TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm

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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
Probably the single most used eyepiece in my collection. Everything that it does is excellent. Bright picture window views, excellent edge correction. Much better eye releif than the Type 2 version.

Most of my views of Saturn/Jupiter are through this eyepiece. It gives me 150X on my Russion Maksutov and usually seeing conditions will limit excellent views to this in my area.

On an exceptional night a few months back, M22 looked so good through an 8" dob that I thought I was going to fall over! Overall, it is an excellent performer and does a better job than the Type 2 in every way.

Highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 10
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
This is a fantastic eyepiece by any standard! Even though I own other Naglers, Panoptics, and Radians, I have to say that this is my new favorite EP. The Nagler 12 Type 4 has superb contrast, sharpness, and light transmission combined with the wide 82 degree FOV. This eyepiece seems ideal in all of the scopes that I own. You get a perspective on deep sky objects like never before through this EP, and it doesn't much matter what it is you are looking at. Try using this EP with an 8 inch Dob, and you'll swear your scope has miraculously grown several inches in aperture!

Overall Rating: 10
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
Great coatings, very nice image, but terrible kidney bean effect. Plus the eyeguard is to loose.

Overall Rating: 5
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
I absolutely love this eyepiece. It provides 100x and a 2mm exit pupil on my 8" dob. The eyepiece is much lighter than the 13mm Nagler 1 and somewhat lighter than the 12mm Type 2. I compared the 13mm Nagler to this eyepiece on one particuarly good night. I found this eyepiece to be much brigher and sharper than the 13mm Nagler. It does, however, have (to a somewhat lesser degree) the same kidney beaning that the 13mm Nagler had (a trait the 12mm Type 2 lacks). On another night I had the opportunity to compare both 12mm's and the 13mm, and I couldn't tell a whole lot of difference. However, there was enough moisture in atmosphere that night that nothing looked very good, so it wasn't the best of nights for a comparison.

The only thing that bothers me about the eyepiece is the InstaAdjust eye guard because I wish it had a lock down position. You have to be very careful about which part of the eyepiece you grab when you pick it up, or you will get this sickening feeling in your stomach as the InstaAdjust starts slipping and it feels like you're going to drop a $340 eyepiece.

Overall Rating: 10
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
I use this EP with an Apogee 8" F4, and it alone practically eliminates all but the very edge most corona. Outstanding FOV -- I can get the pleides and then some into view at once. I use it for practically everything now.

Overall Rating: 10
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
Excellent views. Edge sharpness best of the Type 4's. I'd give it a 10 except for the Instajust. I'd like to drill and tap the bottom collar on the Instajust so I could lock it, but haven't yet mustered the courage to mutilate such an expensive eyepiece.

Overall Rating: 9
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
What can I add to the previous comments apart from ditto. I haven't used any other eyepiece since this (including Naglers and Panoptics); bright, contrasty images in razor sharp focus across the FOV, and haven't noticed any kidney beaning. Its even great just to look at! I agree about the Instajust, and am experimenting with removable, flexible adhesive.

Overall Rating: 10
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
P.S. Apart from being the best eyepiece I have ever used, it Barlows beautifully! I use it often in 2X, and occasionally in 3X, Televue Barlows and it loses nothing! On many occasions the only thing that reminds you it is being Barlowed after half an hour use is the smaller field! I now have 12mm, 6mm and 4mm superb type 4 Nagler eyepieces, for less than the price of one and a half!

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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
Impressive eyepiece, but for me, fatally hampered by distracting kidney bean effect. I could not get close enough to see the entire field without serious kidney beaning.

Overall Rating: 6
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
Severe kidney bean unless your eye is absolutely centered and at the proper distance from the eyelens - this eyepiece is a challenge to use. With practice you can learn how to place your eye - then it works as advertised. Certainly not a lens for public nights.

Overall Rating: 6
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
A great eyepiece, perfect in every respect except for one thing which doesn't bother me too much but it could be very annoying for some people: a kidney-beaning blackout effect when you're too close to the eyepiece and you try to look around. That's what the clickstop eyeguard is for, you set it to the right height so you don't get that blacking out!

I find the eyeguard handy, but wish it were designed a bit differently. It has just enough resistance to cause my 8" Dob to move if I try to adjust the setting, so I have to hold the scope in place while I adjust the eyeguard. This isn't too big a deal at 100x, but at higher powers like on the Radians this could be bothersome.

But about the view, a true porthole into space! Stunning wide views that are very addicting. Not quite as pinpoint sharp as Panoptics however, but at powers of 100+ that's to be expected. On nights of poor seeing, I sometimes have trouble finding perfect focus.

Overall Rating: 9
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
my favorite etepiece. comfortable for me. some people have trouble getting
in the right position. sharp images to the edge.

Overall Rating: 10
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
Great eyepiece except for the blackouts if the eye relief isn't held properly. Very sharp images. I can only find lateral color when I look at the moon with my 12.5" F6 reflector. There is very little color. It is visible only right at the edge of the field and only when the moon is just entering the field.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
This eyepiece has become my deep-sky goto eyepiece (telescope 10" f4.5 newt). The views are truely spectacular. The eyepiece renders a .86 degree field of view at 95X with excellent brightness and contrast for such a complex design. The eyepiece can cover quite a bit of ground, from galaxy clusters to globulars to various nebulae. Does not render enough magnification on my scope for the planets, and even if it did I would use a simpler design.

The kidney-beaning talk about is there, but it is not bothersome to me. You can adjust the eyeguard to get rid of it if you wish. The kidney-bean effect is exacerbated when looking at bright objects like the moon (obviously an exit pupil issue).

Of course eyepiece performance will vary from scope to scope. I tend to use different eyepiece designs for different viewing purposes. High-contrast high-power viewing is left to simpler designs while low-power wide-field views are generally when I use the more complex wide-field eyepieces (until I decide to zoom in).

But when spending this kind of money ($340) you should: 1) try before you buy --if you can (or) 2) ask the dealer to allow you to take the eyepiece home for a day or two before committing to the purchase.

Love this eyepiece on deep-sky (subtracted one point for kidney-beaning).

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
Excellent contrast, obviously the type 4's have the best coatings yet on the Nagler series. Kidney bean effect is noticable, yet not a problem on most objects. Very sharp on axis.

Overall Rating: 9
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
Very good on my MK67 and MN56. Wide field great on deep sky objects. Kidney bean
effect doesn't bother me but it bothers most of my friends. My 32mm Edmunds
Erfle with a good barlow has better images but only 68 deg field.
FUN EYEPIECE!

Overall Rating: 9
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
Kidney bean effect must be an individual issue. I have not experienced it with this eyepiece. What I have experienced is tack sharp views across the entire field, excellent contrast, superior correction at fast f/ratios. Images just snap into focus. I don't see how this eyepiece could be improved on. For "perfect" widest field views in this focal length, it's probably a choice between the 12mm Nagler T4 and the Meade 14mm UWA. The 12.5mm Zeiss/Docter is also reviewed here, but I haven't seen one. If kidney bean doesn't effect you, the 12mm T4 is definitely an eyepiece to own.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
Awesome view. Words cannot describe. Massive FOV compared to typical plossls. Have to see it to believe it. Orion nebula is awesome, trap shows 6 stars at 100x with direct vision (in average or slightly better seeing). Barlows nicely even with my cheap Celestron unit. Nice detailed views of Jupiter and Saturn at 200x (barlowed).

Not sure the 17mm ER is accurate, seems like less, 12mm maybe.

Somewhat sensitive to eye position, if it is not right, the blackout areas appear.

My model has a much stiffer instajust than others describe, I can pick mine up by the instajust and it won't move unless jostled. Has 6 or so detents in the travel. May be a 'new and improved' model. Haven't seen any others to compare.

This single eyepiece (and the barlow) took the place of four others. Highly recommended (if eyeglasses are not required during observing).

9 rating due to eye placement sensitivity.

Overall Rating: 9
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TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
I don't like to give an EP a 10, but this is a great EP! As in most things you must compromise in one area to gain in another. The pursuit is to find that perfect balance of attributes that best suit you needs. This EP does it for me. I am not an expert, but I do have a number of EPs to compare this one to and thought I would throw in my two cents.

I have not had the same problem that some individuals have had with the kidney bean effect and the instajust does not bother me either. So for me this is a non-factor. You may feel differently.

This EP does well on every type of object that I have used it on. While this EP may have a small disadvantage in light throughput when compared to a simpler design, it does not give up much in comparison. Contrast is excellent and very pleasing on the planets and Moon. The FOV is awesome!

I was observing doubles with this EP and it did a great job. Tack sharp! I was comparing it to a 10mm/16mm Zeiss ortho and it compared well in sharpness. I observed no apparent lateral color. I was using a Meade 7" MCT.

If I did not already own this EP I would buy it! This EP is expensive so you may want to test before buying. Highly Recommended.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=43565

TeleVue Nagler Type 4 12mm
This is a great eyepiece. It is sharp, it has great contrast, and the eye relief will spoil you in a hurry.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=43566

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