Re: Pentax xw 20mm vs Tele vu Panoptic 24mm
Hi.
I have the Panoptic 24mm - this is a really nice eyepiece with excellent contrast and I believe the best of the TV Panoptic line. While I don't have the Pentax XW 20mm I believe all the eyepieces from 14mm and above focal length have a reasonable amount of field curvature. at f/10 the 24mm would be a better focal length for mid power for DSOs than the 20mm as the exit pupil is still good for contrast on DSOs (2.4mm) and the field is 0.8 degrees with the 24mm and 0.68 degrees with the Pentax.
A cheaper option is the 24mm ES68 - which is very good (I've been using this for some time). I bought the 24mm Panoptic recently for use with my 12" dob. I haven't been able to compare as such but my feeling was that the 24mm Panoptic had better contrast and a much blacker background.
A more expensive option would be if you use a 2" diagonal and then you've got a plethora of options at 20 to 24 degrees for wide-field eyepieces.
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12" Dob; Skywatcher 80ED & 120ST; EQ5; Grab and Go Alt/Az; 60mm RACI & Rigel Quickfinder.
Eyepieces: Tele Vue Panoptic 24mm, Delos 10/14/17.3mm; Pentax XW 5/7mm; ES Maxvision 28mm; Baader Classic 10/32mm
Filters: Astronomik UHC and OIII; Baader OIII; ES H-Beta
Herschel 400 (H1) Count: 162