Looking for a fairly wide field of view eyepiece that won’t break the bank? The 40mm Titan Type II from Astro-Tech may be your answer.

At less than $200 it offers 68 degrees of sky and some pretty wonderful creature comforts.

Expect to see high-contrast, sharp images against a dark sky background for most of the 40mm Titan Type II’s field of view. This eyepiece has a reputation for performing extremely well at low power.

It is designed to work extremely well with Schmidt-Cassegrain and long focal ratio refractor telescopes and provides a nice wide field for any telescope with a focal ratio of f/6 or longer.

Incorporating a six-lens design and extra-low dispersion glass it should offer a great deal of sharpness and a low level of errant color in each view.

The features on this eyepiece will amaze you, especially considering its price. Lenses are fully broadband multicoated and are blackened at the edges to limit scattered light. The 14mm eye relief should make for comfortable viewing and there is a twist-up, rubber-rimmed eyecup for those who wear glasses.

Rubberized grip panels mean you can get a firm hold on the eyepiece and rubberized surface at the top will protect eyeglasses from scratching when they come in contact with this eyepiece.

Astro-Tech also thought of weeding out some common annoyances with features like a laser-etched focal length. This means it won’t rub off the barrel with use. You will always know which eyepiece you have in your hand.

The barrel is threaded so you can use standard 2-inch filters for a wider variety of viewing experiences.

The 40mm Titan Type II is relatively lightweight so most scopes should not face rebalancing issues and it is designed to be parfocal so you won’t likely have to refocus when you change magnification.

Included dust caps at either end will help protect your investment.

A safety groove will offer plunge-protection if the thumbscrew or compression ring comes loose mid-session.

Astro-Tech takes pride in their work and provides a two-year warranty on products for any factory-caused flaws.

Astro-Tech’s help and support features could be better. Their website is not the most informative or convenient. Support for eyepieces is not the most essential element considering how easy they are to use. A little more of an open-door policy would be nice, though. An eyepiece represents a significant investment and the manufacturer should recognize that by welcoming and helping customers in any way possible.