A Barlow lens boosts the effective focal length of a telescope. This results in magnified images and opticals in general. When it comes to Barlow lenses that are sold to the public, there’s a lot of options to choose from. But, not all will work best for everyone yet you want to pick something that will give you the best bang for your buck. To that effect, here are the two most crucial tips to consider when shopping for a barlow lens.
Decide What Magnification Range You Want
Barlow lenses come in different magnification ranges with the most common ranges being 2X and 3X. If you’ve got a medium to long focus reflector, you’d be better off choosing a 2X focal range. Else, too much magnification might surpass the power range of your telescope, giving you poor results despite spending more. On the other hand, if you have a very short focal length refractor where it’s hard to get any high magnification, a 3X might help to boost that power a little more. In short, select the magnification that’s gonna give you the best range without surpassing the power range of your telescope.
Barlow Lense Range
Different models of Barlow lenses are available. And they can be categorized into; low-end, mid-range, and top-of-the-range Barlows. Low-end Barlows are the cheapest followed by mid-range since they have limited features and are inferior to their mid-range counterparts. These include Shorty Barlows and Shorty Plus Barlows.
Meanwhile, mid-range Barlows are almost twice longer than their low-end counterparts. They work best in reflectors where they will slip down inside the telescope. But if you try to put them inside a refractor in a diagonal, they are going to stick way up. They also have a 3-element design like their inferior counterparts.
Then we have the cream of the crop Barlow lenses. These are 2-inches wide similarly with a 3-element design. Available in 3X and 5X focal ranges, they are known to yield the best optical performance.
Final Thoughts
There are many options for Barlow lenses on the market for shoppers. However, one option or another might not be suitable for everyone. Yet you want to choose something that best suits your needs. The good news is that shopping for a suitable Barlow lense need not be challenging if you have the right tips at your fingertips. Just decide what magnification range you want and the product range you desire.
