Quillon Gantry 8 mm wide-field eyepiece, with soft pouch

Specifications

Description

The Gantry 8 mm is a six-element wide-field eyepiece with a 60-degree apparent field and a 1.25 in barrel. At 8 mm it gives moderate magnification: 75x in a 600 mm refractor, 150x in a 1,200 mm Dobsonian, and 254x in a 2,032 mm Schmidt-Cassegrain. In the 1,200 mm telescope, the true field is about 0.4 degrees, which is wide enough to hold a compact globular cluster and its surrounding stars in one view.

The 8.4 mm field stop sets the true field and keeps the image within the clear aperture of the barrel. Wide-field designs of this kind keep stars round across most of the field in telescopes slower than about f/6. In faster Newtonians, you may notice some coma and a slight loss of star shape near the edge. The lenses are fully multi-coated, and the internal baffling is blackened to reduce stray light from the barrel walls.

With 14 mm of eye relief, the Gantry 8 mm is comfortable for most observers, including many who wear glasses. Fold the rubber eyecup down to keep your glasses close to the lens, or fold it up to block stray light. The barrel is threaded for standard 1.25 in filters. At 160 g, the eyepiece balances well in most 1.25 in focusers. Keep the top dust cap on when the eyepiece is not in use to protect the top lens from dust and moisture.

An 8 mm eyepiece fills the gap between a low-power wide-field eyepiece and a high-power planetary eyepiece. Use it for open clusters, bright nebulae, and the larger lunar craters, where the 0.4-degree true field keeps the target in view without the image becoming dim. Paired with a 2x Barlow lens, the same eyepiece gives 150x in a 600 mm refractor, which suits lunar and planetary detail when the seeing is steady.

About this configuration

All configurations of the Quillon Gantry 8 mm wide-field eyepiece share the same optical design; the options change the eyecup, the case, and the finish. The soft pouch keeps dust off the eyepiece and fits in a jacket pocket during a session. A soft pouch protects the lenses from scratches when you carry the eyepiece between the car and the telescope. The fold-down rubber eyecup blocks stray light, and you can fold it back if you observe with glasses.

A color ring near the top of the body marks the focal length, which helps when you swap eyepieces in the dark. This is the 2026 edition, the most recent version of the Gantry line in the catalog. To find the magnification, divide the focal length of your telescope by the eyepiece focal length in the specifications.

What's in the box

• Eyepiece with fold-down rubber eyecup
• Top and bottom dust caps
• Padded storage pouch
• Soft padded pouch

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 to the edge of the field at f/6 and slower; softer at the edge in faster Newtonians.