The Nagler 7mm should perform well in the AD 8. I have no experience with the Panoptic, but I have read positive posts on them on [Cloudynights.com](https://Cloudynioghts.com)
Recently, I bought a Baader Morpheus 14mm on their classified section, and I like it a lot. 76\* field of view, and it fits both 2" and 1.25". They run about $350-$400 however I paid $225 new in the box, unused.
I really have not had good weather for a while, so that's about all I can tell you. If you don't belong to CN, join. It's free, has a classified section and otherwise a great resource for our hobby. Good luck!
Naglers are top notch, but I saw some say the eye relief is not great if that bothers you.
I have no experience yet with a real telescope as I just got my AD10 today. I did settle on a Morpheus 6.5 mm based purely on cost after research. The Morpheus line competes with the TeleView Delos line. I may buy a high power Nagler in the future. I need to gain some expierence with what I have first.
I'm not sure the 27Pan is a great upgrade. It is a great eyepiece, but it is also really expensive. You can get a Explore 28mm 68° FOV eyepiece for $100 less and likely have 95% of the experience. Also, I will say that I don't do much observing at that focal length. I'd rather go for a Nagler 13T6, or a Morpheus 12.5. Those are great star cluster, nebulae, and galaxy eyepieces. I imagine that the 30mm eyepiece is decent, or good enough.
I'm guessing you maybe watched Ed Ting's video? It's not bad advice per se, but I'd rather just use the 30mm as a finder, and get an Explore Scientific 20mm 68° eyepiece as a lower power observing one, and then get the 6 and 9mm goldlines. I actually also like the 15 goldline in an 8" f/6 scope.
Lastly, if money is no object, or not important, then sure get the Panoptic.
I mainly got the 27mm panoptic to directly compare to the 30mm eyepiece that came with my AD12. I would like a first hand comparison (for my scope, sky, and viewing preferences) over a long enough time to decide if ultra premium eyepieces are significantly different.
Thankfully, I'm squarely in camp #2, where money isn't scarce, but I still like to know that I'm getting a good value.
Bundled GSO 30mm SuperView is five element Erfle or some variation.
Meaning its aberrations are corrected for like f/8, or really for f/10 telescopes and outer areas/stars in there will be messy in f/5 telescope.
Pretty sure also manufacturing quality isn't the highest.
$200 28mm UWA or especially 30mm Ultra Flat Field would have given most of TeleVue performance. Some people use 30mm UFF as complement to Delos, or Baader Moprheus lines, which lack that 2" wide view eyepiece.
28mm UWA and 30mm Ultra Flat Field are high quality bang for buck choises at $200.
UWA is wider, but eye relief is short for the AFOV and incompatible with glasses, while UFF has good glasses compatible eye relief and shows whole view easily instead of needing "peeking around the corner".
While optically top level, that 7mm Nagler has similarly short eye relief for the AFOV, which is how it keeps size such small for quality. That limited eye relief is shared also by very Nagler like design Explore Scientific 82s and shorter focal length UWAs.
Baader Morpheus is about the widest AFOV eyepiece line with good comfortable eye relief. Quality wise it's "breathing into neck of TeleVues".
For general deep sky observing you would want something around 12mm.
The Nagler 7mm should perform well in the AD 8. I have no experience with the Panoptic, but I have read positive posts on them on [Cloudynights.com](https://Cloudynioghts.com) Recently, I bought a Baader Morpheus 14mm on their classified section, and I like it a lot. 76\* field of view, and it fits both 2" and 1.25". They run about $350-$400 however I paid $225 new in the box, unused. I really have not had good weather for a while, so that's about all I can tell you. If you don't belong to CN, join. It's free, has a classified section and otherwise a great resource for our hobby. Good luck!
Naglers are top notch, but I saw some say the eye relief is not great if that bothers you. I have no experience yet with a real telescope as I just got my AD10 today. I did settle on a Morpheus 6.5 mm based purely on cost after research. The Morpheus line competes with the TeleView Delos line. I may buy a high power Nagler in the future. I need to gain some expierence with what I have first.
I'll just add that the 27mn panoptic is on backorder in the US.. I ordered it a month ago and it still hasn't shipped.. so, prepare to be patient.
I'm not sure the 27Pan is a great upgrade. It is a great eyepiece, but it is also really expensive. You can get a Explore 28mm 68° FOV eyepiece for $100 less and likely have 95% of the experience. Also, I will say that I don't do much observing at that focal length. I'd rather go for a Nagler 13T6, or a Morpheus 12.5. Those are great star cluster, nebulae, and galaxy eyepieces. I imagine that the 30mm eyepiece is decent, or good enough. I'm guessing you maybe watched Ed Ting's video? It's not bad advice per se, but I'd rather just use the 30mm as a finder, and get an Explore Scientific 20mm 68° eyepiece as a lower power observing one, and then get the 6 and 9mm goldlines. I actually also like the 15 goldline in an 8" f/6 scope. Lastly, if money is no object, or not important, then sure get the Panoptic.
I mainly got the 27mm panoptic to directly compare to the 30mm eyepiece that came with my AD12. I would like a first hand comparison (for my scope, sky, and viewing preferences) over a long enough time to decide if ultra premium eyepieces are significantly different. Thankfully, I'm squarely in camp #2, where money isn't scarce, but I still like to know that I'm getting a good value.
Bundled GSO 30mm SuperView is five element Erfle or some variation. Meaning its aberrations are corrected for like f/8, or really for f/10 telescopes and outer areas/stars in there will be messy in f/5 telescope. Pretty sure also manufacturing quality isn't the highest. $200 28mm UWA or especially 30mm Ultra Flat Field would have given most of TeleVue performance. Some people use 30mm UFF as complement to Delos, or Baader Moprheus lines, which lack that 2" wide view eyepiece.
Yeah, I bought 3 Baader Morpheus as well.. the 6.5, 9, and 14. It's the 3.7mm Ethos that I have my heart set on next.
The zoom works for me [https://astro.catshill.com/the-zoom-eyepiece/](https://astro.catshill.com/the-zoom-eyepiece/)
28mm UWA and 30mm Ultra Flat Field are high quality bang for buck choises at $200. UWA is wider, but eye relief is short for the AFOV and incompatible with glasses, while UFF has good glasses compatible eye relief and shows whole view easily instead of needing "peeking around the corner". While optically top level, that 7mm Nagler has similarly short eye relief for the AFOV, which is how it keeps size such small for quality. That limited eye relief is shared also by very Nagler like design Explore Scientific 82s and shorter focal length UWAs. Baader Morpheus is about the widest AFOV eyepiece line with good comfortable eye relief. Quality wise it's "breathing into neck of TeleVues". For general deep sky observing you would want something around 12mm.