Pentax SMC-XW 7mm

5.0 Pentax 7mm XW

Eye relief, edge to edge sharpness, control of light scatter, build quality.

Size, weight, some eye placement issues.

I've used this eyepiece in both an f5 and an f6 Dob and find it to be my new favorite eyepiece for observing the planets. Wonderful eye relief and sharp, low-scatter views make it a real observing pleasure. The screw-up style eyecup allows each user to adjust the height to their particular needs and it does a great job of blocking out unwanted light . And the build quality is top-notch, although continual use can cause the upper dust cap to fit loosely (as the rubber portion of the eyecup where it resides slightly bends in over time).

Viewing comfort is excellent, although I think eye placement is more difficult than with the 10mm XW. I find I occasionally black out when viewing, even with the adjustable eyeguard - something that rarely happens with the 10mm.

Overall, I would highly recommend this eyepiece to others provided that the size/weight isn't an issue and they don't already own a 14mm XW (which can be easily barlowed to 7mm with a typical 2x barlow).