Pentax SMC-XW 20mm


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Brand and Model:Pentax SMC-XW 20mm
Price ($USD):$339.00
Type:Ultra Wide Angle
Focal Length:20mm mm
Barrel Size:1.25
Apparent FOV:70.0 degrees
Field Stop Dia.:24.0 mm
Eye Relief:20 mm
Elements:6
Weight (lbs):12.6 oz
Description:Widest FOV of the 1.25" XW line.

Vote Highlights Vote
Pentax SMC-XW 20mm
A spectacular eyepiece in every way. I just received this beauty and tested it under the stars with my 10"f4.8 dob and 3" f6.6 APO refractor. I think it maybe the last eyepiece I will ever buy ;-)

Mechanics, fit and finish are flawless. It arrived well protected in a plastic bolt case padded inside styrofoam cushions. The top part of the eyepiece screws up and down, just like the older XL series. The body is rather fat; it takes up as much space as your 2" eyepiece. The eyelens is huge: you can easily and very comfortably take in the whole FOV with its 20mm ER. Compare that with the 10mm on my Nagler 16 T5, which has a tendency to fog up on cold nights when your eye is almost pressed against it.

Daytime testing with the refractor showed very little distortion - much less than the Nagler 16 T5 or the venerable Panoptics. You will not notice it; objects look undistorted right out to the edge. Colour rendition and contrast absolutely, positively superb.

The waxing crescent moon showed tremendous detail and sharpness along the terminator, on axis and off axis, right out to the edge of the 70 deg. FOV. (I used the Televue Paracorr on my dob, so coma wasn't a problem at the edges) Viewing the moon's limb, I did not see lateral colour on axis but there was a tiny amount as you moved off axis. (More testing is needed to confirm this). With the TV 2.5x powermate, it is a match made in heaven :-). Jupiter showed plenty of detail, even off axis. The Jovian moons are distinct disks, each with their tiny diffraction ring. It is the perfect magnification for galaxy and nebula hunting under dark skies!

Despite being a fan of Nagler eyepieces, I ended up selling my Nagler 16 T5, and kept the XW 20. This, along with the Nagler T6's, are the very best wide-field, 1.25" eyepieces. I think these are *excellent* alternatives to the Naglers, the price is comparable and the quality is at least as good. They are not cheap but you'll enjoy your scope so much more with them!

Simon

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:10
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=356089


Pentax SMC-XW 20mm
If you are looking for the best 20mm eyepiece with good eye relief this is it. With 70° AFOV and 20mm ER I prefer this over eyepieces with 80-84 ° AFOV and 10-12mm ER. I purchased two of them for my binoviewer and they are fantastic as long as you have a 60mm or greater IPD . They are my low power favorite in my C9.25 with F6.3 RC. They seem to have better contrast than the XL's.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:10
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=326838


Pentax SMC-XW 20mm
Absolutely lovely stuff!
Pentax has been a powerhouse in astronomical optics for many years in the Japanese market. Their SDP series apochromats and MS series EQ mounts are among the coolest looking, best performing and most expensive in the amateur telescope world. Now the XW series eyepieces have propelled Pentax to the pinnacle of modern eyepiece design and manufacturing. While their SMC orthos have long enjoyed the accolades of discriminating observers, this XW line of bombshells are in a league of their own!
I have used XW-5 and XW-20 in my Pentax SDP 105 APO and they are the perfect match for each other. SMC optics throughout provides unbelieveable contrast and flare control. SD and ED lenses totally eliminate color smear and halo at all magnifications on all objects. Smart details, hi-tech materials and cool designs all conspire to make these Pentaxes the most desirable and comfortable eyepieces in the current market. Try them in fast flat-field APO's (Televue NP101, Pentax SDHF or SDP, William Optics FLT106, Takahashi FSQ106, Vixen DED108 or FL/ED SS series) and you will find yourself looking into wide beautiful star fields filled with countless pinpoints of light sharp to the very edge. All of a sudden three hundred plus dollars don't seem that much to pay for a totally immersive, euphoric experience! They are also great in large Dobs with coma correctors or Mak-Newts.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:10 Value:8
Weight: 4 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=365662


Pentax SMC-XW 20mm
Great e/p, great quality view to the edge of field, with very high contrast. The wider field of view in this quality! A must-have for high-quality scopes owners.

Nick@Athens

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=340458

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