At a Glance
28mm
Focal Length
68°
Apparent FOV
18mm
Eye Relief
2"
Barrel Size
Score Breakdown
Overview
The Explore Scientific 68-degree 28mm eyepiece is a solid low-power workhorse designed for sweeping views of nebulae, open clusters, and large galaxies. The 68-degree apparent field of view is wide enough to feel immersive without pushing into the optical compromises that sometimes plague ultra-wide designs. At 28mm focal length, this eyepiece works best as a finder and context piece, giving you a broad look at the sky before you zoom in with shorter focal lengths.
The 21.6mm of eye relief is genuinely comfortable, which matters during long observing sessions, and it makes this eyepiece accessible to observers who wear eyeglasses. The 2-inch barrel fits most mid-range and premium refractors, reflectors, and SCTs without adapters. EMD coatings help transmission stay strong across wavelengths, contributing to good contrast on faint extended objects like emission nebulae.
At 458 grams, it is a noticeable addition to a focuser, so owners of smaller scopes with lightweight focusers should check balance before committing. The 4.6-star rating across 77 Amazon reviews suggests consistent quality control, though that sample size is modest. At $299.99, it sits in a competitive tier where several strong alternatives exist, but the combination of eye relief, field size, and coating quality holds up well under scrutiny.
Key Features
- 68-degree apparent field of view provides an immersive, wide-angle perspective on large deep sky targets
- 21.6mm eye relief accommodates eyeglass wearers and reduces fatigue during extended sessions
- EMD multi-layer coatings improve light transmission and contrast, particularly useful on faint nebulae
- 2-inch barrel provides broad compatibility with most mid-range and premium telescope focusers
- 28mm focal length makes this an effective low-power survey eyepiece for framing large objects
- At 458 grams, balance should be verified before use on lightweight or smaller telescope setups
- Priced at $299.99, it competes in a well-stocked tier, but build quality and eye relief justify consideration
Specifications
| Focal Length | 28mm |
| Apparent FOV | 68° |
| Eye Relief | 18mm |
| Barrel Size | 2" |
| Design | Modified Erfle |
| Elements/Groups | 6/4 |
| Series | 68° |
| Coating | EMD (Enhanced Multi-layer Deposition) |
| Waterproof | Yes |
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Amazon Reviews
This review is for the Explore Scientific 20mm Lens with a 68 degree field of view. I had been looking at the Explore Scientific line-up for some time, when I saw that they were running a sale, I made my purchase and I'm very please with the eyepiece. This lens is a high quality product which produc...
I typically buy the Explore Scientific 82 degree UWA eyepieces. This one has the 68 degree AFoV. I had an 18MM UWA on back order but no telling when it was going to arrive and this was $100 less and 1 1/4" rather than 2" so fit some scopes I have with 1 1/4" visual backs and diagonals. There was not...
The media could not be loaded. I love this eyepiece, I use it for binoculars or better to say telescope binoculars Oberwerk 100 SD, amazing lenses the only problem I encounter was it curbs when you look a straight structures but I asume it is due to I used 2 eyepieces in my binoculars, amazing optic...
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