I bought this eyepiece online, it was slightly used, when I received it, it was in perfect condition, never cleaned and no scratches anywhere.

I live in California and make a trip to Arizona once a month where dark skies and steady conditions are common.

I own a CGE1100 that I cherish dearly, so I only keep quality eyepieces. This one was no exception. This eyepiece has a long eye relief (20mm), perfect for glass wearer (like myself), I believe this eyepiece was purposely manufacturer with that in mind.

These are notes from the first test:

- First light is M13, absultely astonishing, the view is simply beautifull. Most stars are sharp, at the core however, some stars become a little blurry, probably because of the brightness or the 6 elements may also limit light transmission? Not sure.

- Jupiter: I can make out three or four cloud belts, with definite color.  I can see the red spot very clearly, the redness is more of a light burgundy color. The image is as sharp as can be for Jupiter.

- M31 (Andromeda galaxy) very nice indeed, brighter than I saw it last time.

- Saturn. This is my favorite planet, I spend quite a bit of time looking at it. The Cassini division is very sharp and dark, the planet is a little too bright, edges are sharp and well defined. I might need a filter.

- M42 (Orion Nebula) nebulosity looks almost three dimentional, it is absolutely beautiful. Contrast is really nice, lots of dark areas where there should be.

I stopped taking notes after this, the rest of the evening was really enjoyable. There is nothing like owning nice equipment, it makes the experience so much more enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this eyepiece.

I also wish there was a rating system. (webmaster, are you reading this?)

Pros

long eye relief
clear and sharp views

Cons

none whatsoever

Rating

-- End of review