Celestron Ultima 8-24mm Zoom Eyepiece

Full review

The Celestron Ultima 8 24mm zoom eyepiece brings genuine flexibility to the eyepiece case of any visual astronomer, collapsing what would normally be a set of fixed focal lengths into a single, continuously variable optical instrument. Rather than swapping barrels every time you want to shift from a wide field star hop to a tighter planetary view, this eyepiece lets you twist the zoom ring and dial in exactly the magnification you need on the fly, spanning a useful range that starts at a comfortable 8mm equivalent and stretches out to a relaxed 24mm wide field. This kind of on-the-fly adjustment is especially valuable when you are tracking a fast-moving target like Jupiter's moons or trying to frame the full disk of the Moon one moment and then zoom into a crater cluster the next, all without breaking your eye contact with the sky or fumbling in the dark for another eyepiece.

Optically, the Ultima 8 zoom is built with a fully multi-coated lens system that Celestron designed to suppress internal reflections and maximize light transmission across the visible spectrum, which translates into crisp, high-contrast images even at the longer end of the zoom range where light falloff tends to plague lesser zoom eyepieces. The barrel is machined to the standard 1.25 inch format, so it slots easily into the vast majority of refractors, reflectors, and catadioptric telescopes already on the market, including Celestron's own Schmidt-Cassegrain lines as well as third-party scopes that accept the same industry-standard fitting. Internally, the eyepiece uses a parfocal or near-parfocal design intent, meaning that as you rotate through the zoom range the image stays close to focus, sparing you the annoyance of constant refocusing that plagues cheaper variable eyepieces and letting you concentrate on actually observing rather than chasing sharpness.

Built with a rugged rubber-armored barrel and a knurled, glare-free zoom ring, the Ultima 8 24mm is engineered to survive the realities of field use, from dew-laden nights at a star party to the jostling of a car trunk on the way to a dark-sky site. The eyecup is designed with eyeglass wearers in mind, folding down to preserve eye relief for observers who need to keep their glasses on while still taking in the full field of view, and the internal blackened lens edges help cut down stray light that would otherwise wash out faint deep-sky detail. Whether you are a beginner who wants one eyepiece that can do the job of several, or an experienced observer who values the convenience of continuous zoom during a long session of lunar and planetary work, the Celestron Ultima 8 24mm zoom eyepiece delivers a practical, well-built solution that keeps you focused on the sky instead of your gear bag.