Pentax 16.5mm XW Series 2" Eyepiece (70540)

Stunning 16.5mm Pentax XW

I bought this eyepiece a couple of months ago. It is easily the best wide field eyepiece I have ever viewed through. I already own a complete set of Pentax XWs and the 16.5mm surpasses all of these! It provides the perfect combination of wide field (85 degrees) and eye relief. The 16.5mm XW displays tack sharp stars across the entire view even at F/4.4 in my 16-inch dobsonian when combined with a Paracorr coma corrector. Colour rendition, transmission and contrast are excellent. For the first time in my life I saw red in the Orion nebula! I found Nicholas to be very helpful and reassuring which was important to me as the eyepiece needed to be shipped from Canada to the UK.

I extensively tested this astonishing Pentax 85degree monster and except for my Nagler 20mm Type2 eyepiece i have never used such a fantastic optic and at the 24Xish that my F/6.45 telescope works at it gives an image beyond etched. I am so glad i saved and spent the cash for this eyepiece and the 20X the Nagler gives may seem trivial and it essentially is but at my F/9 optic its at 54.5X and the Naglers at 45X so summer sweeping and finding something interesting gives me the proverbial 50X power need but just a bit better under and over so an accomplished sweeper will be well served !!