8-24mm long eye relief zoom 8-24mm long eye relief zoom

8-24mm long eye relief zoom

9 Review(s) | Add Your Review

$84.99

Availability: More on the way

This Meade 8- 24mm zoom eyepiece has its focal lengths marked in 1mm increments for repeatable power settings (for example when two eyepieces are used in a binocular viewer) . . .
Our Product #: MZ
Meade Product #: 07199-2
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Product Description

This Meade zoom eyepiece is fully multicoated, with an 8mm to 24mm focal length range and a soft rolldown rubber eyecup. Focal lengths are marked in 1mm increments for repeatable power settings (for example when two eyepieces are used in a binocular viewer). It uses a lanthanum rare earth glass field lens for a long eye relief that's suitable for virtually unvignetted use with eyeglasses.

As with almost all zooms, the field of view of this eyepiece decreases as the focal length increases. This results in a narrower apparent field of view at low powers and a wider apparent field at high powers than you can achieve with similar focal length single magnification eyepieces. This is just the reverse of what most people expect from eyepieces - which is a wider field at lower powers, where you're usually observing larger objects that don't need as much magnification to fit in the eyepiece field.

Of course, when you factor in the increasing magnification as the focal length decreases, the actual field of view still gets narrower as the power increases. However, a single magnification eyepiece in the 24mm focal length range will typically have an actual field of view that's 25% wider than the zoom set at the same focal length. At an 8mm focal length, the zoom will typically have a field 10% wider than a single magnification eyepiece of the same focal length.

Likewise, the usable eye relief changes as the focal length is changed, in this case decreasing somewhat in the middle focal lengths and increasing to a maximum at the focal length extremes. Contrast is also generally a little lower than you'll find in single magnification eyepieces of similar focal lengths. If these minor anomalies are not a problem for you, a zoom offers the convenient ability to precisely match the observing magnification to the seeing conditions, as well as offering a virtually infinite number of magnifications in a single reasonably-priced eyepiece.

The specifications given to the left are for the zoom set at its longest focal length of 24mm. With a 2000mm focal length telescope, such as an 8" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain, the 40° apparent field at 24mm will result in an actual field of view that's 0.48° across.
At the 16mm focal length, this zoom has a 42° apparent field (giving a 0.34° actual field with the same 8" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain) and 12mm of eye relief.
At a 12mm focal length, the apparent field is 45° (a 0.27° actual field with the same 8" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain) and the eye relief is again 12mm.
At an 8mm focal length, the zoom's apparent field increases to 55° (a 0.22° actual field with the same 8" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain), with 15mm of eye relief.

Tech Details

Barrel Size 1.25"
Eye Relief 16mm at low power
Focal Length 8mm-24mm
Number of optical elements 7
Weight 7 oz
Warranty 1 year

Reviews

Review by:
Getting used to the zoom. Been using it a lot more each viewing session. It's a great eyepiece for the price. Very easy to use. Images are clear and sharp. Construction seems solid. (Posted on 9/13/2019)
Review by:
I am just starting to dive a bit deeper into astronomy and astrophotography. I purchased this eyepiece as my first eyepiece besides the ones that came with my small telescope. A huge upgrade from those original eyepieces. Views of Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon were excellent. It comes in a convenient plastic holder. It also has a M42 thread underneath the rubber eye shield which allows the attachment of a T-ring for a dslr camera adapter. Using this, I have been able to do some limited eyepiece projection photography of Jupiter and Saturn. (Posted on 8/26/2019)
Review by:
Most of us might guess that this zoom eyepiece won't give us as fine views as an expensive TeleVue or Explore Scientific eyepiece. And we would be correct. However, for an eyepiece that costs less than $80 it provides tremendous convenience and pretty darn nice views of the night sky. It's terrific when out with another amateur or someone new to the hobby. A slight twist, a quick refocus (not very hard to do) and you can easily double or triple the power, achieving the best combination of magnification and sharpness that the scope and skies will allow. Despite it's somewhat narrower field of view than a single focal length eyepiece, it manages to take in a big enough slice of sky for almost all purposes. It's slight edge aberrations and minimal light loss compared to the expensive eyepieces shouldn't steer you away from this zoom. Moreover, compared to the other major brand zoom at the same price point, I would give the nod to this Meade which just seems a bit sharper to me, even though it's likely to have been made by the same overseas manufacturer. A worthwhile investment that will get a lot of use. (Posted on 7/30/2019)
Review by:
Nice quality build and eye relief, you can use this instead of carrying many different eyepieces with you. Works well with Meade Refactor, Orion Reflector and Celestron C90 Mak... (Posted on 7/24/2019)
Review by:
I was searching for a zoom eyepiece that would allow me to use my AT72 without toting along a box of eyepieces to dark sites as well as "grab and go" at home. I was skeptical at the price given the cost of boutique zooms costing many times the money that this eyepiece does. I had nothing to worry about. This eyepiece will free you up from the accessory bag. The images are bright, sharp and the zoom function works perfectly. I would buy this again and I would also purchase it for a gift for a fellow observer. If you're on the fence don't be, just click "buy". (Posted on 11/25/2018)
Review by:
This was not only my first zoom eyepiece but also my first Meade eyepiece. My first reaction, excellent quality. Framed everything nicely no matter the zoom level. No vignetting, and great ease of use. The luxury of not having to swap eyepieces is most appreciated on those cold winter nights where just the process of searching for your next eyepiece, in the dark, is excruciating.
All in all, I can not recommend this eyepiece enough. You will not be disappointed! (Posted on 11/24/2018)
Review by:
This is a clear and sharp zoom across the board. It's an excellent value EP and one that I can recommend for someone just getting started in the hobby, is on a limited budget or, like me, wants to pair it with their grab and go scope - in my case an AT66ED, which makes a really nice and very easy to carry combination! (Posted on 11/16/2018)
Review by:
This was my first zoom eyepiece, and I found it to be more than adequate for the price. I do suggest it because it's convenient for those times when I just want a quick view with a grab-n-go scope. I have another zoom (7mm - 21mm; 2" format) made by another manufacturer, and the views are comparable. (Posted on 11/15/2018)
Review by:
This was the first eyepiece I purchased with my LX200 8" scope. I found this to be the only one i needed for almost 5 years. Very sharp and clear eyepiece. I purchased a Williams optics zoom years later and found this one to be almost as good. The WO one was 3 times the price though. For a good all around Zoom eyepiece that wont break the bank, I highly recommend the Meade 9-24mm. Views of the planets and moon were stunning, with the added convenience of being able to zoom in and not have to change eyepieces . I only changed eyepieces if I wanted an eyepiece below 24mm, which was not very often. Served me well with great views for many years. (Posted on 10/28/2018)
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