Zoom or wide-angle eyepiece - (not) a question of experience

Product Description
Every now and then, people debate which is better: zoom or wide-angle eyepieces.

We're always somewhat puzzled by these online discussions and want to shed some light on this topic:

Zoom eyepieces, like camera lenses, can magnify or reduce the size of objects being observed by simply turning the eyepiece (and thus by changing the focal lengths). This easily saves users from having to change eyepieces of different sizes to achieve the desired magnification or reduction of objects. The main goal is to quickly immerse themselves in detailed observations, such as the moon or planets.

Wide-angle eyepieces have a fixed (usually high) focal length and offer a large field of view, i.e., a large section of the sky. Due to this often high focal length, they are used to scan the sky in a wide area or to view extended objects, such as nebulae or nearby galaxies.

This already shows that the question of which is better cannot be answered in this way.

It should actually be: What do you want/need?

We've compiled a few facts here to answer this question.

Zoom eyepieces:

Offer great observation comfort, as there's no need to change eyepieces to magnify or reduce the size of objects; beginners and children especially appreciate this, as you don't lose sight of the object.

You can quickly and easily delve into the details of the moon and planets.

Inexpensive models, however, have a small field of view and thus only show a small section of the sky, which is usually less of a problem when observing the moon and planets.

Zoom eyepieces with a small field of view often give the impression of "tunnel vision," which isn't conducive to skywalks.

Wide-angle eyepieces:

Offer a wide and fascinating view of space, ideal for scanning the sky in a wide area.
The long focal length reveals fewer details, e.g., of the moon and planets, but a lot of surrounding light for larger and fainter objects, such as nebulae and galaxies.
Inexpensive eyepieces often have a so-called pincushion effect, which distorts objects toward the edge of the eyepiece.
The size of the eyepieces also makes them relatively heavy, making them unsuitable for small or simple telescopes.

Summary:
It's easy to forget that astronomy is also a matter of experience, patience, and practice, but also of the equipment and interest of the observer.

Therefore, zoom eyepieces are often a good choice for beginners who start with small, simple telescopes, are still inexperienced in the diverse operation of the telescope, and initially focus on the moon and planets. Zoom eyepieces suit them in terms of price and convenience.

Once you've gained experience and discovered that you prefer deep sky observation or want to regularly scan the sky, a wide-angle lens is a pleasure and provides new insights.