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MatthewC

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MatthewC

MatthewC

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Hi everyone. Although i have been lurking in the shadows on here for a few months now this is my first proper post. SGL has been invaluable in helping me get started in this wonderful hobby. Anyway, here is my dilemma. I have decided to start upgrading the ep's that came with my scopes. I intend to start with the 10mm as its the worst of them and as i only want to do this once i am seeking advise from more knowledgeable folk on here. I have already bought a Televue 2X Barlow so think i'm sorted in that department. Now, ep wise, i cannot decide between the 9mm Nagler T6 or the 10mm Pentax XW. I have looked through the Nagler and thought it was spectacular, although i struggled to take in the entire fov without jamming my eye socket right into the eyecup. I have read numerous reviews comparing both these ep's and they seem fairly even performance wise. So basically, fov aside, which do i buy :)

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Damo636

Damo636

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Hi Matthew, and welcome to the forum. I have been chopping and changing at my ep's for a few months now trying to get the balance right and end up with quality ep's that hopefully will last me a lifetime (famous last words :)) I think you are doing the right thing by buying quality from the outset. I cannot comment on the Pentax but have recently aquired the 9mm Nagler and imo its an amazing ep. The eye relief is a little short but you soon get used to it. As long as you don't wear glasses its fine. The Pentax by all accounts is a more comfortable ep to use but it is also more expensive and much larger.

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MjrTom

MjrTom

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Hello,

I would say there would be little in it, yes you have slightly more eye relief with the Pentax but then you have less aFOV with that eyepiece so in all accounts it would balance out.

The Nagler T6 eyepieces have quite a tight eye relief but compared to other eyepieces its quite generous :)

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Multi-Coated

Multi-Coated

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Hi Matthew ,, i'm totally biast to the TV's although some people have issues with eye placement blackout , i have no issues with this ,but its a personal preference . I also love the fov and "spacewalk feeling".

As you say the Pentax is also a great ep but for me TV every time.:)

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John

John

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I've owned a Nagler Type 6 9mm and I've compared it directly to a Pentax XW 10mm. I'm a huge Tele Vue fan but I had to admit that the XW was mighty impressive and very slightly outperformed my Nagler. The eye relief and large eye lens of the Pentax XW makes it a more comfortable eyepiece to use too. So by a very small margin I'd probably go with the 10mm XW, which is also considered by many to be one of the finest in the XW range I believe.

If I ever moved away from my current Ethos / Nagler set it would be XW's that I'd be looking I believe, funding allowing.

FWIW the large eye lens of the Pentax makes the smaller FoV over the Nagler much less obvious.

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rwilkey

rwilkey

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I have only looked through the Pentax, and yes, it is a very comfortable eyepiece to use. Going for quality at the outset is a great philosophy, I have chopped and changed but now getting some of my 'dream' EP's together, it's quite a learning curve.

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Nexus 6

Nexus 6

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Those Pentax's do get some great reviews, I have never had the pleasure of trying one but do own the 9mm Nagler, eye placement/eye relief aside it is a great ep and is surpisingly small and compact. I'm not really helping that much though, tough choice you have but I suspect either will be a great addition to your collection Matthew.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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great comments so far and this is one of those situations where everyone is right and everyone wrong; in other words, eyepiece choice is a very personal thing.

I am also a TV junkie and love them to bits but have never looked through a Pentax. The point about 'sitting back a little' with the Nagler and this effectively creating an easier to use smaller field comparable to the Pentax is well made and I actually do this with the Ethos. The advantage is that you see limitless space. That said, I actually like to be able to see the field stop in many cases and therefore don't feel I am losing out with smaller field.

The only other eyepieces I have are Baader Genuine Orthos which are the other end of the scale and have 40 degree field. These to my eyes compare favourably in every other aspect than field so do consider all options before you buy and if possible try and meet with someone who has the eyepieces you want to 'test' so you can try then in your gear.

one thing's for sure, when you buy this sort of quality, as long as you realise that they will not be providing Hubblesque images, just a slightly sharper, more contrasty and less aberration prone view, then you'll never be disappointed. You have two good scopes and such great eyepieces will work in both quite happily.

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MatthewC

MatthewC

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Thanks so much guys for all the input. I have to admit i am leaning toward the XW. I think comfort at the eyepiece is an important factor and by all accounts the Pentax is very easy to get on with. I am sure i wouldn't be disappointed with the Nagler either but i like the idea of being able to see the entire fov easily and i think this is where the XW wins out for me

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MikeP

MikeP

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I've never compared XWs and TVs - I was loaned a 5mm and a 10mm XW - they were so much better and so much more comfortable to use than what I had at the time, I went down the XW route. I now have five of them and use them all.

Mike

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dweller25

dweller25

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Hello Matthew, your philosophy of buy once and buy the best is definitely the right one - I have wasted a lot of money trying to compromise.

I settled on Pentax XW's as they are very comfortable to use even with my glasses on.

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Damo636

Damo636

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Not sure of your budget but i thought i'd throw something different into the mix, what about one of these?

Tele Vue Delos Eyepieces - SCS Astro

They are slightly more expensive than the Pentax but i have read that optically they are as good as the Ethos! You also get a slightly larger fov and 20mm of eye relief.

Just some food for thought :)

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MatthewC

MatthewC

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Not sure of your budget but i thought i'd throw something different into the mix, what about one of these?

Tele Vue Delos Eyepieces - SCS Astro

They are slightly more expensive than the Pentax but i have read that optically they are as good as the Ethos! You also get a slightly larger fov and 20mm of eye relief.

Just some food for thought :)

Food for thought indeed Damo. I was not aware of these. Has anyone used one of these? The specs are very similar to the Pentax and would appear to tick all the boxes also.

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John

John

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Food for thought indeed Damo. I was not aware of these. Has anyone used one of these? The specs are very similar to the Pentax and would appear to tick all the boxes also.

The Delos are very new on the market - there may not be any actually in owners hands as yet (I could be wrong). I believe that they aim to deliver Ethos type performance but with a more modest price and field of view and a bit more eye relief which will be especially welcome to those who wear glasses when observing.

It's worth being aware that, when you are in these sorts of price ranges, the actual performance differences between eyepieces are very small indeed - probably unnoticable for much of the time as other factors such as seeing conditions have a much greater impact.

The actual selection of which premium eyepiece to go for becomes driven by personal preferences over factors such as viewing comfort, field of view, price etc. This is why it's so useful if you can get an opportunity to try some for youself - what works fantastically for one person may well not suit another at all :)

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MatthewC

MatthewC

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Thanks John, sound advise. The reviews of the Delos seem very thin on the ground so you may be right about them not being in the owners hands yet. I will stick with the XW as its a bit cheaper and gets glowing reports from everyone.

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swamp thing

swamp thing

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Hi

For this focal length I use a 2" Powermate to Barlow a 20mm T5 Nagler this is a superb combination. If your Barlow is 2" this is definitely worth a consideration. Giving you two magnifications.

I find the 20mm T5 one of the very best of the Naglers and a good Barlow detracts nothing from the view.

Whatever you choose you won't go wrong with any of the eyepieces you are considering.

Regards Steve

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