
My first impression of these eyepieces was comparing a 12mm SV131 to the 10mm Aspheric. I mean, for less, the Aspheric seems like a better option with a wider field of view and better eye-relief. But what really struck me was the sharpness and contrast of the Plossl. One of my first eyepiece additions to my standard 25mm which I used for years was the 32mm Plossl (also labelled as an SV131), and that is truly a lovely eyepiece which I can't imagine not being part of anyone's 1.25" kit. But I recently got a 17mm and a 6mm SV131, and thought I would give them a chance (my go-to is a 15mm UWA red). The views have a special quality due to the Plossl design, and I have found myself using the 17mm more often than the 15mm recently. I even use the 6mm, even though I would have always said that anything less than 10mm in a Plossl is too short and not comfortable enough to use. The 6mm does require one to try to see the view inside the lens, meaning your eye is almost on the glass, but the views of the planets through it are stunning.
What sets the premium eyepieces apart from the budget eyepieces (as far as Svbony eyepieces go) is the sharpness at the edge of the view. The eyepieces which come to mind (which are sharp edge to edge) are the SV207 Super Plossls, SV191 7.2-21.6mm zoom and the SV215 3-8mm zoom, which is remarkably sharp. The SV131 eyepieces have a slightly narrower field of view, and do show a little astigmatism towards the outer edge, but in all honesty, this doesn't bother me. The contrast and sharpness, or what I can call Plossl-ness, is something I really enjoy.
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If you use a telescope with a focal ratio of anything less than about f/5.6, and especially in the form of a quality refractor, the SV131 might work, but I would rather recommend the SV207. For anything else, it would depend on your budget. Don't let the price of the SV131 fool you - they are fully multi-coated, have a very nice build quality, and give high quality views. Of course there are other eyepiece designs and considerations; this is just a short introduction to the SV131, which I have become a huge fan of.
And, of course, the Aspherics do indeed return excellent bang for buck (especially the 10mm).
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