Add me to the list of 8.5mm Pentax XF proponents. It gives up marginally to the 8mm Stratus/Hyperion in terms of AFOV and that loss is minimal, but it smacks it in every other respect.
The Stratus/Hyperions are exceptional value for money eyepieces and see widespread use because of their wide range of focal length availabilities. Unfortunately the Pentax XF's only come in 8.5mm and 12mm as they are designed for use in Pentax Spotting scopes. Consequently you can't make up a set of them. In a one out shootout at the 8mm/8.5mm focal length the 8.5mm Pentax XF is an easy winner.
Cheers,
John B
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