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10mm Delos or 8.5mm and 12mm Pentax XFs?


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Ok, yet another 'what to buy' thread :D

I picked up an 8.8mm ES82 but i've found the ER is a touch short for my tastes, although it is otherwise a very nice eyepiece. My initial plan was to switch to the 8.5mm Pentax XF for the extra eye relief and add a 12mm XF at some point in the future when funds allow; 8.5mm would be a good focal length for white-light solar with the TV76, and the 12mm would be good high-power eyepieces for the C9.25

But i've started to wonder if a better course would be to jump for the 10mm Delos instead. I'd have to ditch my 5mm Radian to afford it, but that would be a nice solar eyepiece in the TV76, a great planetary eyepiece in the C9.25 (235x), and with a decent 2x Barlow might equal (or beat?) the 5mm Radian for planetary in the AP130 (208x). The 12mm Delos might possibly be a better option in the C9.25, but i'm generally only going to use that for visual planetary if the seeing is decent so the 10mm makes more sense.

Any thoughts? The Delos gets great reviews and is a much newer eyepiece than the XFs, but then again the XFs are decent performers and having two focal lengths might give some useful flexibility. Any idea how well the Delos works with a Barlow?

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Personally I have never used a delos with a barlow but I am told they barlow well. I like my delos very much and personally think they are the best mass produced eyepiece available, If I could afford it all my eyepieces would be delos

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I guess my answers are becoming a bit predictable. I have had the 8.8mm Meade UWA and if it is the same as the ExSc then both I agree are very nice eyepieces, I didn't have a problem with the eye-relief but this is a very personal thing.

I have had the 10mm Delos and sold it on only for a 10mm Ethos, I don't know I did the right thing yet. In the time I had the Delos I did put it against the 5mm Radian but with a Powermate and for me it was better than the Radian seeing deeper and if possible a bit more contrasty and sharper. I was going to write a review on it but my son helped me light the wood burner using the notes as part of the paper. That was 4 nights of work up in smoke.

The Delos is as I am sure you know with a 15% discount at the moment, so there will be no better time to take the plunge. There is no doubt in my mind the 10mm Delos is one of the finest eyepieces on the market in this focal length, it may even be the best. I could easily see myself buying another, but then I am mad.

I recently found that the 6mm Delos holds it's own against a BGO and the 4.5mm is a match for the 5mm Pentax XW but there is more to come on that after longer observations, this time I will keep the notes away from the heating system. Clearly the whole Delos range are playing in the big league and winning some battles as it would appear that the range has no weak link.

So no surprise my advice is dig deep into that pocket and buy the Delos, you know it makes sense.

Alan.

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I have the XF8.5 and like, and use it a lot. In my EP case, it sits between the XW10 and XW7, and for planetary I use all three regularly, depending on the seeing. I think if you buy the Delos 10, you would still find the XF8.5 useful for nights of really good seeing (it would roughly serve the same role as my XW7). I am not sure if the XF12 is of the same stature, as I have seen a review in which it did not perform so well. A Delos 12 might be better then.

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Ben, you'll find the Delos 10mm an outstanding EP and probably one of the best on the market, but I wonder if it would get in a lot of use C9.25 XLT? I don't think you'll find a dud amongst the Delos range but perhaps as Michael reasons, the 12mm might be a more useful choice. I'm sorry I haven't been able to help that much.

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I use the XF8.5 a lot in my C8 (239x) so the Delos 10 at 235x should be OK.

I can'y disagree with that though it is at my top limit, I am not a fan of lots of magnification and I do get very good seeing here. I was using X230 on my new 180 Mac the other night and it was just like looking at a photograph, I don't remember better from my much bigger LX 200.

Alan

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Ben, you'll find the Delos 10mm an outstanding EP and probably one of the best on the market, but I wonder if it would get in a lot of use C9.25 XLT? I don't think you'll find a dud amongst the Delos range but perhaps as Michael reasons, the 12mm might be a more useful choice. I'm sorry I haven't been able to help that much.

I keep wondering this, and keep going backwards and forwards. I'm coming to the conclusion that selling the 5mm Radian would be a mistake, as it's a great option for the AP130 and the Delos looks a bit big to Barlow - ideally i'd have a 5mm XW or 4.5mm Delos but the budget doesn't stretch that far. So if I remove the requirement to be able to Barlow to 'recreate' the Radian then 12mm might be a better choice, i'm not sure. 195x in the C9.25 would be good, but the 12mm is a touch low for white light with the TV76. Choices, choices...

Would be nice to have the Delos and the 8.5mm XF but can't stretch that far either :)

I can'y disagree with that though it is at my top limit, I am not a fan of lots of magnification and I do get very good seeing here. I was using X230 on my new 180 Mac the other night and it was just like looking at a photograph, I don't remember better from my much bigger LX 200.

I also tend to avoid lots of magnification unless i'm chasing tight doubles in great seeing, which was where the Nagler zoom was so good, so also tend to stay at around 200x as a maximum.

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In my opinion, you need the widest possible fields of view for solar work, so initially going down the ES route was a sensible one, I have the Celestron Axiom LX 7mm (now renamed 'Luminos') and have to say this is a good 'safe' choice as the twist-up eyecup makes it more comfortable to use, but can't guarantee the extra ER. It's just more comfortable to use than the ES ep's in my opinion for this application.

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In my opinion, you need the widest possible fields of view for solar work, so initially going down the ES route was a sensible one, I have the Celestron Axiom LX 7mm (now renamed 'Luminos') and have to say this is a good 'safe' choice as the twist-up eyecup makes it more comfortable to use, but can't guarantee the extra ER. It's just more comfortable to use than the ES ep's in my opinion for this application.

This I find puzzling. For solar work I find 60 deg of the XF8.5 enough in most cases, though 68 of the MaxVision and 70 deg of the XWs come in handy. I have used my 17 Nagler to show the whole disc comfortably in the C8 in white light.

I gather, after looking for info on the Luminos 15mm, that the Luminos are not quite the same as the Axiom LX designs. The consistently list a longer eye relief. They get variable reviews, unlike the Axiom LX line, which seemed to get more consistently good reports. I wonder if QC has dropped a bit (along with the price)

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I have some ES EPs for DSOS viewing but for planetary I have an 8 and a 5mm BST for the 10". I must say I have had some great clear detailed views of Jupiter and Saturn with these inexpensive EPs, but in the true astronomical spirit of always wanting better, and not having won the lottery in recent times, I have ordered a Pentax 8.5mm XF. I will be really curious to see how better than the BSTs it is. Well, I hope it will be!

Barry

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I have some ES EPs for DSOS viewing but for planetary I have an 8 and a 5mm BST for the 10". I must say I have had some great clear detailed views of Jupiter and Saturn with these inexpensive EPs, but in the true astronomical spirit of always wanting better, and not having won the lottery in recent times, I have ordered a Pentax 8.5mm XF. I will be really curious to see how better than the BSTs it is. Well, I hope it will be!

Barry

I think you will like it. Let us know when it arrives

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This I find puzzling. For solar work I find 60 deg of the XF8.5 enough in most cases, though 68 of the MaxVision and 70 deg of the XWs come in handy. I have used my 17 Nagler to show the whole disc comfortably in the C8 in white light.

I gather, after looking for info on the Luminos 15mm, that the Luminos are not quite the same as the Axiom LX designs. The consistently list a longer eye relief. They get variable reviews, unlike the Axiom LX line, which seemed to get more consistently good reports. I wonder if QC has dropped a bit (along with the price)

I understood the 'Luminos' were exactly the same, at least that's what Celestron have said, but I have not read the specs or tried them.

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Has anyone tried the 10mm Delos against the 10mm Pentax XW? I was going to go for the Delos, but now need to return something to FLO and will have a credit, and they sell Pentax ...

edit: worth adding that I've owned the 10XW (and 3.5XW, 5XW, and 7XW) in the past and loved them, so it's a fairly safe choice that won't disappoint - until the Ethos came along the 10XW was my favourite eyepiece of all. But if the Delos is an evolution of the Ethos then I wonder if it outdoes the XW? The two Ethos i've owned (8E and 13E) were virtually perfect, losing only a tiny mark for eye relief.

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Has anyone tried the 10mm Delos against the 10mm Pentax XW? I was going to go for the Delos, but now need to return something to FLO and will have a credit, and they sell Pentax ...

edit: worth adding that I've owned the 10XW (and 3.5XW, 5XW, and 7XW) in the past and loved them, so it's a fairly safe choice that won't disappoint - until the Ethos came along the 10XW was my favourite eyepiece of all. But if the Delos is an evolution of the Ethos then I wonder if it outdoes the XW? The two Ethos i've owned (8E and 13E) were virtually perfect, losing only a tiny mark for eye relief.

I have been doing a lot of searching and reading about these two ep's lately and I all I ever find is that they are of equal performance. It seems that most would say the eye cup is preferred on the Pentax.

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Foundaplanet,

If you buy the Pentax 10mm XW you are hardly going to end up with a damp squib. The 10mm Delos is an exceptional eyepiece but many say the Pentax 10mm is the best turned out from them. I have just spent 14 hours at the scopes on 9 different nights making a choice between the 5mm XW and the 4.5mm D and the two 14mm's, believe me you are going to have to a hell of a lot better than I am to find a big difference between any of these. I wish I had the two 10mm's to have a go.

I give you an idea of how I have split them, I like the bullet case of the Pentax.

This should be on the "to do list" for SGL 9.

Alan.

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Ben, you'll find the Delos 10mm an outstanding EP and probably one of the best on the market, but I wonder if it would get in a lot of use C9.25 XLT? I don't think you'll find a dud amongst the Delos range but perhaps as Michael reasons, the 12mm might be a more useful choice. I'm sorry I haven't been able to help that much.

I will be able to let you know very soon as my 10mm Delos has arrived - as soon as there is a break in the clouds I will be out there with it. :smiley: Is there anything in particular you want me to try it out on ?

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Foundaplanet,

If you buy the Pentax 10mm XW you are hardly going to end up with a damp squib. The 10mm Delos is an exceptional eyepiece but many say the Pentax 10mm is the best turned out from them. I have just spent 14 hours at the scopes on 9 different nights making a choice between the 5mm XW and the 4.5mm D and the two 14mm's, believe me you are going to have to a hell of a lot better than I am to find a big difference between any of these. I wish I had the two 10mm's to have a go.

I give you an idea of how I have split them, I like the bullet case of the Pentax.

This should be on the "to do list" for SGL 9.

Alan.

I have decided to go for a 10mm and 2x telextender to finish my eyepiece collection couldn't decide on delos or pentax but in the end its the bolt case that swung it for me so will be going for the pentax
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I have decided to go for a 10mm and 2x telextender to finish my eyepiece collection couldn't decide on delos or pentax but in the end its the bolt case that swung it for me so will be going for the pentax

Congratulations :smiley:

I've used and owned many eyepieces (too many !) but the Pentax XW 10mm remains probably the finest I've ever used. It's an absolute gem of an eyepiece :grin:

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I have decided to go for a 10mm and 2x telextender to finish my eyepiece collection couldn't decide on delos or pentax but in the end its the bolt case that swung it for me so will be going for the pentax

Excellent decision!

I've been on a bit of a merry go round in and around this focal length! I had the 10 & 7mm XW's and sold them to fund an 8mm Ethos. Shortly after, I sold the Ethos and picked up the 6 & 10mm Delos. As undoubtedly excellent as the Delos were, I never quite warmed to them the way I did with the Pentax ep's and today I'm right back where I started with the 10, 7 & 5mm XW's! As John has already stated, the 10mm is an absolute gem, you will not be disappointed :-)

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Foundaplanet,

If you buy the Pentax 10mm XW you are hardly going to end up with a damp squib. The 10mm Delos is an exceptional eyepiece but many say the Pentax 10mm is the best turned out from them. I have just spent 14 hours at the scopes on 9 different nights making a choice between the 5mm XW and the 4.5mm D and the two 14mm's, believe me you are going to have to a hell of a lot better than I am to find a big difference between any of these. I wish I had the two 10mm's to have a go.

I give you an idea of how I have split them, I like the bullet case of the Pentax.

This should be on the "to do list" for SGL 9.

Alan.

I plan to purchase two premium 70' (ish) ep's, I want a 10 mil to give me 120x and I feel the ideal highest most used mag for me is 170x which is a 7 mil and that is what is in the most part making my decision for me. Though also a tad annoying as a 12 and an 8 would also be nice to add next year and I would prefer the higher mags to be parfocal. I think this is what the word conundrum is for..:)

It seems that with exception to the Naglers Televue have a bit of an allergy towards both 7 and 9 mm ep's. If they were to add a 7 and 9 to the Delos range I would think that that would make them even more appealing than they already are as it would make quite a magnificent range of high end SWA's for high mags.

I have thought about getting a 14 and 10 Delos and barlow the 14 but I don't know how much quality if any I would loose.

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