Several examples of the Celestron Silver top Plossl eyepieces from the 1980's. Shown are the Japanese 22mm, 36mm and 26mm. Note the double dots above the "o" in the word PLoSSL on the above eyepieces.

Al Paslow Astronomy Collection

Images and events of personal interest.

Pictures and videos of eyepieces, classic and modern as well as other accessories. In this review we also attempt to date when various popular eyepieces were produced. Some are considerably older than you may think! - Al Paslow - Brandon eyepiece user & believer since 1970.

Important - Click on any image to enlarge then click on the final size at the top of the page on the left. You can enlarge all the old advertisements to full size by hitting the "O" after the first click!

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Dakin Barlows also highly recommended are another Venonscope product. Click on above image for various sizes. Originally developed by Ralph Dakin.

Here's your full set of Brandon eyepieces and filters as of July 1968. Click on the above image for larger images. By this time the barrels had changed again. The writing now is on the eyepiece cap, rather than written horizontaly on the barrel as in the series made before.

Brandon eyepieces in the late 1960's continued to improve. By Sept 1968 they were advertised as being parafocalized, and threaded to accept "Vernonscope Filters". (In the examples I own of the prior series Brandon oculars had NO provisions for filters at all due to lack of threads on the bottom of the eyepiece barrel.)They also were individually cased in a black vinyl pouch with belt loop. It should be noted that to this day Brandon threading is unique to Vernonscope filters only!

University Optics Sept 1968- showing their variety of Orthoscopic eyepieces.

Here is an early ad for Meade Research Grade orthoscopic eyepieces and other Meade products. The old Meade Research Orthos had focal lengths in 6.6mm, 10, 16, 20 and 26.6mm. Also see the "Series 1" line of Orthoscopics too. This ad is dated July 1975 - Astronomy Magazine.

The Meade Research Grade Orthoscopic eyepieces completely changed between 1975 and 1977. Here we see the Meade Research Grade Orthos in the following focal lengths- 4mm, 7mm, 10.5mm, 16.8mm and 28mm. Substantial differences in just a short time. Also Meade apparently sold what was classified as Series 1 Orthoscopic eyepieces in barrel sizes from 0.965 which is the Japanese standard to 1.25 inch size the American standard. Hence this advertisement helps offer proof that the sought after Meade Research Grade eyepieces actuall date back into the 1970's and not 1980's as some faithful users have suggested. S & T Jan 1977.

Between 1977 and 1979 Meade had introduced a "Series 2" Orthoscopic line of eyepieces available in both the 1.25 inch barrel size or the Japanese standard barrel 0.965 inches. The "Research Grade" line of both Erfles and Orthoscopic are of course retained and were successful for many more years before production ended. Both the Series 2 Orthoscopic eyepieces and Research Grade are all described as multi-coated and parafocalized. Note that several 2 inch eyepieces are also advertised - a 60 mm Kellner and a 32mm Erfle . (They are not described under a Research or Series 2 ocular.) This is per S & T - Sept 1979.

Several examples of the Celestron Silver top Plossl eyepieces from the 1980's. Shown are the Japanese 22mm, 36mm and 26mm. Note the double dots above the "o" in the word PLoSSL on the above eyepieces.