Eyepiece Review: SVBony Wide Field-Of-View Eyepiece Options SHOOTOUT - Which One Wins?
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- Опубліковано 8 гру 2022
- As your first step into wider field-of-view eyepieces, I compare the RED and GOLD line of eyepieces from SVBony. Which one wins?
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#telescope #eyepiece #review
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Summary: I compare two popular #eyepiece sets from SVBony that are a good first step into wider fields of view. These are good for #astrophotography. - Розваги
This video was so helpful to me as a noob trying to teach his 8 year old daughter haha.
I have sorted through so many videos and articles that kinda make my stupid head spin.
You are so good at communicating
Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad the video was helpful. Clear skies!
Thanks for taking the time to do this in depth review. Very helpful.
Happy to help. Clear skies!
One thing you did not mention was how these perform in an actual telescope or what telescope you own. This is essential for astronomers to know because all eyepieces work differently in different focal length and focal ratio telescopes. Red line and gold line are both 66°. The red line 68° is just marketing. The red line are better in binoviewers and just need some tape to fill in the undercuts on the barrels. The tapered barrels in binoviewers are a nightmare because the taper will not line up right in certain binoviewers. The 20mm and 15mm are not good in short focal length Newtonians. The 9mm and 6mm versions are ok. These are not bad entry level eyepieces for someone just starting in astronomy.
All excellent points and I very much appreciate your experience here (my channel generally focuses on Dobsonians except for the occasional refractor restoration project). Both Gold/Red worked great in my Dobsonians, but they are all f5 to f8. I had some feedback from a bino user who said the red line EP's kept popping on his bino viewer just like my Barlow. My contention is that either of these would be great first steps into wide field-of-view eyepieces. For the price, the set is hard to beat.
The 9mm and 6mm's are ok at F/5. The 20mm and 15mm's show off axis astigmatism. As for the red line "popping" in binoviewers, you are not tightening them enough so that the brass compression ring snugs up tight in the undercuts. The piece that is thinner on the barrels are called "undercuts". I put tape in my undercuts so that they are the same as the actual barrel, which helps a lot. Check out astronomy forums and type in "eyepiece undercuts" and you will see the tape trick. Cheers.
Great video John Thanks for your valuable information!
Thanks for watching! It was a fun experiment to find out which one was better - turns out they're both pretty much the same!
Perfect! I was looking for a comparison between the two and this is exactly what I was hoping to find!
Glad the video was helpful. I still use the black-bodied gold line version quite a bit.
Fantastic review! Thank you. Kind regards!
Thank you for the kind words. I hope you found the video helpful. Clear skies!
I really appreciate for the time and effort to put on these review! I'm still halfway but commented this early because you're the only one who (at least to my knowledege) compared these eyepieces in all of their available focal lengths through a video. HUGE PLUS on pointing out the weight! Before watching this I've always wondered about their weight differences. I am using a long refractor as my beginner scope so this really means a lot to me!
SvBony sometimes mess up their spec sheets it's gone to the point I find it unreliable just looking at them so I always find reviews like these. That being said I still like most of their products and find them interesting. They seem to cater to beginners like me who don't want to spends loads amount of money when buying scope accessories and stuff.
Anyways thanks for this helpful video! I do hope SvBony sponsors you hahaha! That would be nice. Clear skies!
Hi Jean, thank you for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed the detail - it's always a delicate balance with regard to how much information to include. I've had pretty good luck with SVBony equipment, so I'm happy to promote it if it works. Clear skies!
I decided to upgrade to the bst starguider ed eyepieces.excellent reviews and very well made.!
SVBony makes pretty good stuff.
great and systematic review
Thank you for watching. Clear skies!
very good info iam sure new people will find this helpful
Thanks! I tried to make the video be what I would've wanted when making the leap to my first wide field-of-view eyepieces. Clear skies!
Ok, fine! You talked me into the Red band 68 degree set. Wasn't really looking for new eyepieces but hey.. Merry Christmas to me! lol
Thanks! I hope you enjoy them lots. Clear skies!
Excellent video! You earned a sub =)
Thank you Mike. As this is a passion project of mine, that means the world. Clear skies!
Thanks for this, helped me decide what to buy. Am a beginner and just getting the hang of my starter refractor. Svbony does have quality with affordability.
Another great video John. I have one of those small exit eps and it makes me want to chunk it so dang far it's pitiful. I love the wide exits because I sometimes keep my glasses on when I'm scanning the sky. Didn't know that higher powers were made with that big of exits. Kinda a newbie here. I am going to have to look into these svbonys . Thanks a bunch . From da Bayou State.
Thank you for watching! Yah, when I learned that we could have high-magnification AND big exit lenses, I was like Bring it on! I used to own a Meade 4mm eyepiece with an unconscionably small exit lens - it was virtually impossible to use. I kept it around as a joke. With that said, I am slowly moving over to Explore Scientific's 82-degree eyepieces. They are superb with a HUGE immersive look. All of my recent Space Station photos have been taken with those (the earlier ones were taken with the SVBony Gold 6mm). The only problem with the ES eyepieces is that the new price for one is more than the entire SVBony Gold and Red sets combined! I buy them used on Cloudy Nights when I can. Clear skies!
Excellent video. Like!
Thanks for watching. Clear skies!
thanks for the help
Thank you for watching. Clear skies!
been binging your content all day. keep up the great outreach and demystifying how telescopes work for novices. I would also ask people that are interested in these if they plan on doing solar projection. if so the red ones are a no brainer being metal.
Wow, thank you for watching! I've still having lots of fun. I'm a bit of a chicken when it comes to solar observing. I stick with the filter glasses.
Good. I bought the gold set on sale from Amazon!
I think you're going to enjoy them. I used them tonight on Jupiter!
Thanks for the videos. Would these eyepieces be good in the 4.5" Starblast? Im thinking about getting the 20mm.
They work great in a Starblast. I've used them in my Starblast on many occasions. Clear skies!
The redline eyepieces are more readily available in Australia and about the same price as the goldlines, so I just opted for the reds. Lots of debate on forums about if they're a bargain or if they should be avoided and everyone has a theory on what telescopes they work with. Personally I've found that on both an 80mm refractor and 5" dobsonian they're comfortable to use, the views are great and an amateur astronomer wouldn't notice any issues. The wide AFOV and build quality (metal instead of all-plastic) are a big improvement. They're a solid step up from the standard EP's without breaking the bank. If you want nothing but perfection then you buy eyepieces that cost 10x the price, simple as that.
Excellent summary. Thank you for watching. Clear skies!
Thanks for your comparission. I am absolutely new and searching for a good starting eyepiece. Some people recommend a 25mm plössl. Would you recommend the 20mm red/gold instead of a 25mm plössl?
You can't go wrong with a plossl, but these SVBony gold line eyepieces have the added benefit of having a slightly larger field of view (66 degrees versus the 52 degrees commonly found with plossls). It means these gold line eyepieces give you a bit more of the "porthole" effect which is kindof cool. It also keeps the sky targets in view a bit longer (they have a bigger view circle to cross). One of the much bigger benefits of these gold-lines are the "big glass" lenses. With plossl's, once you get down into the high-magnification 8mm eyepieces, the lens you look through is tiny. On these SVBONY eyepieces (either set), the lenses are quite large.
I have an svbony prism I recently bought with the band type grabber and I ordered the red 6mm to use with it, but I’ll see. Ordered for the upcoming eclipses. I hadn’t bought a new eyepiece for 15 years, but a 9mm gold band is one I have and liked. I always liked my 12.5mm Celestron Xcel, and thought these were like those but cheaper. Glad I wasn’t wrong.
Hopefully you don't have any of the looseness problems that I had. I'm generally not a fan of the band-tighteners, but they seem to be popular on high end products now. Clear skies!
The gold line is the same as what was originally introduced decades ago as the orion expanse series.
I think the red lines are made by a different OEM.
Only the 6 and 9 are decent in fast scopes, because they have the negative group in the barrel. The 15 and 20 fall apart at the edges in fast scopes
I have the 23mm aspheric svbony eyepiece. 62°very light eyepiece with big eye lens too.
Those bigger eye lenses make a world of difference. Clear skies!
The issue of tightening in the Barlow with compression ring doesn't happen with any of my compression rings, and specifically not with my SV137 Barlows. Be that as it may, there actually is a difference worth noting - the coatings are different. I've given them each a lot of scrutiny and I believe the coatings on the red are superior.
Thanks! That is really good to know about the coatings. Clear skies!
SVbony 25mm Plossl's have a large exit lens and less glass. I am wondering if the lens in the bottom of the 6mm and 9mm is a Barlow? Were there any issues in focus on the edges of the field of view? Thanks for the review as I was wondering what the difference between the two was.
I think the lens at the bottom does act as a Barlow in the 6mm and 9mm. It unscrews and everything. I don't recall having any image issues, but I've been trying to check tonight and weather is not cooperating. Thank you for watching!
Great review! Given your description it seems like these EPs incorporate a Barlow in them. Your belt type Barlow (Celestron) may be at fault rather than the EP? There may not be enough gap at the ends of the belt? Belts can be removed and trimmed. Maybe check with other belt type parts. I am not at all impressed by the screw only Barlows. Some SVBony products are great, and I think these are one of those as is my 80mmED SV503 refractor.
It's very possible that it is Barlow specific. I've generally had very good luck with SVBony products. Clear skies!
Great review John thanks. The Barlow comparison was a surprise. A note about the undercuts on each of those eyepiece barrels. One is tapered, the other is squared off. It’s not surprising that a compression ring clamp on that Barlow would be fidgety on a tapered barrel. Whereas a single screw works well on either. Some folks have real problems with certain types of undercut on barrels especially if you’re focuser has a single screw or a compression ring. I noticed also that the gold line have a bluish purple coating on the eye lens whereas the red line eyepieces have a green coating. It is claimed that a green coating is superior.
Thanks! I didn't even notice the color difference. I am truly an amateur (but I am learning).
Learning is also a huge joy in this hobby. I love saying,
“I’ll be da-ned”! Also, did I miss the part where you mentioned what scope you did the shoot out in? Fast dobs are very demanding on eyepieces as far as coma, etc.
@@littlesunny63 I used my trusty Orion 8 inch Dobsonian (XT8).
@@reflactor you have a faster 10 or 12” dob right? Now do a shoot out between your favorite series, all focal lengths between the xt8, a fast dob and refractors or MAK/CASS if you got them. Go John, Go John!! LOL
@@littlesunny63 I do have a 12 inch (I sold my 10 inch). I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I also have a 6 inch that I built out of plywood. :) Perhaps I could run the ES 82's through all three?
Like! How is the image quality of the SVBony eyepieces compared to similar ones from other companies ?
Good question. To me, the image is right up there with the Explore Scientific eyepieces, but I'll admit some of the SVBony set have a bit of kidneybeaning depending on where your eye is situated. I did have some very nice Tele Vue eyepieces, but I sold all of them once I started collecting the Explore Scientific 82 degree eyepieces. But if you're starting out and on a budget, I'd recommend these SVBony set. Clear skies!
@@reflactor thank you for the answer!
Did you try fitting your moon filters to the Red Line?
They had the standard filter thread.
I have the Golden series 66º from Celestron. They are made in fact for high focal ratio telescopes (love to use them in my 3-inch f/16.4 vintage Japanese achromat). I don't particularly like very much the 9 mm ep. The 6 mm ep is as good as an orthoscopic can be, especially at the very center (compared for example with a Baader BCO 6 mm ortho, there's no difference at all and the 66º 6 mm is more comfortable to use).
I was wondering what the differences would be between the red and golden models and if the extra 2º AFoV would be worth of, so, thanks for your excellent review! I will still recommend the Golden series for colleagues starting in Astronomy!
The Gold series 66 is the best bang for the buck. From my own tests, I couldn't find any difference (optically) between the two, so I question if they are either both 66 or both 68. Either way, they're great. I like the tapered barrels of the cheaper Gold line. The red line has rubber grips on some of them if that means much to you. You can't go wrong with the Gold line. Thanks for watching! If you'd like to support the channel, please use the links int he description box.Clear skies!
@@reflactor Seems to me the 68º series is only 66º, as you tested with the Moon. So the difference seems just construction details.
Gold Gold ==Forever´´ yessssss thanks´´
Since they are both effectively 66 degrees, I always recommend the gold-line these days. They are the cheaper set.
Yes they are amazing. I have the AngelEyes branded version of these. The 15mm is my favorite for DSOs.. such a nice little sharp eyepiece.
I love these eyepieces. Many of my early Space Station captures were done with the 6mm gold line from this series.
Note: The Gold has matte black black edges of the elements, the Red series does not say?
Good question. I don't know. I got rid of the red series.
Can you explain how to deal with the field of view through a cell phone? Mine is just unusable.
On a cellphone, the field of view translates directly into how "big" the viewing circle is on the cellphone camera. For example, when I use an eyepiece with a tiny field-of-view, the resulting circle is quite small and takes up only half of the camera image (screen). If I use an eyepiece with a large field-of-view (82 degrees or higher), the resulting image takes up most of the camera view (screen).
Not a surprise, but red SVBony eyepieces fit well into an SVBony barlow with compression ring.
Good to know, thanks. Their prism has one, too.
Maybe these have the same optical elements, just with different housings and barrels?
I was thinking the same thing.
Very likely. It seems like a lot of trouble to go through for products that are nearly identical. I bet there's an interesting story behind it. Clear skies!
As of January 2024, they are still the same price. $120 and $130. As for quality. I haven't bought these yet but I did buy a dielectric diagonal from SvBONY and compared to the one I had. I have 2 complete sets of 1 1/4 inch Meade series 4000 Super Plossls. One came with a LXD-55 10 inch Schmidt Newtonian and the other with a 6 inch LXD-55 Refractor. The refractor's set came with a diagonal and I tested it against my computer desk. The desk is brown on top but the diagonal made it look almost grey. I tested the SvBONY diagonal and it looked exactly the same as the naked eye. So the point is that the SvBONY diagonal was a quality item.
Thank you for your comment. I've also found SVBony gear to be really quite good. I've heard the dielectric diagonals are pretty awesome with nearly perfect reflection.
I did end up buying the red band set. I haven't used on a scope yet but I compared them to the equivalent Meade Series 4000 Super Plossls. Looking at the mostly white computer screen, the Meade eyepieces had a noticeable dimming and a subtle yellow tint and a narrower field of view. The SVBONYs produced a normal colored image that was brighter. Interestingly the 32mm and 40mm Meade eyepieces did not show the tint or dimming (the SVBONY set did not include eyepieces in that size range, the largest being 20mm).
@@bill5982the later made in china meade super plossls are meh. But the japanese ones are really good, especially the original smoothside ones which were 5 element, hence "super" plossl. Any 4 element calling itself a super plossl is just marketing
Gold band may be better suited for entry level Binoviewers too. Twist lock slop using Red bands on my OVL is an issue. Knurling won't be required and less weight would be a bonus too. Great video I will be sharing. Just missing coatings however at that money it really isn't an issue. Perfect upgrade for small Dobs.
Thank you for this information. After further investigation, my Red bands only had problems in the Celestron Barlow (with the cooper ring). However, I found a fix and I'm putting together "Part 2" of the review to show how it works. I'm going to distribute the 3D STL file for anybody who wants it for free.
Choose the Gold 9mm and 6mm, remove the the Barrel(there’s a Barlow element inside),get some old 35mm Film canisters and cut a hole the size of the Barrel in the bottom and glue the Barrel to it(Thread inside the canister). Now you‘ve got two zoom Eyepieces by sliding them up and down the canister, 8.5 to 5mm and 5.5 to 3.5mm, perfect for adjusting to the Seeing on F6 Scopes. There are different types of canisters ,but it didn‘t take too long to find the right ones, just be careful to not drop the Eyepieces.
That's a very clever idea for a zoom eyepiece!
The best thing is the constant 66* AfoV😀
@@zappel52 Agreed, that is nice!
@@zappel52 Have u tried this? I’m very interested in attempting this now. How does the eyepiece stay in position sliding up and down the canister?
I've tried several Canisters, some were rather loose, but i've found some with the right fit.@@hassaanwaqas8896
I was really curious about the difference between these and as I suspected, it's pretty much the housing.
The gold eyepieces are OEM for the Orion Expanse. So, if someone were considering the Expanse, I think the gold bands would be a worthwhile try. Their black plossl is also the same as the Sirius Plossl. The Svbony versions tend to use the 'green' coatings, but I dont really know how they compare, as I dont have both versions of any of the same pieces. Though my pieces with the 'blue' coatings seem to have a little better contrast, in general. I don't know if its a different coating material, or just a difference in the number of layers. That said, the Svbony 25mm plossl I got for $17 is one of my favorites. Even sent one to a friend, whose son got an Astromaster 130 for Christmas (Im a big spender)
Some of these, particularly the plossl, are available under other brands, or 'UNBRANDED' for even less. My 25mm is occasionally available for as little as $11, in a very basic housing.
Of note is that almost all budget to mid grade consumer optics are made in two factories in China. Much of the higher end optics are being made there, now, as well. So with some shopping and study, its possible to find a lot of 'big brand' optics, from Svbony, Gosky, or others.
Thanks! I have a set of Plossl's that I keep around because they "get the job done". It's hard to make a bad Plossl. I've been very happy with the gold-line EP's from SVBony. I took many of my ISS photos with that 6mm. Clear skies!
@@reflactor
You should do a review or something, for 'Starguider ED' eyepieces (whatever brand they're under now). I tried the 'TMB'(mine is Astromania) Planetary and it didn't compare favorably to my Celestron X-Cel. Of course it's half the price, but I still expected it to be closer. I am concerned about the housing shape, because I do a bit of cellphone astrophoto.
@@springbloom5940 I might, but I'll have to save up - I buy all of my own stuff (usually used). To be honest, I have moved on to the Explore Scientific 82 degree series and absolutely love them (also bought used).
Bought the redlines and they are ok,I don’t like the kidney bean shadow in these,still catch myself going back to my 15mm celestron omni just seems like a better view in my opinion.
The kidneybean can be an issue, but mainly on the... 9mm? I'm glad you have an eyepiece that produces a satisfactory view. Clear skies!
@@reflactor yeah the 9 is bad,feel like my eyes are gonna cross lol
Looks like the red are fully multi coated and the gold are just multi coated gold have a purple coating red have green coating
Thanks for the info. I didn't even notice that! I would check it, but I no longer own the red-line series. I kept the gold-line eyepieces because they work really well with all my equipment and smartphone adapters (no rubber grips). Clear skies!
@@reflactor it’s hard to tell cos they look green the gold in one part of the video
@@reflactorhi sir, really love your contents, just one question between those 4 eyepieces, which mm has minimum vignet when you put your smartphone in to it?
@@pandagooo I no longer own the Red series, so I can't say for those. However, I don't really see any vignetting when I use my smartphone with the 6mm and 9mm eyepieces (I don't take photos with the larger ones).
Hmmm...I don't think you helped yourself by even pretending to be receptive to sponsorship from a company whose products you're about to 'review'.
If you consider that the entire half of the review was me trying to fix their ever-so-mildly defective product, I doubt I'll ever be hearing from SVBony for sponsorship, lol.
Guys svbony eyepieces are really example of worst quality just stay away from svbony,thses guys are making paid reviews and making money unless you really use it you would not come to know the quality.
This was not a paid review. I bought these with my own money. I designed the 3D printed washer fix all by myself in my spare time. For the price, both sets of these eyepieces are excellent. I prefer the goldline.
Just got me 2 aspherical pieces for 13$ a piece,want to check the quality of svbony lenses before I buy one of these more expensive sets.