This is my 2nd pair of Pentax DCF 8*43 binoculars. The focus mechanism in the first pair broke six years ago (a year after the 5-year warranty expired!). I then went for Nikon Sporter 8*36, but thought the build quality was pretty good, the handling and especially the optics never convinced me. So last month I finally got around to ordering a pair of Pentax DCF SP 8*43. Now I simply can't understand why I waited so long! They are head and shoulders above my previous Pentax and the Nikon. Optically they are very close to the "big four" (Leica, Swarowski, Zeiss and Nikon HG), whereas the build quality is a little further behind. But then again, they are less than 25% of the price. The only negative I can think of is the extreme close focus (less than 2.5m) where there are ghostly shadows from the tubes in the field of view. But even considering that, these bins are extremely good value for the money.
Thomas
Thomas