Zoom eyepiece advice

[Pig]

I was wondering if anyone has tried the Pentax XW 8-24mm Zoom Eyepiece.

It has 8 elements, an apparent FOV of 70degrees, 20mm eye relief and comes with a twist up rubber eyecup.

This all sounds perfect for my needs. However, it would be nice if someone can qualify it for me.

Many thanks

Shaun

[YKSE]

Shaun, where have you got that specification for that Pentax Zoom?

To my very limited knowledge, there're two Pentax Zooms, XF and XL, where XL is 8-24mm, according to BillP's EP book, this zoom has FOV 60-49 degrees, eye relief 12-18mm, 6 elements. it seems to be confirmed here:

http://www.astroshop.eu/pentax-smc-xl-8-24mm-jis-class-4-weather-resistant-eyepiece/p,12338#tab_bar_1_select

And there're some discussions and link to reviews here:

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Number/5169648

[Pig]

Yong,

I got it off the Wex photographic website, it is a direct cut & paste, apart from their spelling of eyepiece

Its in the "Further Details" tab

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-pentax-xw-8-24mm-zoom-eyepiece/p1529768

[YKSE]

I think it would be better to call them to find out if the specification is correct, it looks more like a copy&paste from a fix focal XW.

[Pig]

I think it would be better to call them to find out if the specification is correct, it looks more like a copy&paste from a fix focal XW.

Yes I was thinking the same and that's why I posted it. It seems a little too good to be true

[rowan46]

The pentax xl 8-24 is sometimes called the pentax xw  but its not the same fov as the xw fixed. Ykse is quite correct about the specs I think you will find that wex have confused their xw zoom with the xw fixed length eyepiece. The xl  xw zoom is by all accounts a very good zoom but its not 70 degrees. 

[Pig]

I have just read the details again and it reads 70 degrees "Apparent angle of view", I don't know if this is the same measurement as apparent FOV expressed in a different way.

All of the  XW range on the advertisers web page have differing details but they all show 70 degrees "Apparent angle of view"  almost certainly confirming your suspicions of duplication.

Thank you Yong & Rowan

Has anyone tried this one ?

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-pentax-xf-6-9-19-5mm-zoom-eyepiece/p1529787

[YKSE]

The specification about XF zoom looks also like copy&paste from fixed focal XFs, the apparant field of vivw should be 60-42 degrees, and eye relieve 11-15mm according to the EP book. Here's some comments from CN

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Number/4826265

[YKSE]

Here's a review of the XL zoom

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1221