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Had My New (to me) Pentax SMC 0.965 6mm Ortho Out Tonight

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17 replies to this topic

#1 SandyHouTex

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Posted 17 January 2025 - 12:22 AM

Using my Sky 90 with the Tak Extender for f/8, Mars was fantastic with a lot of easy to see detail.  Surprisingly, I turned it to M42 and was astounded at the amount of nebulosity I could see.  BillP, our former eyepiece guru, rated the Pentaxes as the eyepieces with the best transparency:

 

https://www.cloudyni...omparison-r1865

 

Even when compared to the ZAOs, TMBs, etc..


Edited by SandyHouTex, 17 January 2025 - 12:23 AM.

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#2 BRCoz

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Posted 17 January 2025 - 01:18 AM

I have a 5,6,&7.  Haven't used them for a while.  I remember they are very nice.  Bill did a great report on them.

I may have to get them out of their boxes and enjoy them again.


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#3 Faber

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Posted 17 January 2025 - 01:21 AM

Good!
I’m always happy with my Pentax Ortho, both with my ex Pentax SDHF 75, Takahashi FC 100 DL and all other scopes. If they continued to produce 1.25” model, including some orthoscopic…
I was wondering why they decided to go out from Astro Market; they had good products, perhaps overpriced. Anyway I advise you to consider also Kellner and XP eyepieces: very well built and excellent with long focal ratio.
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#4 macdonjh

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Posted 17 January 2025 - 08:44 PM

I like my Pentax ortho and Kellner eye pieces: 

Pentax SMC family small.jpg

 

Currently, the short half of the set is at home for use with my 8" f/5 Newtonian.  The long half is in my observatory for use with the scope I now have a camera on.  Changes are coming, though.  I really like the bit of a 3D effect they have, to me, when viewing globular clusters. 


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#5 Sarkikos

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Posted 17 January 2025 - 09:32 PM

Using my Sky 90 with the Tak Extender for f/8, Mars was fantastic with a lot of easy to see detail.  Surprisingly, I turned it to M42 and was astounded at the amount of nebulosity I could see.  BillP, our former eyepiece guru, rated the Pentaxes as the eyepieces with the best transparency:

 

https://www.cloudyni...omparison-r1865

 

Even when compared to the ZAOs, TMBs, etc..

Reading through BillP's article - for the nth time grin.gif - the only criterion that I saw where the 6mm Pentax SMC Ortho outperformed the ZAO's was for scatter control.  For scatter, the Pentax received an A, the ZAO's received B's.  The test targets for scatter were a bright star (Capella) and a dim star near a brighter star.  

 

For planets, the Pentax received an overall score of B, the ZAO's an A.

 

That said, I wouldn't mind picking up a 6mm Pentax SMC Ortho.  grin.gif

 

Mike


Edited by Sarkikos, 17 January 2025 - 09:32 PM.

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#6 turtle86

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Posted 17 January 2025 - 09:48 PM

Reading through BillP's article - for the nth time grin.gif - the only criterion that I saw where the 6mm Pentax SMC Ortho outperformed the ZAO's was for scatter control.  For scatter, the Pentax received an A, the ZAO's received B's.  The test targets for scatter were a bright star (Capella) and a dim star near a brighter star.  

 

For planets, the Pentax received an overall score of B, the ZAO's an A.

 

That said, I wouldn't mind picking up a 6mm Pentax SMC Ortho.  grin.gif

 

Mike

 

Same here. BillP's article also raved about the color saturation of the SMC for double stars, which intrigues me.


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#7 manolis

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Posted 17 January 2025 - 11:22 PM

how do they compare vs Tpl's and Masuyama's ? i would love a shoot out !



#8 RichA

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Posted 18 January 2025 - 12:34 AM

Using my Sky 90 with the Tak Extender for f/8, Mars was fantastic with a lot of easy to see detail.  Surprisingly, I turned it to M42 and was astounded at the amount of nebulosity I could see.  BillP, our former eyepiece guru, rated the Pentaxes as the eyepieces with the best transparency:

 

https://www.cloudyni...omparison-r1865

 

Even when compared to the ZAOs, TMBs, etc..

I had a couple. They are really good.  But the transparency claims for all eyepieces needs to be tested with a sensitive photometer.



#9 SandyHouTex

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Posted 18 January 2025 - 10:47 AM

I like my Pentax ortho and Kellner eye pieces: 

attachicon.gif Pentax SMC family small.jpg

 

Currently, the short half of the set is at home for use with my 8" f/5 Newtonian.  The long half is in my observatory for use with the scope I now have a camera on.  Changes are coming, though.  I really like the bit of a 3D effect they have, to me, when viewing globular clusters. 

Wow!  That looks really nice.  I'm thinking of putting together a set or two like that.



#10 SandyHouTex

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Posted 18 January 2025 - 10:49 AM

Reading through BillP's article - for the nth time grin.gif - the only criterion that I saw where the 6mm Pentax SMC Ortho outperformed the ZAO's was for scatter control.  For scatter, the Pentax received an A, the ZAO's received B's.  The test targets for scatter were a bright star (Capella) and a dim star near a brighter star.  

 

For planets, the Pentax received an overall score of B, the ZAO's an A.

 

That said, I wouldn't mind picking up a 6mm Pentax SMC Ortho.  grin.gif

 

Mike

The thing that amazed me was the amount of nebulousity visible in M42.


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#11 turtle86

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Posted 18 January 2025 - 10:52 AM

The thing that amazed me was the amount of nebulousity visible in M42.

 

More nebulosity than the ZAO?


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#12 SteveC

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Posted 18 January 2025 - 02:04 PM

Congrats Sandy,

 

Enjoy the eyepiece for a long time. Those Pentax orthos are excellent eyepieces. I use to owned the set but I can't find a picture

 

 


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#13 SandyHouTex

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Posted 18 January 2025 - 07:59 PM

More nebulosity than the ZAO?

Sorry, I didn't compare them.  I probably should have.


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#14 turtle86

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Posted 18 January 2025 - 08:31 PM

Sorry, I didn't compare them.  I probably should have.

 

I'm guessing they would be really close.  In any case your SMC sounds like a little gem. smile.gif


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#15 Mike B

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Posted 18 January 2025 - 11:54 PM

I had a couple. They are really good.  But the transparency claims for all eyepieces needs to be tested with a sensitive photometer.

Well, “need” is possibly a bit of overstatement? Sure, it might be nice to see the hard numbers on such evals, but I have no real NEED there….

 

Now, if a person wanted to acquire a Pentax SMC, they’d prob’ly NEED to watch the classifieds like a hawk on a daily basis, and be prepared to step lively when one popped up! waytogo.gif


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#16 macdonjh

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Posted 19 January 2025 - 10:28 AM

Well, “need” is possibly a bit of overstatement? Sure, it might be nice to see the hard numbers on such evals, but I have no real NEED there….

Now, if a person wanted to acquire a Pentax SMC, they’d prob’ly NEED to watch the classifieds like a hawk on a daily basis, and be prepared to step lively when one popped up! waytogo.gif


Indeed, they are becoming unobtanium. It took me a bit more than a year to get the orthos. I didn't plan to get the Kellners, but when they appeared in the classifieds... Now I have the full set.
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#17 SandyHouTex

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Posted 21 January 2025 - 04:21 PM

Indeed, they are becoming unobtanium. It took me a bit more than a year to get the orthos. I didn't plan to get the Kellners, but when they appeared in the classifieds... Now I have the full set.

I am envious.

 

I was able to get two 6mm for planetary binoviewing, and a set of 18mm ones for wide-field sweeping.


Edited by SandyHouTex, 21 January 2025 - 04:22 PM.

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#18 macdonjh

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Posted 21 January 2025 - 11:06 PM

I am envious.

 

I was able to get two 6mm for planetary binoviewing, and a set of 18mm ones for wide-field sweeping.

Wide field sweeping with orthos. lol.gif

 

Just kidding, I know you have some really wide field scopes.  


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