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PF 65Eda with pentax 8-24 SMC Zoom? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Talusman
- Start date
jmepler
It's just a flesh wound.
Hi Jeremy, welcome to the forum.
I have a PF-65 ED, the straight version. If I remember correctly, the case was a very tight fit with some of the shorter focal length XW eyepieces. I don't think it would zip closed with the SMC zoom. The angled version may be better, or worse.
The 8-24mm on the PF-65 EDA would give you 16x-49x rather than the 20x-60x that you would get from the XF zoom. But it would have better eye relief.
I used to be a defender of the SMC zoom, and it is very good optically. Once I started using the XW eyepieces the view through the zoom seems claustrophobic. I can't remember the last time I had the zoom on my scope.
Mike
I have a PF-65 ED, the straight version. If I remember correctly, the case was a very tight fit with some of the shorter focal length XW eyepieces. I don't think it would zip closed with the SMC zoom. The angled version may be better, or worse.
The 8-24mm on the PF-65 EDA would give you 16x-49x rather than the 20x-60x that you would get from the XF zoom. But it would have better eye relief.
I used to be a defender of the SMC zoom, and it is very good optically. Once I started using the XW eyepieces the view through the zoom seems claustrophobic. I can't remember the last time I had the zoom on my scope.
Mike
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike, thanks and your name's familiar- probably from PA eBird reports. I'm from the Lehigh Valley. I currently have the XW14, and find myself wanting to be able to switch to ~40x often. I really don't need 70 degrees (I can't see the whole field easily without blackouts - even after fine-tuning the eyecup) so am thinking of the zoom as a good bet, would probably sell/trade the 14 if I went with the 8-24.
Another option would be to get a 10mm vixen or similar and swap eyepieces in the field (less convenient and not water resistant)
Interested if anyone has compared the sharpness/contrast between XW and zoom.
-Jeremy
Hi Mike, thanks and your name's familiar- probably from PA eBird reports. I'm from the Lehigh Valley. I currently have the XW14, and find myself wanting to be able to switch to ~40x often. I really don't need 70 degrees (I can't see the whole field easily without blackouts - even after fine-tuning the eyecup) so am thinking of the zoom as a good bet, would probably sell/trade the 14 if I went with the 8-24.
Another option would be to get a 10mm vixen or similar and swap eyepieces in the field (less convenient and not water resistant)
Interested if anyone has compared the sharpness/contrast between XW and zoom.
-Jeremy
Last edited:
mannukiddo
Well-known member
I have both and I have never used the zoom since getting the XW14. The zoom is sharp till about 25-30X but the fov is very narrow. Its also dimmer than the XW14. I also find the ER to be inadequate at mid zooms.
