RIP Pentax XO

[E621Keith]

Although it has been discussed for a while on CN, it's now official. Pentax XO has followed the ZAO, TMB supermono to the big eyepiece collection in the sky.

It's now obvious Pentax is leaving the astronomy market. First the apo, and mount a few years ago, then 2 2" XWs a few months ago. Finally the XO, the last remaining non spotting scope eyepiece in Pentax's line.

It's only a matter of time before they kill the XW3.5 and 5mm, neither are very useful for spotting scopes.

http://www.pentax.jp/japan/products/telescope/eye/xo/

[Damo636]

Did the XO range only ever consist of 2 focal lengths? I personally don't care for orthos but its

a shame to see another top class performer discontinued. I would be more annoyed though if the XW's suffered the same fate .

[John]

I understood that there were just two XO's - 5.1mm and 2.5mm, and three XF's, the 8.5mm, 12mm and the 6.5 - 19.5 zoom. I hope the 1.25" XW's will survive a little longer but if the corporate decision has been taken then I guess it will be "bye bye" to those soon too

Who will be giving Tele Vue a run for their money then ?

[E621Keith]

I'm not worried about the mid range XW and XF. They are good spotting scope eyepieces and there is a big market for them. When Nikon left the astro market, they continued to make spotting scopes and spotting scope eyepieces even to this day, I'm sure Pentax will continue to make spotting scope until they finally go bust, but that will also mean future XW successor will be optimised for spotting scope use rather than astro.

I don't want to see anyone having a monopoly in any segment of the market, because competition encourage innovations. I doubt Televue would have bother with the Delos if there were no XW on the market.

[John]

....I don't want to see anyone having a monopoly in any segment of the market, because competition encourage innovations. I doubt Televue would have bother with the Delos if there were no XW on the market......

I agree that competition is good although it's usually been Tele Vue throwing the stick out for everyone else to run after. I guess the question is whether they would be as innovative if there was nobody prepared to chase it !

[andrew63]

It's a shame as everything is becoming like a clone of something else - not nocking the Chinese - they make some good stuff but that is what they do best. Hope you don't end up with TV and ten shades of synta blue.

andrew

[cs1cjc]

Although it has been discussed for a while on CN, it's now official. Pentax XO has followed the ZAO, TMB supermono to the big eyepiece collection in the sky...

APM has just run off a new series of TMB supermonocentrics at 440 euros each, but they are already almost gone... See:

http://www.apm-telescopes.net/en/Eyepieces/less-than-58-FoV/Other/TMB-Supermonocentric-Eyepiece-16-mm.html

[John]

And to think I sold my TMB Supermonocentric for just £100 not so long ago.

I should have held back a bit

[alan potts]

I understood that there were just two XO's - 5.1mm and 2.5mm, and three XF's, the 8.5mm, 12mm and the 6.5 - 19.5 zoom. I hope the 1.25" XW's will survive a little longer but if the corporate decision has been taken then I guess it will be "bye bye" to those soon too

Who will be giving Tele Vue a run for their money then ?

A very good question John, do you think standards will flag?

Wow 440 Eu, that is a great deal of cash for a very small eyepiece, that makes the TV 20mm Nag look cheap.

Alan.

[Astro_Baby]

TV have ES to contend with and longer term ES will probably give them a run for their money. I'd see the current ES line up as not much more than market entry. The far east game is always a very long one. People as old as me may well remember the motoring press hammering honda and arguing that they could never really be successful against the mainstream car makers. Similar things were said about Datsun now Nissan and a few years ago were being said about Kia.

The far east plays very long business.......typically planned out years ahead where western companies work in quarters and financial years.

If you want competition you have to buy from competition, i dont wonder Pentax would get out they must sell very small numbers.

[E621Keith]

I think the biggest problem for Pentax is their camera division. Pentax imaging aren't doing well, so other divisions are sacrificed to save their core business. Nikon's entry into the Japanese home market for astro eyepiece certainly didn't help either.

It will be another decade or two before Chinese products can shake off their reputations as 'low quality copies with sloppy QC' that's commonly associated with the 'Made in China' label. Until then TV have no real competitor in its market segment, even if the Chinese alternative is just as good.

[Antscope]

I heard they where bought by Hoya glass

[John]

....A very good question John, do you think standards will flag?.....

I don't think Tele Vue's will, at least while it stays a family concern run by astronomers anyway.

[Kef9]

A real shame, the XO is a class eyepiece

[E621Keith]

I heard they where bought by Hoya glass

When Hoya bought Pentax in 2007, they killed Pentax's telescope division. Hoya then sold Pentax to Ricoh last year, who now proceed to kill the eyepiece division as well.

[crazyjedi]

This cannot be good. I have always covetted Pentax EPs and never heard a bad word about them (apart from price) - Their quality is legendary.

:embarrassed: