the A&NC you'll find our websites - there's plenty of these adapters listed - if you have a rummage on our Astroboot pages you can normally find one for about a fiver! Hope this helps - thanks for watching. JM A&NC
Hi. I'd like to ask you if you know Seben telescopes are good. I've been told they're rubbish but would like to know your opinion. I'd like to start discovering the skies but don't want to spend much on my first scope. :)
Hi JS and thanks for posting. No, in principle, a Barlow does not alter the colour fidelity of a primary optic. But in fact, it seems to alter it in two ways: 1. By magnifying any chromatic error of the primary and 2. By the Barlow introducing chromatic error of its own. I hope this helps. KR RJD A&NTV
@@RocketPlanet Hmmm, you say it does not "change the chromatic characteristics" but then you list in #2 that the Barlow can "introduce chromatic error of its own" which is actually confirming that my concerns that a barlow could ..change the chromatic characteristics of the "end result/seeing/image so it reads like a loop
Hi again JS. Okay, I guess wasn't explicit enough in my initial reply. I was hoping that by providing working principles you'd be able to figure our your own answer specific to your equipment. The answer you want is specific to the equipment. So if your instrument has zero or minimal chromatic error (CE), then ,by 1, any CE observed is likely to originate, by 2 , with the Barlow lens. It follows that if the Barlow is of a sufficient optical standard that it too has zero to minimal CE, then the observed views through the instrument will reflect this quality also - and the addition of the Barlow itself will not have created CE out of thin air as it were. I hope this clarifies. KR RJD A&NTV
Hello. When you buy a tellescope, on the manual it tells you its highest usable magnificcation e.g 307x. Using a barlow lens can you also double the usefull magnification because the focal lenth is being doubled?
It's hard to believe this video is 10 years old i just finished watching it and thought it was current. Sir you are by far the best in explaining this. Thank you
now it's 12 years old.
I've just purchased a second hand telescope as a starter to have a look at the night sky. These videos are by far the easiest to understand for me as a beginner and especially the one concerning the German equitorial mount set-up. Enjoyable learning. Thankyou.
This bloke should be on the tv, he is ace, great vids.
I understand much more about Barlow lenses after watching this video
Thank you
Best Astronomy tutorials on RUclips..
Gotta be the most simple and easiest explanations for how to use barlows with a camera ive seen, once you know what you're doing i suppose it is easy but when learning it is about simplicity and this guy nails it
extremely useful. 40 seconds in and i know how to use a barlow lens
You joined 14 years ago!!! WOW AND YOU SAID THIS 8 YEARS AGO WOW!!
@@Crazyarnold12 ahahaha
Excellent video, most people tent to rant about other equipment and confusing the hell out of newbies like myself haha. Thanks for the Info!
12 years old crazy! Thanks for the information! Only found out about Barlows today. I’m now exited to buy one!
@heavenlyhighlights Hi there, thanks for watching! Generally the accessories supplied with telescopes are not always a good match for the main instrument. Look to upgrade these basic 'bundled-in' accessories as soon as you can. The good news is the upgrade path need not be expensive. Take a look at our vids on the topic of upgrading eyepieces. Hope this helps. A&NC
5x Barlow lens. Hello I own a celestron skywatcher 114mm diameter reflecting telescope with 500mm focal length, so quite a small scope. I have a 2x barlow which came with scope and works ok. I recemtly bought a 5x Barlow lens for £24 but when i use it with my 10mm eyepiece the image is actually smaller than when using my 2x Barlow with the 10mm eyepiece. I see some other reviews for this product saying a similar thing. Am i missing something? I don't want to name the actual product as it is probably ok, just perhaps my lack of understanding. how can it be labelled as 5x but give less than 2x magnification. I know a 5x is too big for my scope, i was just experimenting.
Wow, you’d have to be deaf to NOT understand this gentleman!
Very clear, precise info and excellent suggestions, while pointing out positive/negative attributes from each Barlow variation.
Why can’t ALL teachers be so clear and informative?
Thank you Sir,
(And I, being from America, I love your accent)
I could listen to you talk about this stuff all day. I’m really hoping you start making more and more content again. You’re the best on RUclips by far and away. Thanks for all the help.
Just discovered this channel as a total amateur. Getting my first scope tomorrow. Thanks for the awesome advice.
Great video. I'm dabbling with photography and telescopes and was confused where and how the Barlow lens fit in. It answered my question of how to get closer (i.e. increase magnification) when you connect the camera to the telescope -- use a Barlow.
Your video was great and easy to understand. You took your time and carefully explained things. Great work!
I'd just like to say i love your channel. The vids are so well made, very informative and your presenter is so reassuringly English lol. He just makes so much sense, and explains things so well and easy to understand. I'm 4 months in, on my 2nd ( 130mm aperture/900mm FL) Telescope and i'm loving every second of my new hobby, but there's sooo much complicated information to learn and absorb, and your presenter is brilliant at making sense of it all for the viewer. So Thank You and please keep up the great work! Wes.
Astronomy noob here. Brilliant video - extremely informative, message was really easy to understand
man is behind -telescope heaven" :)
Thank you for such a comprehensive explanation of what's available in Barlow lenses
I got a 2.25x Baader planetary QTurret Barlow, it is made of metal, it was about 50€, it has a detatchable lens that gives 1.3x , and quite happy with it. Combined with a 750mm focal lenght reflector and a 10mm ocular it gives nice sharp images and a good amount of magnification.
Great imformation, thank you, lots learned and lots to still learn.
I'm putting a plug in for the Celestron X-Cel XL barlow. The price wasn't excessive and it's a great piece of optics.
Thank you for posting such a simple yet comprehensive video. You are a master teacher!!
Thanks for explaining this , just what i needed.
This channel has helped me so much for getting started, got my telescope 3 days ago, managed to get going with some books i've read and watched other videos, but you guys helped me advancing in only 2 days. How to use equipements such like the planisphere and alot of tips and tricks. Thank you so much!
Very interesting and understandable. I also watched the DSLR video which was great. I have a problem with a ZWO camera on my Sky Watcher 130 Newtonian due to limited back focus. Works with a Barlow x2 but too magnified for easy focussing. You mention a x2 / x1.5 Barlow 1.25inch, I cannot find these, is there a specific make? Thanks.
I got a question about the barlow lens. I got spherical prime mirror reflector telescope with short focal length of 300mm (mirror diameter is 76mm) if I use a x2 barlow is it going to reduce the spherical aberrations? I mean if it enlarge the focal length then may be it also reduce the spherical aberrations?
Excellent video's they've help me immensely though my couple years in astronomy
Hello , great Video , I just purchased a Galileo 800mm x 95mm with a 3x Barlow and a 6mm and 20mm eye pieces I would like to find planets and view them. Pls help me what do I need to do or get?
@paulkazjack Hi there, thanks for watching! The nett amount of light arriving at the eye-end of your telescope is determined by the instruments aperture. However the 'apparent' brightness of the image in a particular eyepiece is influenced by a number of factors, some small, some larger in impact. The actual size of the image presented to the eye is an example: with a fixed amount of light entering the scope - spreading this light over a wider area it will appear dimmer to the eye. KR A&NC
I have a zoomion 200 EQ telescope
Please let me know what 3x Barlow lens should I buy under 20 USD
Hi thanks for the vid.
If I use an F/5 focal extender on a 120mm F/5 achromat will the scope's aberrations be reduced to the level of a F/25?
L
A very clear and helpful video - thanks. One quick question if I may and perhaps slightly off topic but would you recommend the use of a 'zoomable' eyepiece giving variable magnification? These seem very useful and practical in the field but does that practicality come at the cost of optical quality? i.e. would I get better results with 'prime' eyepieces?
+Somerset Pete If better results means quality of the image, least light loss, lack of aberrations, width of field, eye relief, and lots of other factors, then yes, a "normal" eyepiece of the same price range will be better.
However, for casual observing especially without a motor drive and equatorial mount, a zoom eyepiece is a lovely convenience because you never have to take your eye away from the image or your hands away from the controls in order to change magnification or field of view. For casual observing, a single 8mm-24mm zoom eyepiece, even though it will cost twice as much as a pair of better "normal" eyepieces, can save you a lot of money because it can take the place of more than two eyepieces - perhaps as many as five! Some zoom eyepieces are even parfocal, which means that you don't have to adjust the focus while zooming in and out and even those that aren't parfocal tend to be nearly so.
If you're looking at nebulae and wide clusters, or scanning for comets, you probably won't be changing eyepieces often or at all so you would be best off with a "normal" eyepiece with a fairly long focal length. If you're exploring the moon you might want to change magnifications frequently and a zoom eyepiece's drawbacks won't matter as much, therefore a zoom might be a great convenience and time saver. Not to mention just plain fun to use.
Even for a serious observation session where you might be sketching details of the Martian surface or recording the apparent magnitude of variable stars, a zoom eyepiece can give you a quick idea of what focal length "normal" high-end eyepiece might be best to use based on the current atmospheric conditions.
Is there a limit for using Barlow, ive a 650 mm. Meade 130 Polaris. Until I need a better scope
Great video!!
Just one question: what happens if you use a 5x barlow with a DSLR? Cannot that be used to get more detail of the moon, for example?
Hello guys are new to the telescopes, my daughter received a 76 mm Firstscope and I would like to Barlow lens 3x or 5x buy using eye SR4mm and H20mm you think would be most appropriate?
I have a variable (2x - 3x) Orion Barlow that was 'free' with some lenses I bought. It is just a tube with a couple lenses inside at either end, and has a pinch screw in a slot that you move to the desired factor. You didn't mention those in this video. Would you please comment on them sometime? Cheers.
Hi, many thanks for the video. I think that the little blue telescope on your table is what I have (Meade etx 80?) is has a built in Barlow - is this any good ? I liked the idea of the 5x barlow, would this work with this telescope ? Bob
Thanks! Great video and info on Barlows!
Buddy I shifting from refractor eyepiece projection lumix g8 and iam after a 150pds do I get shorty barlows or long barlows I normally use a (500mm douplet +star diaganol +5mm baader eyepiece because it screws into my T2 adaptor iam not sure if that will work with a reflector due to focal lengths what do you think
Hey man, thanks very much for this and your other videos. Ive been looking up at the starts since I was a kid, but its only now in my 20s i actually bought a telescope. Your information is invaluable, keep up the good work :)
Hi, i have Orion xt8 dobsonian and wanted to know, is Orion E-Series 7-21mm Zoom Eyepiece is better then individual plossl eyepieces. And please let me know eseries eyepiece are plossl, means crisp image as plossl eyepieces does.
I have a few old M42 Pentax camera teleconverters. Can they be used as a Barlow with the aid of a T mount adapter setup? TY for the videos, they are very helpful. 👍
Absolutely brilliant this video and the rest of the videos as well. Many thanks
I have a 3x barlow...I put it in the telescope, eye peice inside it but the image is still fuzzy...I focused all the way out to all the way in and it doesn't clear up...how do I fix that..what am I doing wrong
Hi I think the Barlow may be the weak point here. Typically a bundled-in 3x it will be a plastic barrel job with a single element lens. Invest in a better 2x Barlow with an achromatic lens head (two lenses) - they are not expensive. I hope this helps. A&NC
Hi, I currently bought the Tele Vue 2x barlow 1,25 but i thought that I could unscrew the bottom lens and put it in my eyepieces but unfortunately it’s not the same size! Looks like it’s not universal size! Do you know if there’s an adapter for it? Thanks
I love this video!!..so informative!
If I have to use 2x Barlow lens on 400mm telescope how much length should I choose for the Barlow?
i dont think i will get an answer here but ill try it.. i am thinking to buy a omegon Teleskop N 130/920 EQ-3.. what sohould i buy to be able to see the jupiter in a very great picture/sharpnes with the cloud layers and maybe some moons of the jupiter? the 2x barlow or a 5mm okular? or maybe both
Where can we find AC 710 barlow lens. What is the cost. If you can attach a url link is highly appreciated.
Does adding a x2 Barlow to your scope reduce the image brightness?So a x4 Barlow would produce a 'closer' image at the sacrifice of image brightness...?cheers.
Barlow / Powermate / Focal extender.......are they all the same thing or is there a real difference?
Hi You probably got MA eyepieces with the scope (the Meade Plossl is 9.7mm) so you might consider upgrading the 9mm to a good quality Plossl eyepiece and also invest in a good quality 2x achromatic Barlow lens. Don't be tempted to go for a shorter than 9mm EP with this scope. A 9mm PL with a good 2x Barlow will give you about as good as you can expect to get from that little scope. I hope this helps. A&NC
Just got a celestron explorascope 114AZ telescope with a 3x barlow. I dont know if its a good telescope. Had nothing but cloud cover every night since i got it.
i think thats the rules..buy a telescope- cloudy for ages , so its your fault lol.
Welcome to the irritating world of Astronomy :(
by the way if its cloudy for the next couple of weeks that my fault , i just bought a telescope myself..my bad..
:) :(
Same when I got my telescope for x mas it was cloudy for 1 week
Ken, you do well, but I use a telescope calculator with the field of view with matching it power. Range...cost is the factor, last diffrent optical companies with the same eyepiece power have a diffrent in focus travel...
Hello! I use a Celesteon Nexstar 4se; 1325 mm. Ia ia possible that my telescope to work with a 2x Barrow lens and a 6 mm EP?
it should do. I have used similar on my Celestron Nexstar 130SLT which is effectively 650mm f/5 being 130mm dia.
I must say I mainly use it with a camera so an eyepiece is only used for setting up alignment.
I must also say the Alt-Az Goto is not good at tracking stars for astrophotography due to the way it works in steps - left-right, up-down, This is mainly down to the long shutter exposure required. But it does give good images of the very much brighter moon; with a much faster shutter. Whilst the Celestron 4SE does have a basic astrophotography function, it does say short exposure. My scope now mounts on a Celestron AVX EQ. The old Alt-Az Goto mount will handle a DSLR camera and lens but the longer a lens is, the more the slightest movement causes tails.
The problem I found using a Barlow with the camera was getting the back-focus onto the sensor right - cameras are not all the same and I had to play with the "furniture" a lot.
what would be the downside of using a 5x Barlow with a DSLR camera (instead of using just a 2x barlow)?
Hi The short answer is no. The ultimate powerhouse of an astronomical telescope is the aperture. A well made modern telescope should be able to deliver about 50x magnification per inch (or 25.4mm in new money) of aperture. So a 50mm refractor is only going to give you good magnifications up to about 100x (other factors will also reduce this figure) Above about 100x you are just going to get a bigger more blurred image with such a scope - no matter what you do to the focal length. Regards RJD
If I have a scope with a max magnification of 400x how do I know what eye pieces and Barlow’s I can use to get the max, How do you work it out?
I have just brought a MEADE ETX-70AT which is no longer being produced and i think the one your using is that one or the ETX-60AT,i'm new with telescope and hardly have much knowledge about these things and i just wanted to know what would be the best recommended eyepiece and barlow for my telescope that is best for viewing planets and if possible with my telescope nebula's, clusters and such.... and if needed the eyepiece i got with the telescope are 25mm and a 9mm thanks
On barlow lens they are good on some objects,but they loss some light and decrease the F.O.V...sky conditions must be great for thier use..on photo you need them. I have 2x barlow I hardly use it. Try to use high grade barlow lens, for better color correcting..at time their great with zoom eyepiece. Do your math and have fun!
Hi Robert, I bought an Orion 2x barlow multcoated lens for my Orion 70mm goscope 2 but couldn't get focus for far distances (short distances are fine). Is my Barlow faulty or am I missing something?
did you try putting it in before the diagonal? I had to do that today to focus with my x3 for my 80mm powerseeker
Hey!!! I recently bought a Celestron Travel scope 70, it came wiv a 3x Barlow lens. When I used it within my living room which is quite dark, it worked. When I took it outside it just was light/blurry, I thought it was due to the light being too much for the scope. I tried it last nite on the Moon & it was the same, the moon was quite bright, so I was wondering if you had any advice or help??? A moon filter or prehaps a 2x Barlow? thanks for time in response, I look forward to hearin from you!!
I have a serious question can you put Barlow lenses on top of each other to magnify even more
Just starting out could I use a barlow with skyscanner100
I have been watching the sky for a very long time (1974) usually naked eye, then with binoculars and now my first scope a Meade 2045. Thank you for explanation on Barlows. The 2045 is a 4" SCT with a focal length of 1000 mm, did I waste my money ($50 USD)? Or should I saved my pennies and got an 8"? Will the Barlows help with the 4" and planetary observation? Nebula?
Did you end up getting a bigger scope?
@lordphilip Hi there, thanks for watching! Yes the current AC555 is furnished with a female filter thread on the front. Older versions lack this feature. Of course you can always add a filter at the rear (ie put the filter on the eyepiece before fitting the MagniMax) and this will increase the amplification effect - the more filters, the greater the amplification. This can be a useful feature of this type of image amplifier. Regards A&NC
I had a 5X Nagler that I just loved to use.
Concerning the function of the Barlow, realistically, 2+2 equals 4, whether you do the math on your fingers, paper or with a calculator. Ultimately, a 2x Barlow does double magnification.
Hey I have a question. Will I get good views if I use a Barlow lens to magnify beyond the maximum useful magnification of my telescope?
No, you won't get good view because 2x barlow lens does not doubles the size of primary lens/mirror. It just doubles the focal length so you get a bigger, blurred image.
Nice vid. Learnt a lot, now to see if this has been updated!
Now I understand. Thank you.
Does anyone know what happened to Astro-Engineering? or where I can purchase their products? I like the thought that went into their Barlow lenses.
Learned a lot from your vid.!! Thanks a bunch.!!
This video has me working on my telescope...I had to take apart my tripod because it was rotating too much...found out I had a screw in the wrong place...now the tripod doesn't move around so much...going to buy a new Barlow eyepiece...the one I have now is rubbish
i note a dearth of brand names, model numbers and price ranges. i'm not asking to pimp a particular brand, just name what is out there, a quality rating of 1 to 5, and a price spread.
how hard is that?
I’m so confused I know it’s something missing to a telescope was given to me - the barrel 3x barlow has grooves on it but apparently it is missing for something to screw onto it’s a power seeker- please help me
I love this series of videos you have. The presenter has a perfect voice for presenting, really enjoyable learning how to use my new telescope :)
Thank you, nice video. Please keep up the good work.
any recommendations for a guy with a 70mm refractor wich wants to see the cloud belts of Jupiter?
Up from a newbie here! :)
Hi there..great informative video...I had forgotten how to use my 2x barlow..! Do you have any videos on how to best achieve good pictures/videos with prime focus photography? I have a Canon just like yours and had my first go with prime focus tonight with the full moon..! I could not manage to get my camera setting off the Manual focus. I just used the focus knob on my telescope to clear the image before taking pics...thank you...!
I put a 10mm eyepiece on barlow on top of a barlow on top of a barlow and i could see the Curiosity rover on Mars :)
no you couldn't lmao
I currently have the celestron 130 slt , what would be the best eyepeice/barlow lense combination? (the 130 slt is 2 inch compatible )
So do , i think a 5mm eyepiecece and a barlow but im not sure, if you find the answer please tell me
What if I use a barlow lens on a barlow lens and then my actual eye piece? :3 Just wondering what would happen.
Is it safe to assume that using a barlow with a zoom eyepiece wouldn't work given u said it affects the scope and not the eyepiece or do I have that wrong?
No the zoom will probably work OK with the Barlow lens. It's not worth trying to list the handful of scopes that may resist being 'Barlowed' with a zoom eyepiece as the general run is dominated by successful function. I hope this helps. KR RJD
Great video! My wife got me a Celestron 80LCM and it works great, but I was wondering if a barlow lens would help me see things more clearly such as deep field objects. Thanks for any help! * I'm new to these things*
@DonPipeFelipe The one in the vid is just an old banger we had lying around but the one we would recommend (we don't sell it I'm afraid) is the Philips SPC880 with a flash update to the SPC900NC specification. We do sell the best nose-pieces and filters for it however. Just Google SPC880 and click away! Hope this helps. KR A&NC
I just purchased an Orion 12" telescope. It seems to me that the eye piece fit is very sloppy. Is there a way to fix this and are their others who feel the same? My first thought was to wrap cellophane tape around the lens until it fits snugly. Using the laser collimator, all you have to do is simply touch it while inserted into the telescope and the laser moves completely off the alignment grid.
WARPHEAD are you using the eye pieces that came with the telescope? These eye pieces are usually of lower quality than other eye pieces. I would personally recommend Explore Scientific. The best customer service and really great quality. It makes all the difference when it comes to improving your view. These eye pieces may fit more snug than the ones that come with the telescope
Nice video. I was recently gifted with the Celestron 70Az PowerSeeker telescope, and when i use my 3X Barlow that came with it. i get a blurred image. with the 20mm lens, i can clear it up a little when i focus it but not much. what other things could i view with the barlow? could i see Jupiter and its moons? what will i need to see that?
@bicnarok Hi there. 2 ito 11/4 inch is a standard adapter and widely available. If you follow the links to the A&NC you'll find our websites - there's plenty of these adapters listed - if you have a rummage on our Astroboot pages you can normally find one for about a fiver! Hope this helps - thanks for watching. JM A&NC
So, if I want to get more magnification is it better to buy a 5mm eyepiece (I have a 10mm and a 20mm) or a barlow?
Hi Filip. Leave the 5mm eyepiece, take the Barlow and the Cannoli. Kind regards Clemenza - AKA RJD A&NTV
@@RocketPlanet Hello, thanks for the response!
T y very helpful on the Barlow lense! ty very much.Good video learned alot.
Excellent Video thanks. Have you done one on using an SLR or digital camera with the Synscan 127 goto???
Hi. I'd like to ask you if you know Seben telescopes are good. I've been told they're rubbish but would like to know your opinion. I'd like to start discovering the skies but don't want to spend much on my first scope. :)
Does a barlow change the chromatic characteristics of an APO scope like a Sky Watcher Evostar 120ED Pro APO?
Hi JS and thanks for posting. No, in principle, a Barlow does not alter the colour fidelity of a primary optic. But in fact, it seems to alter it in two ways:
1. By magnifying any chromatic error of the primary and
2. By the Barlow introducing chromatic error of its own.
I hope this helps. KR RJD A&NTV
@@RocketPlanet Hmmm, you say it does not "change the chromatic characteristics" but then you list in #2 that the Barlow can "introduce chromatic error of its own" which is actually confirming that my concerns that a barlow could ..change the chromatic characteristics of the "end result/seeing/image so it reads like a loop
Hi again JS. Okay, I guess wasn't explicit enough in my initial reply. I was hoping that by providing working principles you'd be able to figure our your own answer specific to your equipment. The answer you want is specific to the equipment. So if your instrument has zero or minimal chromatic error (CE), then ,by 1, any CE observed is likely to originate, by 2 , with the Barlow lens. It follows that if the Barlow is of a sufficient optical standard that it too has zero to minimal CE, then the observed views through the instrument will reflect this quality also - and the addition of the Barlow itself will not have created CE out of thin air as it were. I hope this clarifies. KR RJD A&NTV
Valuable help provided.Thank you so much.
Great video thanks for sharing
yes indeed, it did help, cheers :)
Hello. When you buy a tellescope, on the manual it tells you its highest usable magnificcation e.g 307x. Using a barlow lens can you also double the usefull magnification because the focal lenth is being doubled?