Anyone acquainted with astronomy knows where the term ‘Barlow’ has been derived from. A Barlow lens is the kind of astronomy accessory you never get tired of. Not only does it give an additional boost to your magnification, but it also does great wonders for the clarity of the picture as well.
We do advise you to be aware of the conditions of using a Barlow lens, and the correct procedures for stacking. Think you don’t know enough? We’ve got you covered. Check out our FAQs where we tackle such questions.
Right now, with the emergence of new astronomy brands, it is definitely a difficult task to find your perfect pick. That’s why we’re here. After thorough research, we bring to you our Barlow lens reviews with highlighted specs and features. With the help of these, you’ll find the Best Barlow Lens in no time.
Things to consider before buying Barlow lenses:
Focal length with usage requirements: The distance from the lens to the focal plane or point where the eyepiece or camera would go. It also means the length of the telescope, the point from where the image is viewed to the point where it is formed. A good focal point is essential in forming a clear image.
Check for chromatic aberration: Confirm if there’s a problem or flaw in optic lenses where there is fringing of colour, that is the lens is unable to focus all the colours on a singular plane.
Learn how to insert a Barlow lens: To insert a Barlow lens with a telescope, you remove the eyepiece from the telescope first. In its place attach the Barlow lens and then insert the eyepiece into the Barlow.
Best Barlow Lenses 2022
Here are our top picks for the best Barlow lenses.
Celestron is a renowned company for producing quality astronomical gadgets with high reviews raving prospect features. Thus at the top, this lists sits a Celestron Barlow lens, the Celestron 93428 3x Barlow Lens is an all-rounder.
Producing crisp high contrast pictures, this 3x Barlow lens provides great magnification to your focal point. You can now gaze upon Saturn’s rings or Jupiter’s stripes to your heart’s content. The Barlow lens offers a great concentration of color with its multi-coated optics. To add on, this particular Barlow lens works with most 1.25’ eyepieces. This will save you time and energy.
Lastly, the gripping features of this lens surpass its affordable cost. The rubber grip at the center ensures sturdiness and a safe gazing experience. Some users find it hard to deal with a 3x Barlow lens, they’re unable to adjust that much power. For those, we would recommend the Celestron Omni @x Barlow Lens.
If you’re looking for a Celestron telescope to go with the lens, here is our comprehensive review on the Celestron NexStar 8SE Telescope.
Another big name in the astronomical market is Orion. With its trusted warranties and excellent customer support, Orion has a history of producing the best telescopes and their Barlow lenses.
The Orion 5x 4-Element Barlow Lens is such an example being amazon’s choice for the best 5x Barlow lens. The 4-element lens design of this Barlow lens allows for sharp focus and crisp images. The power and magnification are on another level. 5x lenses tend to be stronger so we do advise you to experiment beforehand.
Just like the best Barlow lenses on the market, this lens allows for filters and takes your telescope’s vision to a whole new level. Reviewers recommend it for planet viewing for detailed images. A lot of attention went into the physical components to produce a robust lens cover and great compression rings for a sturdy grip. Now you don’t have to be worried about the lens breaking!
In case you’re new to Barlow lenses, I recommend reading our FAQs section to understand how to use a Barlow lens.
Next on our list is another Celestron Barlow lens, the Celestron Omni 2x Barlow Lens is a complete package for beginners in terms of functionality, ease of use, and power.
The multicolored optics produce color-saturated and contrasted pictures without any hint of aberration. Furthermore, the compatibility with any 1.25’ eyepiece, filter, and diagonal is a plus point.Perhaps one of the most important factors of a great viewing experience is the focal length. Even with the addition of this Barlow lens, the eye-relief of your telescope will not be affected.
Thus, you benefit only positively from this lens. Buy and attach to your eyepiece today for an instant upgrade in magnification. We would like to mention that the image result is slightly smaller and less crisp than its alternatives but at a deal like this, this lens is definitely the best 2x Barlow lens on the market today.
Tired of looking at the same specs and features? Astromania’s 3X Barlow Lens has some unique features for you. While being committed to providing a quality picture with its 3-element lens, this Barlow lens is compatible with your SLR and DSLR cameras!
Not only does it have internal darkening to prevent internal reflection, but the short-focus lens is also great for contrast. Furthermore, it can fit into any 1.25’ Reflector, diagonal, and eyepiece. Diversify your astronomy collection.
This Barlow telescope lens aids not only in magnification but provides greater clarity than ever. Customers have called it the best value Barlow eyepiece telescope lens. We would like it if the design was renovated in some way. Although the sheer body and aluminum stock are great additions, the one locking knob turns out to be bothersome for many reviewers.
Are you looking for a Barlow lens that wouldn’t break your bank without compromising on quality features? SVBONY has your back. Their SVBONY 2X Barlow Lens is the best 2x Barlow lens for the money.
With a strong and sleek aluminum body and sturdy compression rings, you won’t have to worry about losing your grip on this lens. Furthermore, the multi-color coated optics provide crisp images and great resolution and will upgrade your telescope’s eyepiece in an instant. The eye-relief of your eyepiece will not be affected either! Threaded for filters, this lens provides a magnified detailed image without light-loss. Moreover, it comes with a T-adaptor and is perfectly compatible with SLR and DSLR cameras.
Drawback
We should mention that there have been many complaints about the chromatic distortion with this lens. Although quality is maintained, the picture suffers from distortion.
In search of budget-friendly telescopes, check out this article.
At the end of our list is the GSO 2″ 2x ED Barlow Lens # GS22B, a cheap 2x Barlow lens that provides good quality basic features.
From threading to the 2-element multi-coated lens, this Barlow lens is bound to produce stark quality images with a great resolution on a budget. We’d like to add that the Barlow element itself can be separated (1.25’) and used with other eyepieces. Although color saturation and contrast are quite good for such a cheap price, there is a lack of special features.
If you’re someone looking to start with Barlow lenses or need a cheap Barlow lens for experimenting, this Barlow lens does the job. You never know this might just be the right fit for you. Order from Amazon at the earliest!
So what’s the best Barlow lens? To answer that question, we would need a deeper glance into your needs. That’s why our Barlow lens reviews contained as many different features as we could add. We hope that after all this reading you are, at the very least, able to recommend a Barlow lens to your peers. We would be glad if we were able to navigate towards the best-suited telescope for your needs.
Found your perfect pick? Order from Amazon for the best deals right now!
Frequently Asked Questions
Often-times amateur astronomers buy lenses they’ve heard of without thinking about the compatibility of their telescopes with the lenses. Like a common fault was buyers getting 3x and 5x Barlow lenses for great quality telescopes.
In this section, we’ll be dealing with the most common questions buyers have regarding Barlow lenses. Stick around to learn more!
What’s a Barlow Lens?
A Barlow lens (invented by Peter Barlow) is a converging lens that decreases the focal length of your telescope. Simply put, it is an easy way to increase the magnification of your telescope. The most common designs are 2-element and 3-element achromatic designs.
Most high-quality telescopes include a Barlow lens but often the functionality is compromised. In one way or the other, a Barlow lens will only benefit your viewing experience.
What is a Barlow Lens Used for?
The primary aim of using a Barlow lens is to magnify and to provide greater detail. This is achieved by decreasing the focal length of the eyepiece. Buying a Barlow lens will definitely diversify your eyepiece collection. Many astrophotographers use Barlow lenses as well.
How to Use a Barlow Lens?
Using a Barlow lens is not that difficult. However, the answer can slightly vary for different uses such as observation and photography, you can read about those steps here.
To insert a Barlow lens with a telescope, you remove the eyepiece from the telescope first. In its place attach the Barlow lens and then insert the eyepiece into the Barlow. And you’re done!
What is the Practice of Stacking Barlow Lenses?
This technique is used for viewing brighter elements across the celestial sky. Most Barlow lenses already come with this feature but it is still a common practice. This way the magnification is increased by a lot. There is, however, a limitation to the quality of the picture. And substantial dangers during the morning sky. We do not advise amateurs to try out this technique.
Have an unanswered question? Comment below and let us know!
Glossary
Throughout our Barlow lens reviews, we’ve used a few technical terms. Here is what each of them means.
Focal length
It is simply the distance from the lens to the focal plane or point where the eyepiece or camera would go. It also means the length of the telescope, the point from where the image is viewed to the point where it is formed.
Eye-relief
To put it in the most simple manner, it is the distance from the outer lens to the eyepoint or the pupil of the viewer.
Magnification
The amount to which an image can be enlarged. This is a highly desirable optic property. The greater the magnification, the greater the details in the image. Remember magnification does not equal image quality.
Focal length
It is simply the distance from the lens to the focal plane or point where the eyepiece or camera would go. It also means the length of the telescope, the point from where the image is viewed to the point where it is formed.
I am a Space enthusiast and have been into deep space research for over 8 years. Inspired by the likes of Mary Robinette Kowal and others to write great content.
I hope you agree with me when I say:
How to Use a Barlow Lens?
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