Mike Loffland
Web Guru (Astronomics)
Reged: 09/03/04
Posts: 2080
Loc: Norman, Oklahoma
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The Pentax 5mm XO: A Planetary Weapon of Choice
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Keith Howlett
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 03/06/07
Posts: 977
Loc: Northumberland, UK
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Another fine review, thanks Bill!
Cheers,
Keith
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Arizona-Ken
sage
Reged: 08/31/08
Posts: 304
Loc: Scottsdale, Arizona
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Well Done, Bill!
Concise, informative. You keep setting a higher standard for eyepiece reviews!
Arizona Ken
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"Considered as a collector of rare and precious things, the amateur astronomer has a great advantage over amateurs in other fields ... the amateur astronomer has access at all times to the original objects of his study; the masterworks of the heavens belong to him as much as to the great observatories of the world. And there is no privilege like that of being allowed to stand in the presence of the original."
--Robert Burnham Jr, Burnham's Celestial Handbook
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Sgt
sage
Reged: 12/17/05
Posts: 484
Loc: Under the southern horn of the...
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Very nice review Bill, nicely done sir.
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Fomalhaut
sage
Reged: 08/16/08
Posts: 240
Loc: Switzerland
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Bill,
I fully agree with your assessment: One of the best planetary eyepieces that was ever made!
Chris
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Currently:
Tak FS-60c (guidescope for:)
Tak FCT-100/640 on Tak EM-10
Tak Mewlon-180 on same
IntesMicro-M500
Zeiss 7X42-T*P-Dialyt + Nikon 18x70 Binoculars
Coronado Maxscope 40
Edited by Fomalhaut (11/07/09 04:46 AM)
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 4340
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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Great Paolini. Now they'll become hard to find! I made the mistake of waiting until after your 6mm shootout to pick up a set of TMB Supermonos. It took me more than 6 months to get each of the focal lengths I was after.
Now I've waited to get the XOs. It will probably be another 6 months before any are in stock after the "Paolini-endorsement-inspired-frenzy"! 
Very well done Bill,
Jim
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"I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
- Sir Issac Newton
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pollux
artiste
Reged: 04/01/04
Posts: 6851
Loc: Vancouver Canada
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I had owned both 2.58 and 5 for a short time. Like what William said. One of the best for planetary observation.
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Pentax 105SDP
Vixen VMC200L
Vixen VMC260L
Pentax XW eyepiece (complete set)
Personal Web Site
Telescope Comics
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OpalescentNebula
super member
Reged: 01/11/07
Posts: 113
Loc: Calgary, Alberta, Observing so...
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I’ve had the Pentax 5mm XO for the last year. I really enjoy the views through it. Bill did a great job of describing the parameters of this eyepiece.
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Yours truly,
Bill
"Good friends are like stars...you don't always see them, but you know that they are always there" - unknown
Binos : various binos, Zeiss 10x42 FL, Garrett Optical 20x110
telescope: WO Megrez 110 ED
Eyepieces: 13mm Ethos, 5mm Pentax XO, 28mm WO & 2x Powermate
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csa/montana
Wild Spirit
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40152
Loc: montana
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Thanks Bill, for a wonderful, in-depth review of this eyepiece! It definitely sounds like a great addition to have in your eyepiece case!
Will have to seriously look at this one!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Mike Hosea
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/24/03
Posts: 3927
Loc: "Metrowest" Boston
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Have to admit, although I originally didn't like it for lunar observing because of the tight eye relief (not a problem with planets), I'm warming to it. Was just out for some lunar observing. It's perfect, except for the eye relief.
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Mike
Stuff that I use:
- 7" f/6.7 home-built Newt, eq platform, Pentax 40XW and 5XO, Tele Vue 13E and 2x Barlow, ZAO-II 6mm
- 120mm f/8.3 home-built grab-n-go Newt with 7-21mm Nikon Zoom
- Canon 15x50 IS and Eagle Optics 12x50 Ranger binoculars
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Adam S
sage
Reged: 12/21/05
Posts: 361
Loc: Gunnison, Colorado
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I made a straight trade for my 3-6 Nagler zoom and another persons' 5mm XO. I've had the Pentax for several months and more than happy with the trade. Is your experience with this ep enough to purchase your own?
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Adam S.
AP 130 GT
Televue Pronto
Orange C8
Coronado SM 60
Tak EM 200
Denk II
Van Slyke Turret
CN Gallery: http://www.cloudynights.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=14004
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Sgt
sage
Reged: 12/17/05
Posts: 484
Loc: Under the southern horn of the...
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Quote:
Have to admit, although I originally didn't like it for lunar observing because of the tight eye relief (not a problem with planets), I'm warming to it. Was just out for some lunar observing. It's perfect, except for the eye relief.
I thought about getting one but changed my mind for this reason, it would probably fog up rapidly in my area with that eyerelief. Even my ethos does this at times.
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Ed Kessler
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/17/06
Posts: 828
Loc: Millersburg, PA
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I compared the very eyepiece that I loaned to Bill with my Pentax 5mm SMC Ortho and a 12mm Brandon + 2.4x barlow. During most eyepiece evaluations like this, I need to flop back and forth to see the incremental differences. However, when I "flopped" to the 5mm XO, the contest was essentially over. There was a noticeable improvement from the start.
This is one instance where I'm not ashamed to say, "I told you so," as Bill's excellent testing confirmed my own results and opinions. It helped me trust my own eye more!
I'm glad I bought mine though before Bill did the review! 
Once again, Bill, you have written an interesting and excellent review, and I was happy to play a small part in it. Although after Bill's first results emails to me, I began to wonder if he'd send it back! 
Where do you go from here????
Clear Skies,
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Ed Kessler
Televue NP127is, Borg 101ED,
Coronado SM60, 1961 Questar Standard (updated with new optics and a Powerglide II Retrofit, 2009)
16" "Jeff Counsil Dob"
Vixen VMC200L
Pentax XO, XP, SMC Orthos, Vernonscope Brandons
Televue 2-4mm Zoom, 13mm Ethos, 22mm Nagler, 35mm Panoptic;
TAK 32mm MC Erfle; 25mm and 15mm Zeiss Microscope Eyepieces
sic itur ad astra (Just to look profound!)
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PJ Anway
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/04/03
Posts: 1136
Loc: Michigan's U.P.
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Excellent review Bill!
I've had mine since 2003 and it remains my most-used eyepiece when it comes to planets. I've compared it on many occasions to a Pentax 5mm SMC ortho and to a Zeiss 10mm mono/Zeiss barlow combo and it held its own. And when you compare it alongside a Pentax XP, the eye relief is not bad at all.
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PJ
_________________
Lookum Observatory
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Starman1
Vendor - Scope City
Reged: 06/24/03
Posts: 12220
Loc: Los Angeles
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It's unfortunate that the XO series is widely reported as discontinued by Pentax.
This seems to happen a lot. Something gets a great review right at the time the parent company drops the line.
There may be quite a number of these in dealer's stocks, however.
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Don Pensack
12.5" Truss Dob, 5" Maksutov, Fujinon Binos
Sustaining Lifetime IDA member
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Ed Kessler
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/17/06
Posts: 828
Loc: Millersburg, PA
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Quote:
And when you compare it alongside a Pentax XP, the eye relief is not bad at all.
Exactly!! However, the 3.8mm XP is another excellent planetary eyepiece, IMHO.
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Ed Kessler
Televue NP127is, Borg 101ED,
Coronado SM60, 1961 Questar Standard (updated with new optics and a Powerglide II Retrofit, 2009)
16" "Jeff Counsil Dob"
Vixen VMC200L
Pentax XO, XP, SMC Orthos, Vernonscope Brandons
Televue 2-4mm Zoom, 13mm Ethos, 22mm Nagler, 35mm Panoptic;
TAK 32mm MC Erfle; 25mm and 15mm Zeiss Microscope Eyepieces
sic itur ad astra (Just to look profound!)
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SteveC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/15/06
Posts: 1775
Loc: The Garden State
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Another great review, Bill.
I've been waiting for this EP to show up in the classifieds and finally got tired of waiting. I bought it new and received it a couple of weeks ago. I'm glad I avoided the feeding frenzy that is about to begin. Lucky me!!
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SteveC
TEC 140
Intes Micro 715 deluxe
TEC 110 (on order)
SolarMax 40
Losmandy G-11 w/Gemini, DM-6 w/Sky Commander on SV wood tripod, Vixen Skypod
TEC EP Turret, TMB Supermonos, ZAO II, Naglers, 32mm Konig, 24mm Panoptics, 14mm Meade UWA
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BillP
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/26/06
Posts: 3924
Loc: Vienna, VA
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Quote:
Is your experience with this ep enough to purchase your own?
Yes it is. Unfortunately I am cash poor at the moment with other things needing priority. Believe me, I wanted to get one off the used market before I finished writing the review  Besides being such a great EP, when I researched the history of it and found that Pentax built and marketed it for the Mars opposition, I wanted it even more as I threw a party during that event with my scope set in thefront yard for anyone that wanted to take a peek at Mars, and I ended up meeting my wife at the party as she came as a guest of a friend of mine! So unexpectedly, the EP now has sentimental value too. So will get one one day soon I hope 
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Bill Paolini
XT10i Dob---TSA-102 S-APO---APM80/480 S-APO--- P.S.T.
TMB Supermonos---Meade UWAs---TV Panoptic---AT Titan II ED
To your own eyes be true...
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nkoiza
sage
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 239
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Hi Bill,
Thank you very much for another outstanding review. I enjoyed reading your 6mm shootout and this one was equally impressive!
You have confirmed my suspicion. I have owned the 2.5XO for a few years, and when the seeing has been good enough to allow a head-to-head comparison with my 5mm TMB Supermonocentric and 1.8x TMB ED Barlow, it has been the XO that has left the mental imprints - I had my best view ever of Saturn with the XO. However, it's not often these days I can go to 688x using my 16" dob. to carry out such an evaluation.
Annoyingly, I had the opportunity to buy the 5XO for a very good price at the time I bought my 2.5XO but turned it down thinking it wouldn't beat my 5mm TMB Supermono. It wasn't until several months later when the seeing was good enough to allow me to take full advantage of the 2.5XO that I realised that this was a mistake...
Nick
16-inch f/4.4 David Lukehurst Dobsonian on Brian Reed Tracking Platform
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Mike Hosea
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/24/03
Posts: 3927
Loc: "Metrowest" Boston
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Quote:
it would probably fog up rapidly in my area with that eyerelief. Even my ethos does this at times.
Dunno. I let my stuff reach ambient temperature last night, which was unseasonably low, mid-20's Fahrenheit. At some point I had to put a little heat back into the 13mm Ethos because of fogging, but the 5XO never fogged up. I generally don't try to see the full 44 degrees in this eyepiece, except momentarily. Instead, I hang back, I'd guess from around 8-10mm away.
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Mike
Stuff that I use:
- 7" f/6.7 home-built Newt, eq platform, Pentax 40XW and 5XO, Tele Vue 13E and 2x Barlow, ZAO-II 6mm
- 120mm f/8.3 home-built grab-n-go Newt with 7-21mm Nikon Zoom
- Canon 15x50 IS and Eagle Optics 12x50 Ranger binoculars
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BillP
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/26/06
Posts: 3924
Loc: Vienna, VA
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That's what I did also...generally hung back to view the planets most of the time, and only once in a while bothering to get the full AFOV. Even hanging back though could easily view obliquely and still watch the planet reach the field stop.
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Bill Paolini
XT10i Dob---TSA-102 S-APO---APM80/480 S-APO--- P.S.T.
TMB Supermonos---Meade UWAs---TV Panoptic---AT Titan II ED
To your own eyes be true...
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nyc_nurse
sage
Reged: 07/29/09
Posts: 253
Loc: nyc
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Quote:
I ended up meeting my wife at the party as she came as a guest of a friend of mine!
Great review Bill and awesome story of how you met your wife. Would make for a good anniversary gift - his and her XO oculars!
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Sam P.
www.agirlandaguy.blogspot.com
Pentax 7X50
TV-102 APO w/ (Starbeam - on backorder  )
Ash Gibraltar w/ SkyTour DSC
NZ3-6, N9T6, N13T6
TV 20 Plossl
Pan 24, 35
Pentax XW10, XW14
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7331Peg
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/01/08
Posts: 718
Loc: North coast of Oregon
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Quote:
That's what I did also...generally hung back to view the planets most of the time, and only once in a while bothering to get the full AFOV. Even hanging back though could easily view obliquely and still watch the planet reach the field stop.
It's amazing how well that works on planets. I've found you can usually get a bit sharper and crisper view that way. Have no idea why, but it works.
John
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Tamiji Homma
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/24/07
Posts: 1082
Loc: California, USA
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Hi Bill,
excellent review as usual. XO (and specially XP series) is also designed for projection photography use in mind, ie: flat image with little distortion (ex: field curvature).
However, I've not seen any photo taken by users.
Even though taking full view isn't so easy with this eyepiece, I see clean/flat/distortion free Moon surface pretty much to edge of (small) FOV
It's a shame to hear that Pentax may discontinue XO... I wanted them to expand to 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15 focal length instead. It seems we have very little hope for that. *sigh*
Tammy
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BillP
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/26/06
Posts: 3924
Loc: Vienna, VA
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I agree. It's a shame. I've written to the general contacts at Pentax Japan (Hoya now) but no response...I expect because I could not write them in Japanese. It was a hit or miss attempt on my part, but I tried. From my interactions the Pentax USA group seems to have little to do with any decisions, and also seems to have little insight into information housed at corporate Japan either.
A better tact might be to try to voice concerns to Takahashi instead as they seem to be dedicated to the Astronomy market. If they approached a new planetary line using the same concepts as the XO with its computer simulation based baffling, very specialized coatings, aberration-minimized design (the 3 items which I believe make the XO difference), then perhaps they will hear the calling.
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Bill Paolini
XT10i Dob---TSA-102 S-APO---APM80/480 S-APO--- P.S.T.
TMB Supermonos---Meade UWAs---TV Panoptic---AT Titan II ED
To your own eyes be true...
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Sgt
sage
Reged: 12/17/05
Posts: 484
Loc: Under the southern horn of the...
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Quote:
Quote:
it would probably fog up rapidly in my area with that eyerelief. Even my ethos does this at times.
Dunno. I let my stuff reach ambient temperature last night, which was unseasonably low, mid-20's Fahrenheit. At some point I had to put a little heat back into the 13mm Ethos because of fogging, but the 5XO never fogged up. I generally don't try to see the full 44 degrees in this eyepiece, except momentarily. Instead, I hang back, I'd guess from around 8-10mm away.
Hmmm.. may be I should have given it a go, just that the cost of admission is so high for something that may not be usable for me. Anyway my attention is now on that new leica zoom (even more expensive...)
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NickG
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/06/06
Posts: 527
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Congratulations on a really fine and well written review Bill. And for the great story about the Mars party and meeting your wife there,
Clear skies
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spaceydee
Postmaster
Reged: 04/16/04
Posts: 16116
Loc: Where the Kittens Are
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I've used the Pentax 5mm XO before, it is a fine eyepiece.
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Dee
space-scientist
student violinist
Nexstar8i,SV80S,80/9D,FC100,94 Brandon,TMB92SS,GM8
8" f/7 Discovery,12.5" Portaball, PST
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Greg77
newbie
Reged: 05/02/09
Posts: 1
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...just ordered one! Orthos sure are "A Planetary Weapon of Choice"! 
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Meade 127 ED Triplet APO
Vixen GP2 & DX tripod
Nikon 12X50 CF bino
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BillP
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/26/06
Posts: 3924
Loc: Vienna, VA
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Hi Greg and welcome to CN
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Bill Paolini
XT10i Dob---TSA-102 S-APO---APM80/480 S-APO--- P.S.T.
TMB Supermonos---Meade UWAs---TV Panoptic---AT Titan II ED
To your own eyes be true...
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