Astromania · Eyepiece
Astromania Plossl 6mm
Budget-friendly 6mm Plossl that punches above its price for lunar and planetary detail work
Performance Scores
Overview
The Astromania 6mm Plossl is a short focal length eyepiece designed to pull out fine detail on the Moon, planets, and tighter deep-sky targets. At 6mm, it delivers high magnification when paired with most amateur telescopes, so a scope with a 900mm focal length, for example, will yield 150x with this eyepiece. That is genuinely useful for splitting double stars or tracing lunar craters on steady nights.
The 50-degree apparent field of view is standard for a Plossl design, not wide-angle, but adequate for planetary work. The four-element fully multi-coated optics help maintain contrast and color accuracy at that magnification, which matters more at high power than at low. Eye relief on a 6mm Plossl is short by nature, roughly 5 to 6mm, so eyeglass wearers may find it uncomfortable.
That is worth knowing before you buy. Build quality for the price is solid. The aluminum barrel, fold-down rubber eyeguard, and threaded barrel for filters are features you would expect on eyepieces costing considerably more. At under $16, this is a reasonable first high-magnification eyepiece for someone building out a basic kit, with honest optical performance for casual lunar and planetary observing.
At a Glance
6mm
Focal Length
Specifications
Key Features
- 6mm focal length delivers high magnification suited for lunar detail and planetary observing
- Fully multi-coated four-element optics improve contrast and minimize color fringing at high power
- 50-degree apparent field of view is standard for the Plossl design, appropriate for the focal length
- Threaded 1.25-inch barrel accepts standard astronomy filters and is compatible with most Barlow lenses
- Fold-down rubber eyeguard and matte-blackened lens edges reduce stray light and improve viewing comfort
- Short eye relief is a real consideration for eyeglass wearers given the 6mm focal length
- Strong value for a first high-magnification eyepiece at under $16, backed by a 4.5-star average across 381 reviews
Customer Reviews
381 reviews
I have been quite impressed with the eyepieces in this lineup. I've seen what appear to be the same eyepieces sold under several different brands, and all of them appear to be very high quality. This is the first one I've purchased through Amazon, so I thought I'd go ahead and share my impressions. ...
Really nice quality eyepiece from Astromania! I purchased the 6mm Plossl and it gives me a beautifully sharp image in my telescope. Apparent field of view (AFOV) is surprisingly good and stars are pinpoint in the entire field with no stray reflections. Only minor nitpick is because it's a high power...
Well made. In daytime with an f/4.7 apochromatic telescope this eyepiece is like a panoramic window. At night, stars are sharp, there is perhaps a barely visible distortion at the edges but truly minor. Frankly my eyeglasses cause more distortion than this eyepiece. I didn't notice reflections even ...