Bob,

I purchased one of the Rini 35mm 2" jobs for all of about $60 back in
1995 with my 16" f/5.1 Starmaster. When I compared the field size to the
much more expensive 35mm Panoptic, the true field was exactly the same! Of
course, the eyepiece had very noticeable astigmatism at its edges at this
f-ratio when compared to the Televue, but the thing gave me a 1.1 degree
true field on a 16-incher! With a 2" OIII filter, this combo made things
like the Helix, the Veil, and the North American/Pelican Nebulae an absolute
joke. The only thing that the edges really bothered me on was large open
star clusters -- where it looked as if you were looking at the crowded
starfield through a fish-bowl at times. However, this was at f/5.1 and not
on an SCT. Otherwise, this eyepiece was a real joy to use, and it kept me
from buying a 35 PO for nearly 5 years.

About 6 months ago, however, the doublet forming the eye-lens must have
become uncemented or something. The eyepiece formed a strange diffuse area
about 1/2 inch across at its center. So I just finally bit the bullet and
bought the 35 PO. For the price, though, the Rini was a really good deal
for me. Hope this helps...

Jay McNeil

"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre
minds!!!"
~Albert Einstein

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