Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I returned my first one to Adorama because when I looked down at the eyepieces in sunlight I saw the secondary reflections of the sun were different colors between the eyepieces. One or more of the glass surfaces was improperly coated, something that should have been caught by Quality Control before the binocular left the factory. Kudos to Adorama for handling the exchange in a timely manner, with no additional cost to me.
I gave this second pair a thorough visual inspection and it appears perfect. The optical quality of this bino is almost beyond reproach, there is just a minute amount of chromatic aberration in some lighting conditions, and slightly undersized prisms. The aspheric lens elements excel, keeping the images 'TACK SHARP' until the edge of view, BETTER than my other binos, including my highly touted Nikon Monarch 8X42 ATB! The field of view is a bit narrow, but the fact that that entire field stays sharp helps to offset that. I often wear eyeglasses when using binoculars, and the 20mm eye relief is fantastic (paltry eye relief kept from buying an expensive, high end Fujinon; I purchased this Pentax instead!). The 12X magnification allows these to be hand-held, but some shakiness will be evident. I usually mount them on a tripod, or hand-hold them as I lay back in a lawn chair, minimizing shake.
Build quality looks and feels excellent, and I like the sculpted shape. I think the rubber covering would offer more protection against bumps if it was a little softer. The focus wheel is stiff, and it is slow focusing, taking a long time to travel through the focus range. The slow focus is an advantage for astronomy (my main use), it allows for very precise focusing. Birders and hunters will find the slow focus a hinderance. When focused for my eyes on deep-sky objects (infinity), the focus wheel is between the lock notches and focus will not lock. I think this "focus lock" and the "click-stop" diopter eyelens adjustment are unneeded marketing gimmicks, with no 'value-added' other than to one-up the competition. The large screw out eyecups are a big improvement over fold-down rubber eyecups. The low prism housings feel different but not uncomfortable. Put your hands in front of you like you are holding binos, now start turning your hands so the thumbs move toward each other, until they touch. That's what it's like to hold these. This bino is a little large and a little heavy, compared to many other 50mm porro prism binos.
Accessories is where manufacturers cut costs, and Pentax is no different. Standard plastic objective lens covers are supplied. The neckstrap is unpadded and too narrow for the weight, my neck gets sore after several minutes. I will replace it with Op/Tech's E-Z Comfort strap. The eyelens 'rain cover' is next to useless. It is held in place by gravity, even with the bino hinge fully opened the eyecups do not grip the cover. I soaked my rain cover in hot water to soften it, then lightly pressed the edges closer together; it now grips the eyecups and stays in place. The case is my biggest complaint! It is a storage case only, not a carry case! It has no belt loop, shoulder strap, strap attachment rings, or handle. The only good thing I can say about it is it is large enough to hold the bino AND the strap! (Something I can't say about my Monarch's case, but it does have a belt loop!) I am considering Mountain Smith's Focus II (Lg) case, or one of Buckstitch Canvas's larger bino cases. Gone are the good ol' days when you would get a nice leather hard case that would last a lifetime supplied with a binocular.
Based on my initial impressions, I can recommend this binocular, IF IT FILLS YOUR NEEDS. Just check it over good, and be prepared to return it if not satisfied. Whenever (if ever) Chinese quality control gets up to speed, their optics will rival anything put out by the best Japanese or German companies.
ADDED: I completed several nights of informal astronomical testing of this bino. I won't go into detail on the testing, it is the same as in my review of the Nikon Monarch. If a bino gives good images of bright and dim night sky objects, it will do even better in daylight! This one is EXCELLENT+(PLUS), among the best I have EVER looked through! (I have used dozens of binos in my 40 plus years as an amateur astronomer.) The chromatic aberration is nearly non-existant when viewing the bright moon on axis (a tough test for any optic), the CA becomes more noticeable as the view is moved toward the edge. I will not hold this minimal amount of CA against it, after all, this is not a six hundred dollar instrument! But the bino does have prisms that are slightly too small for full light transmission; I see it when holding the eyelenses 8 or 10 inches in front of my eyes. Both images should be round, but there are flat edges here and there that are the edges of the prisms, where some of the light is being lost (this is one difference between these bargain binos and those that cost hundreds more). Still, I must say: THIS ONE IS A KEEPER! The image quality overrides any optical discrepencies. I give this binocular 5 stars as a surveillance or astronomy binocular; but perhaps 3 stars if focus speed, size, and weight are major considerations.
ADDED: I did purchase the Mountain Smith Focus II (Lg) case, it is almost the perfect carry case for this bino.
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