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Pentax PR 80 EDA eyepieces (1 Viewer)

That Sucks ! ... I was hoping you would have received a good unit with a good zoom. Since I am in the states, I choose to keep my PR65 body but sold the zoom for $25 indicating it was as defective with specs also. I choose not to send everything back for a refund because I did not want to take the chance of getting a dud body unit as well. I tried both a XW20 & XW14 Pentax eyepieces with both giving a crisp/sharp view. The APM 24mm eyepiece also worked very nicely but when I tried a Zhumell 18mm Planetary eyepiece it would not focus to infinity, it was sharp out to about 1,000 feet. I wonder if the reduced focal length of the Pentax PR 65 which is stated as 370 will be a deciding factor for any particular eyepiece not focusing correctly or if its my corrective lens in my eyeglasses.
 
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Hi Boogie, sorry to hear the scope didn't meet your expectations. I can recommend the PF 80 without hesitation. I bought mine new for £539 from Microglobe and it is a cracker, I"m not big fan of zooms, having said the Baader zoom provides excellent views throughout the range. I've been trying a few plossl eps, narrow FoV but really tack sharp, even at x60
 
Hi Boogie, sorry to hear the scope didn't meet your expectations. I can recommend the PF 80 without hesitation. I bought mine new for £539 from Microglobe and it is a cracker, I"m not big fan of zooms, having said the Baader zoom provides excellent views throughout the range. I've been trying a few plossl eps, narrow FoV but really tack sharp, even at x60

Is that the MK IV Baader zoom which I presume focuses at infinity?

I had one of these scopes years ago with the big Pentax zoom but sent it back due to really bad flare with a low sun. Has this been cured may I ask?
 
Is that the MK IV Baader zoom which I presume focuses at infinity?

I had one of these scopes years ago with the big Pentax zoom but sent it back due to really bad flare with a low sun. Has this been cured may I ask?

Hi, it is with the Modified MK111, it just about reaches infinity focus on PF80, not quite on the PF65. To be honest I think under certain conditions flare is inevitable. I also had the Pentax zoom, much had better build quality than the Baader and waterproof. I preferred the Baader optically though.. I haven't tried the new Baader zoom, but if it gives you nearly an extra 4mm of back focus, I think it should be ok.
 
Hi all,

I have recently (Nov23) purchased the Pentax PF-80 EDa with two EyePieces: Pentax SMC XW 14 mm fixed focal length (which gives x36 magnification) and Pentax SMC XL Zoom 8-24 mm (magnification between x21 and x63)
Really great spotting scope with the fixed 14 mm EP. Highly recommended!!! Awesome!!!

But, in my opinion it is not worth at all purchasing the Zoom XL eyepiece for several reasons:
  • More expensive (499€ compared to 328€, which is +52% more expensive!)
  • Inferior optical quality
  • Less real Field of View (FoV) (1,8º at x21 for the Zoom) compared to the real FoV of the fixed (1,9º at x36) !. So, the only advantage in flexibility for the Zoom is when using it between x36 and x63 which, in my opinion, is not necessary 99% of the times, since the fixed eyepiece offers more resolution. I prefer to have in my pocket a simple, cheap and light Plossl EP 8 or 7 mm focal length to get x63 or x72 Mag. for those 1% of the occasions.
  • 200 gr heavier
  • Tunnel effect, due to the 48º apparent FoV at x21. With the fixed focal length (70º) you really feel part of the scene.
 
Hi,

I just ordered a PR80 EDA. It comes with the PR XL zoom.

Does anyone know why Pentax saw fit to use a new zoom e/p with this scope rather than the existing XL one that used to come with the PF80? Seems odd that they came up with a new one. The only difference I can see on the specs is that the new one weighs 350g and the old model 550g.
Is there much of a difference when you look through them? One would hope that the view through the new one is an improvement and not just a weight saving. But given the extra weight of the older version I suspect it holds more glass and would therefore be the better e/p.

I'm not a fan of zooms so I'm not too fussed either way but I am curious. I much prefer the expansive view of a wide field fixed e/p so I'll be looking for some of those shortly.
The Pentax XWs 20 and 14 are the obvious choice but are there any others I should be thinking about?
Baader Morpheus 17.5 mm looks interesting for its 76degree afov.

Any other wide e/ps (say 68*+) with long eye relief for my spectacles out there?

Best wishes
BS
I am purchasing the Pentax pf 80ed angled scope appreciate any suggestions for a lens for burning and a lens for looking at the stars. I want to keep it simple.
 
I'd like some input to, my zoom has specks in it as well. Bought it used, unseen for a Great price but i like the scope over all, so i'd like some suggestions on a suitable zoom okular for it.
 

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