The Tele Vue DeLite 18.2mm was one of the first in the DeLite series. It is the lowest power member and is an absolutely stunning eyepiece. If you are looking for a superb medium to low powered eyepiece on a moderate budget, the Tele Vue Delite 18.2mm would be an excellent choice.
Available in 18.2, 15, 11, 9, 7 and 5mm focal lengths, the DeLite series is a delightful addition to Tele Vue's visionary line of eyepiece developments. Named DeLite because that best describes the viewing experience, the name also recognises designer Paul Dellechiaie's work.
Tele Vue DeLite 18.2mm Specifications
| Model # | EDE-18.2 |
| Focal Length (mm) | 18.2 |
| Barrel Size (in.) | 1¼" |
| Apparent Field of View (deg.) | 62 |
| Eye Relief (mm) | 20 |
| Weight (g) | 215 |
| Field Stop (mm) | 19.1 |
Reviews
Excerpt from Tom Trusock's March 2016 review in Astronomy magazine.
- Eyepieces are a visual astronomer's window to the universe. And history shows that Tele Vue led the revolution in high-quality wide-field eyepieces with its introduction of the Nagler line in the early 1980s. Company founder Al Nagler was the driving force and principal optical designer on all eyepieces until the introduction of the Ethos line, when protégé Paul Delechiaie stepped up to the plate. Delechiaie went on to design the Delos line and, most recently, the DeLite line.
- Tele Vue targeted the DeLites, introduced just before the 2015 Northeast Astronomy Forum convention, at observers looking for an economical high-end eyepiece that's small and light yet provides diffraction-limited performance, high contrast, and generous eye relief.
- At night, contrast was superb, enabling me to make out fine detail within the planetary bands of Saturn. And in the rings, the Cassini Division was obvious though ... smaller scopes. The eyepieces showed no sign of scattered light or ghost images, and transmission was quite good. Also, I noted no glare or internal reflections. Although I tend to prefer using single eyepieces to achieve desired magnifications, that's not always possible. So, it was good to learn that these eyepieces worked well with Barlow lenses.
- I then moved to other targets. Through the 6-inch, the gold and blue of Albireo (Beta <ß> Cygni) simply popped. Through the 18-inch, the Hercules Cluster (M13) was a jellyfish of suns against a deep-black background, and stars were pinpoint out to the edge of the field.
- Tele Vue has once again created a line of all-around excellent eyepieces, good for both planetary and deep-sky work. Selling points are long eye relief, a small and light design, and the relatively inexpensive cost. The DeLite line should be on your must-view-through list of eyepieces at the next star party.
— Trusock, Tom. "We Test Tele Vue’s DeLite Eyepieces". Astronomy (2016 March). Read Full Review.
Excerpts from review in Sky at Night magazine.
This trio of parfocal lenses live up to their name -- they are a delight
- The DeLite eyepieces deliver a fantastic image, free from aberration and very crisp -- exactly what a good eyepiece should do.
- The lockable eyeguard and 20mm eye relief means that the DeLites are perfect for those who swap between wearing spectacles too.
- Ultimately, the excellent design of the DeLites provides an eyepiece that you forget about. Instead you find yourself concentrating on the thing your telescope was pointed at, and this, after all, is what a telescope and its supporting optics are supposed to do.
| Build & Design | 5-stars |
| Ease of Use | 5-stars |
| Extras | 5-stars |
| Eye Relief | 5-stars |
| Optics | 5-stars |
| Overall | 5-stars |
— Lawrence, Pete. "First Light: Tele Vue DeLite Eyepiece Range". Sky at Night (Dec. 2015). 94,96.
Excerpts from Dennis di Cicco's "Quick Look" review of "Tele Vue's New DeLite Eyepieces" in Sky & Telescope.
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WHAT WE LIKE
- Upholds Tele Vue's reputation for optical excellence
- Comfortable to look through
- Adjustable eye guard with locking collar
- Works with Dioptrx astigmatism corrector
- While many of Tele Vue's recent eyepiece introductions have established new standards for the wide-field observing experience, the DeLites have far more modest specifications.
- What makes the DeLites special, however, comes from looking through them.
- I tried them with four scopes - a 12-inch f/4 Newtonian reflector fitted with Tele Vue's Big Paracorr coma corrector … a 12-inch f/5 Dobsonian; a 4-inch f/5.4 apo refractor, and a classic 6-inch f/9 Newtonian.
- As I've come to expect from all of Tele Vue's eyepieces, the DeLites offered superb views. Stars appeared as pinpoints across the entire field; there wasn't a hint of false color around even the brightest stars; and there was only a touch of pincushion distortion, meaning that round objects won't stretch into ovals as you sweep them across the field. Daytime views were contrasty and without a trace of color fringes even at the borders of high-contrast objects such as power lines seen against a bright sky.
- These are the features everyone looks for in a quality eyepiece, but the DeLites offered something more - something that I also found remarkable about the Tele Vue Delos eyepieces … . The DeLites are very easy to look through. You never get the feeling that you are struggling to get your eye perfectly aligned with the eyepiece. This comes as little surprise since Tele Vue acknowledges that the DeLite design evolved as a "smaller, more economical and lightweight version of the Delos." Even the name is a clever spin on a "lite" version of the Delos.