Brightwell Classic 28 mm Plössl eyepiece, with hard case

Specifications

Description

The Classic 28 mm is a four-element Plössl eyepiece with a 50-degree apparent field and a 1.25 in barrel. It sits just above the 25 mm model in the Classic line, giving slightly lower magnification and a slightly smaller true field. It suits telescopes with long focal lengths, where a wide field helps you find targets before you move to higher power.

A 28 mm eyepiece gives low magnification in most telescopes: 25x in a 700 mm refractor, 43x in a 1,200 mm Dobsonian, and 73x in a 2,032 mm Schmidt-Cassegrain. Low power produces a bright image and a wide true field, so large objects such as the Moon or the Orion Nebula fit comfortably in view. In a 1,200 mm telescope, the 23 mm field stop gives a true field of about 1.10 degrees, enough to frame the full Moon with space to spare.

The Plössl design uses two cemented doublets facing each other, which keeps stars sharp across most of the field in telescopes slower than about f/6. Faster Newtonians may show some softening at the edge. All lenses are fully multi-coated, and the edges of the barrel are blackened to reduce internal reflections, which helps contrast when you observe faint galaxies.

With 16 mm of eye relief, you can observe comfortably, including while wearing glasses. Fold the rubber eyecup down for glasses, or fold it up to block stray light from the side. The barrel is threaded for standard 1.25 in filters, so a Moon or light pollution filter can be added without changing eyepieces. At 90 grams, the eyepiece balances well on lightweight focusers. It is a sensible second eyepiece for a telescope that ships with a 25 mm or 32 mm model.

About this configuration

All configurations of the Brightwell Classic 28 mm Plössl eyepiece share the same optical design; the options change the eyecup, the case, and the finish. The hard foam-lined case protects the eyepiece from knocks during travel and stacks neatly with other cases. A hard case keeps the eyepiece safe in a busy accessory box at a star party or an outreach event. The winged eyeguard wraps around the side of your eye and blocks light from nearby houses and streetlights.

A color ring near the top of the body marks the focal length, which helps when you swap eyepieces in the dark. The optics in the 2024 edition match the other years; the changes concern the housing only. Check the barrel size in the specifications against your focuser or star diagonal before you choose a configuration.

What's in the box

• Eyepiece with fold-down rubber eyecup
• Top and bottom dust caps
• Plastic storage case
• Hard foam-lined case
• Winged rubber eyeguard

Compatibility notes

• Fits any 1.25 in focuser, diagonal, or Barlow lens.
• The barrel accepts standard 1.25 in filters (M28.5 x 0.6 thread).
• Sharp across most of the field at f/6 and slower; softer at the edge in faster Newtonians.