Pentax XF 6.5-19.5 particularly for binoviewing?

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Joe
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Pentax XF 6.5-19.5 particularly for binoviewing?

Post by Joe »

Hello everyone. I know some of the real experts here rate the Pentax XF 6.5-19.5 zoom EPs for solar viewing. I have a Lunt 60 DS and I've got an option on two of these EPs used at a good price. As far as EPs suitable for solar, I currently own a CeMax 18mm, an Explore Scientific 82 degree 14mm and 8.8mm, and a Meade 4000 plossl 9.7mm, so not a great deal of EPs.

I'm certainly buying one of the Pentax EPs given my limited ep collection currently and the flexible and quality views it should offer at a pretty low price, but I'm considering getting both of them as I'm pretty set on getting a binoviewer setup eventually for my Lunt. Therefore, I wondered if anyone had any advice or better yet direct experience about using these in a binoviewer setup for h-alpha (maybe even with a Lunt 60)? I don't have a huge amount to spend so any binoviewer setup would be likely on the lower end of the cost scale, which is another reason I thought this might be a good approach Vs getting several matched fixed focal length EPs. I appreciate such an approach is probably ideal in terms of optimal views vs getting paired zoom EPs, but unless this approach could be done cheaply and still with better results than with paired Pentax XF zooms then this may be my best option right now.

I've yet to look deeply into the binoviewer world so I'm fairly ignorant of all the details, but I didn't want to let this opportunity slip by me, hence my plea for some advice. Thanks for any!


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Re: Pentax XF 6.5-19.5 particularly for binoviewing?

Post by marktownley »

Owning this eyepiece for solar, but having not binoviewed it, would be that it is not 'click lock' over the zoom range, like the Baader. Therefore, it may, or may not, be difficult to dial in the same magnification on both pieces of glass in the binoviewer?


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Re: Pentax XF 6.5-19.5 particularly for binoviewing?

Post by Montana »

I agree with Mark, superb eyepiece but I have only ever used it with monocular viewing. The zoom is a slider but it does have 3 marks, it may be difficult to match both in the in between marks.

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Re: Pentax XF 6.5-19.5 particularly for binoviewing?

Post by Joe »

Thanks for the info. Yes that may be an issue I can see. Oh well I think the price is worth a try and I can sell one of them if it doesn't work. The guy selling me them has even found an unbranded and unused binoviewer he had which he's throwing in for £20, which is a bit odd, but the photos all look legitimate, so we'll see.


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Re: Pentax XF 6.5-19.5 particularly for binoviewing?

Post by Highbury Mark »

Best single solar Ha eyepiece on the market in my view, but even though I mostly binoview the Sun, I’ve never invested in a second XF zoom for two reasons: first, the one I own is very stiff, and trying to match the same focal length with a pair might be an issue; and second, the eyeguard/top of the EP is very wide, and I think it would be ergonomically difficult to observe through a binoviewer. If possible try before you buy.


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