Hi Duncan,
Yes, as you probably read, the XF is supoib! (that's superb with a crappy New Jersey accent)
One thing I will say though.....now that the scope is excellently collimated thanks to the laser, the XF (8.5mm for $229) and the Andrews ED 12.5mm ($69) arent THAT far apart in performance to potentially warrant the extra $160 dollars if your budget is tight. I mean, I havent really given the XF a workout as much as I have with the 12.5mm, but as a comparison I switched between the two often whilst observing Saturn and they were close enough to matter a fair bit when it comes to the hip pocket difference.
Wouldnt change my XF for anything though, it really is a beautiful bit of kit. It really oozes quality in its construction and the twist up eyecup is very handy for people unaccustomed to how close to look so they dont bump the scope by bashing their head against the EP. The colour is very natural also and as I said, the views of Saturn at 176x without a barlow were crisp as a minted $100 note.
Don't forget the steak knives......
Cheers
Chris