Magnum Zoom 8-24mm 51° 1.25" Eyepiece
Just starting out in astronomy and not ready to invest in a full set of eyepieces right away? The Magnum Zoom is the answer - a single eyepiece that covers everything from your first look at the Moon to hunting down distant nebulae. One twist of the zoom ring gives you any magnification you need across a continuous range from 8 to 24mm - no swapping, no deliberating, no fumbling for the right eyepiece in the dark.
Why a zoom eyepiece is a smart choice
Fixed focal length eyepieces have their place, but for a beginner they present one fundamental challenge: how do you know which magnification is optimal for a given object? There is no table that can answer that question - it depends on the conditions of the night, the transparency of the sky and the object itself. Experienced observers make that call intuitively after years at the eyepiece. With the Magnum Zoom you never have to make it at all - you simply rotate the ring and watch the image transition from a wide, comfortable overview to a detailed close-up of a planetary disc. The object stays in the field of view throughout, so you never lose it while adjusting.
A zoom eyepiece is also an ideal choice for H-alpha solar telescopes, where switching between magnifications to track prominences and surface detail without changing eyepieces saves both time and effort.
Ultra lightweight - only 85 grams
The Magnum Zoom is one of the lightest zoom eyepieces available. Its body is largely aluminium, bringing the total weight to just 85 grams. This matters more than many beginners realise - a heavy eyepiece can throw a telescope off balance, particularly on smaller instruments or compact travel scopes. With the Magnum Zoom that problem simply does not arise: the telescope stays balanced and the mount tracks exactly as it should.
Comfortable viewing for eyeglass wearers
Eye relief ranges from 17 to 22mm depending on the selected magnification - sufficient for spectacle wearers to keep their glasses on and still see the entire field of view without dark vignetting around the edges. The fold-down rubber eyecup shields the eye from stray ambient light and lets you set the correct eye distance from the lens, whether you observe with or without glasses.
Specifications
| Parameter |
Value |
| Focal length |
8-24 mm (continuously variable) |
| Apparent field of view |
34.5° - 51° |
| Eye relief |
17-22 mm |
| Number of elements / groups |
4 elements / 3 groups |
| Barrel diameter |
1.25" |
| Optical coatings |
Multi-coated |
| Fold-down eyecup |
Yes |
| Filter thread |
Yes |
| Weight |
85 g |
| Body diameter |
55 mm |
| Length |
85 mm |
| Type |
Zoom eyepiece |
If you are looking for a single eyepiece that handles everything - wide star cluster sweeps, detailed lunar observation and first forays into planetary viewing - the Magnum Zoom is exactly what you need. And when you eventually expand your collection with dedicated fixed focal length eyepieces, the Magnum Zoom will still earn its place as a quick sky surveyor before you reach for the specialist glass of the evening.
