What is the difference between a powermate and a barlow

However, extreme caution must be taken when trying to look at the sun during the day because it has the potential to cause lasting eye damage.

The subject […]. Choosing a new cap for your collimation is not an easy decision. There are many options, and it can be hard to know which one will work best. The two most popular caps on the market today are the Collimation Cap and the Cheshire. But what is better?

And when should you get it? Read […]. Choosing between a Maksutov vs. Newtonian Telescope can be daunting, especially if you are new to the hobby. There is a lot of information spread throughout forums and blog posts that it can be difficult for someone looking at getting started in astronomy to get an idea of what might work best for them.

In […]. What are the Differences Between a Powermate and a Barlow? By: Kevin Date: October 5, Time to read: 6 min. Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer As an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Table Of Contents. What is Barlow Lens? How can a Barlow lens increase the number of eyepiece collections? Which is the best Barlow size? Benefits of Barlow lens What is Powermate? How can a Powermate lens increase the magnification without vignetting?

Which is the best Powermate lens? Benefits of Powermate Final Word. Flocking is the process of applying an adhesive, fuzzy flock material to telescope optical surfaces. The […]. With a mm telescope, you can see all the planets except Pluto, the moon, stars, and […]. Meanwhile, a […]. Anyone venturing into astronomy or astrophotography should understand reflector vs. Both […]. Newtonian Telescope can be daunting, especially if you are new to […].

A short focal length gives a wide angle of vision, but the images will appear smaller. Store it in its original […]. In short to medium focal length eyepieces the change is not noticeable. However, in the case of long focal length eyepieces, the increase can be significant and not without performance consequences.

Vignetting can occur due to the altered ray path, when the eyepiece's lenses are not large enough in diameter to allow all the rays to make it through. Shorter Barlows, or ones with too much magnification, only exacerbate the problem because the ray path entering the eyepiece is steeper. We had to go beyond the Barlow concept to achieve the goal of a compact, high power, fully corrected image amplifier. The result is a pure magnification increase. Error: JavaScript required for menu formatting.

See website advice. Imaging Accessories. Mobile Site. Our Blog! Featured Reviews. Barlow lenses are also used to achieve the prime focus with DSRL for astrophotography. You can choose from many options. To choose the right multiplier, check my article about the best Barlow lenses where I go deeper into this topic. The optical elements inside will not only magnify the image but also diverge the rays coming out. Moving the exit pupil out is not an issue for some people.

But the vignetting with long focal length eyepieces is the problem. This problem is almost invisible with short focal length eyepieces. So keep this in mind. Another problem for some people is that you have to refocus each time you change the eyepiece in the Barlow lens. However, some high-quality eyepieces require only a tiny bit of refocusing after changing the eyepiece. The advantage of the Barlow lens is that it is shorter than Powermate, and it is not extending from your focuser as much as Powermate.

Powermate is basically a Barlow lens with the additional optical element, positive doublet, to correct the pupil exit. Putting the eyepiece in the Powermate is like putting it directly into your focuser. The only thing you notice is the magnification.

There is no light ray diverging and no vignetting. The exit pupil is the same as without the Powermate. Also, some people say that the image quality is better compared to the Barlow lens.