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Equipment Discussions >> Eyepieces

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Deep13
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/25/05

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: Scanning4Comets]
#5700530 - 02/25/13 08:32 PM

The closure of Japanese optical firms is not imaginary. UO orthos are gone, ultimas and HD orthos are gone (one one vendor promises to have some sizes sometime this year), Pentax XOs are gone. Meade EPs, Celestron, and a lot of Orion's used to be Japanese. Now they aren't. The cheap is the enemy of of the good. A small price difference can kill a superior product and between that and the tsunami, that's what happened to Japanese eyepieces. Well that and the global recession.

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zeldaboy101
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 03/13/04

Loc: Maryland

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: rockethead26]
#5700577 - 02/25/13 09:09 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Unless the seller hasn't updated, there's a 10mm XW for $255 that was listed on Friday in the CNC here. Pristine condition.

http://www.cloudynights.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=74787&sor...

Shame I already have one or else i'd have jumped on that price.

Not so sure it's such a great deal. New ones are $279 at Adorama with free shipping and no 3% PayPal fee. I'd need a little more than a $15 discount to buy used.

Oh that's right, I forgot the 20 was $279, I was thinking it was $299 like the others. Nevermind then!

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Scanning4Comets
Markus

Reged: 12/26/04

Loc: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: Deep13]
#5700578 - 02/25/13 09:09 PM

True,

However, the used market is still wide open!

Cheers,

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zeldaboy101
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 03/13/04

Loc: Maryland

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: csa/montana]
#5700579 - 02/25/13 09:09 PM

Quote:

Here's one Vendor that says they will still be avail.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php/Number/5696383/

That's excellent news, because I really can't afford the 7 or 5 too soon and I would love to own them down the road.

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ensign
professor emeritus

Reged: 12/16/08

Loc: Southwestern Ontario

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: MRNUTTY]
#5700675 - 02/25/13 10:15 PM

Quote:

Al the EP's you mention are great performers. Although, it is nice to have a continuous line of FL's all the same type and brand. Especially the XW line :-)

It's also cool to have eyepieces that excel at their respective focal lengths. I have the 10 and 7 XWs, and Nagler type 4s in 12, 17 and 22 mm focal lengths. The Nagler 3-6 zoom is like having 4 high quality planetary eyepieces in one. Given my need for eye relief, I haven't lusted after 100* eyepieces. In fact 70* seems immersive to me.

I note no mention of the Pentax 40 XL. I find it to be a superb wide field eyepiece. I found one bnib last summer.

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: ensign]
#5700714 - 02/25/13 10:34 PM

I just bought a Pentax XL 5.2 at a great price, less than half the price of any XW 5.1 I've seen. This was an option I hadn't considered. I'll keep the XL, maybe sell my ES 82 4.7 and wait until I'm ready to pick up an XW 5.1. I'm in no hurry.

Mike

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Deep13
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/25/05

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: Sarkikos]
#5700754 - 02/25/13 11:03 PM

The XLs were very highly regarded when they were in production and still are. The XWs are a little better, but the XLs are as good as they ever were.

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Mike B
Starstruck

Reged: 04/06/05

Loc: shake, rattle, & roll, CA

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: Deep13]
#5700772 - 02/25/13 11:18 PM

Quote:

...but the XLs are as good as they ever were.

I'm a dissenter on that count. I had a pair of the 10.5mm XLs, and i mono + bino-viewed with them. Was entirely unimpressed. Finally sold 'em both off- several years back.

More recently, i picked up a single 10mm XW. Totally different experience! I really enjoy this EP!

Granted, the scope these two EPs are used in has changed, so that may be part of it. But many EPs bridge that same scope change, and i still have them & like them a lot!

The 10.5mm & 14mm XLs i used did not impress my eyes at all. They were "okay", but i found many other EPs to best them.

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csa/montana
Den Mama

Reged: 05/14/05

Loc: montana

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: Mike B]
#5700777 - 02/25/13 11:22 PM

I have the 7XL, and am equally impressed with it, along with my 2 XW's.

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Scanning4Comets
Markus

Reged: 12/26/04

Loc: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: csa/montana]
#5700848 - 02/26/13 12:22 AM

I was just out in my yard viewing Jupiter with my 5mm Vixen LVW. Really nice EP for Jupiter! The 5.2mm XL is no slouch either, which I also owned.

Saw some really cool detail in the belts and one fairly large barge as well. I was only out testing the 5mm LVW against the 10mm XW barlowed and the 5mm LVW was better.

T'was a fun night indeed!

Cheers,

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ausastronomer
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/30/03

Loc: Kiama NSW (Australia)

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: Scanning4Comets]
#5700859 - 02/26/13 12:34 AM

Quote:

I was only out testing the 5mm LVW against the 10mm XW barlowed and the 5mm LVW was better.

Cheers,

Hi Mark,

If you used the 2" 2X GSO barlow that IMO is the weakest link in the chain. I would be interested to see if the results change with a top grade 2X barlow.

Cheers,

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Scanning4Comets
Markus

Reged: 12/26/04

Loc: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: ausastronomer]
#5700876 - 02/26/13 01:02 AM

Quote:

Hi Mark,

If you used the 2" 2X GSO barlow that IMO is the weakest link in the chain. I would be interested to see if the results change with a top grade 2X barlow.

Cheers,

Hi John,

I would agree with that statement 100%!

What I found weird was the views of Jupiter with the 2" GSO Barlow + 10mm XW showed considerable CA, and just the opposite with the 5mm Vixen LVW alone! I don't recall seeing this before.

Cheers,

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george tatsis
sage

Reged: 11/20/08

Loc: Long Island, NY - Europe

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: Scanning4Comets]
#5701016 - 02/26/13 04:45 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Hi Mark,

If you used the 2" 2X GSO barlow that IMO is the weakest link in the chain. I would be interested to see if the results change with a top grade 2X barlow.

Cheers,

Hi John,

I would agree with that statement 100%!

What I found weird was the views of Jupiter with the 2" GSO Barlow + 10mm XW showed considerable CA, and just the opposite with the 5mm Vixen LVW alone! I don't recall seeing this before.

Cheers,

I remember seeing CA with all my Pentax XWs when I still had them,about 6 months ago.And that was with no barlow in the light path on an Orion Optics 10" f/6.3 reflector. The Radians on the other hand presented none!

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csrlice12
Postmaster

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: george tatsis]
#5701137 - 02/26/13 08:16 AM

I hear that 5mm XO calling my name.....

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: Mike B]
#5701144 - 02/26/13 08:25 AM

Mike B,

Quote:

I'm a dissenter on that count. I had a pair of the 10.5mm XLs, and i mono + bino-viewed with them. Was entirely unimpressed. Finally sold 'em both off- several years back.

More recently, i picked up a single 10mm XW. Totally different experience! I really enjoy this EP!

Granted, the scope these two EPs are used in has changed, so that may be part of it. But many EPs bridge that same scope change, and i still have them & like them a lot!

The 10.5mm & 14mm XLs i used did not impress my eyes at all. They were "okay", but i found many other EPs to best them.

I don't have a horse in this race. If I don't like the XL, it won't be the first time I was disappointed - or at least not impressed - by an eyepiece and sold it.

I did research the XL's vs XW's before I pulled the trigger on this XL 5.2. I knew the XW's were more highly regarded, but I never saw anything that said the XL's were not decent eyepieces. Sure, the XL's have a little smaller AFOV and the XW's have a little better coatings. But other than that, what was so bad about the XL's?

FWIW, I won't be using XL's in my binoviewer. I'm already full up in very nice bino pairs.

My experience with other eyepieces, too, tells me that there can be stinkers and shiners in most any line of eyepieces, which is why I usually don't acquire entire lines. For instance, I like the XW's, but I'd never buy an XW 14 because of FC. And the only reason I have an XW 20, is because I got a very good deal. Luckily, though, the 20 cleaned up nicely with a Paracorr.

Mike

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stevetaylor199
sage

Reged: 09/21/11

Loc: SE Wisconsin

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: Deep13]
#5701367 - 02/26/13 10:38 AM

Quote:

Those two [the 7 and 10] are really good from a small to medium Dob for high power or for a short scope for medium magnification.

Yup, I'm looking forward to using them in scopes like 8 & 10" Dobs of medium speed, my C6R and eventually a AT72ED or similar.

The thing I am most hopeful about is that these eps are resistant to fogging. Cool temps and high humidity are pretty common here, so eyelens fogging is truly the bane of my planetary observing sessions. The eyelenses on both my orthos and ES 82s fog over pretty quickly during viewing on many nights, which is immensely frustrating.

I figure that the large eyelens, retracted eyecup and especially the 20mm eye relief will make a large difference.

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: stevetaylor199]
#5701407 - 02/26/13 11:00 AM

Steve,

Quote:

The thing I am most hopeful about is that these eps are resistant to fogging. Cool temps and high humidity are pretty common here, so eyelens fogging is truly the bane of my planetary observing sessions. The eyelenses on both my orthos and ES 82s fog over pretty quickly during viewing on many nights, which is immensely frustrating.

I figure that the large eyelens, retracted eyecup and especially the 20mm eye relief will make a large difference.

The best solution to the problem of fogging optics is dew control with heat strips. It can be very dewy here in Maryland. I can't imagine going to my dark site without active dew control. I would not eliminate any eyepieces due to dewing. Just heat those eyepieces to make sure they don't dew in the first place.

Mike

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? new

[Re: Scanning4Comets]
#5701411 - 02/26/13 11:05 AM

Markus,

Quote:

I was just out in my yard viewing Jupiter with my 5mm Vixen LVW. Really nice EP for Jupiter! The 5.2mm XL is no slouch either, which I also owned.

Saw some really cool detail in the belts and one fairly large barge as well. I was only out testing the 5mm LVW against the 10mm XW barlowed and the 5mm LVW was better.

The contrasty image of Jupiter could be partially due to the warm tone of the LVW. I've noticed this, too, with my 8mm LVW.

The XL's are also supposed to be warm-toned, even warmer than the Radians! That's surprising, because the XW's seem neutral to my eyes. Different coatings, I suppose.

Mike

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stevetaylor199
sage

Reged: 09/21/11

Loc: SE Wisconsin

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? [Re: Sarkikos]
#5701412 - 02/26/13 11:05 AM

Thanks Mike. I do have available dew control, but I'm a bit lazy about putting straps on eyepieces. Too many of 'em!

You're not the first person who's told me this, though, so I guess I have to get serious about it.

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Pentax XW's Toast? [Re: stevetaylor199]
#5701418 - 02/26/13 11:08 AM

Yep. It is a bother to set up dew control. But if I don't do it, I'll have to keep zapping the eyepieces and finders with a portable hair-dryer. That's even more of a bother!

Mike

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