• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Pentax PIF 7x50 (1 Viewer)

SameerAly

New member
G'Day All,

I was lucky enough to come across a well-priced pair of NOS Pentax PIF 7x50 (discontinued for some years) binoculars in a Sydney store some months back. Truth be told, I'm more an amateur astronomer than a birdwatcher, but these forums have nonetheless proved invaluable in bettering my knowledge and understanding of binocular optics.

As some of you are aware, the Pentax PIF 7x50s are marine binoculars of military grade construction. Despite their harrowing weight (1.6kg) and industrial appearance, I've found the optics to be breathtaking when used for stargazing. In brief, their ability to perform in low light conditions is absolutely staggering, understandable given the SMC multicoatings on all lens elements and the field flattener prisms. These binoculars offer superb brightness, contrast, sharpness and field flatness. Mechanically, it may be the strongest 7x50 ever made.

Should anyone be interested, I understand that Wellington Surplus (Perth, Australia) has 2 Pentax 7x50 PIFs available. Both items are brand new, and constitute surplus stock from the Australian navy (See: http://www.wellingtonsurplus.com.au...BINOCULARS/PB07506/PENTAX+7x50+PIF+BINOCULARS).

Cheers,

S.A.
 
Hi Thomas, I have an older Pentax Catalog/brochure that lists these Pentax 7x50 PIF and 10x50 PIF. The 7x50 PIF has a field of view of 384 ft. at 1000 yds.[7.3°] 20mmER is 20mm. The 10x50 PIF field of view is 342 ft. at 1000 yds.[6.5°] ER is 15
Regards,Steve
 
Hi Thomas, I have an older Pentax Catalog/brochure that lists these Pentax 7x50 PIF and 10x50 PIF. The 7x50 PIF has a field of view of 384 ft. at 1000 yds.[7.3°] 20mmER is 20mm. The 10x50 PIF field of view is 342 ft. at 1000 yds.[6.5°] ER is 15
Regards,Steve

6,5 at 10x, that's 65 degrees apparent fov.
Quite impressive. If that comes with a field-flattening lens it must be quite a view!
Unfortunately they have no central focus (as I saw from the pictures on a website).
Pentax should give us a centrol-focus version of this instrument !!

Thanks for the effort,
Tom
 
Hi Tom, I have wanted the 10x50 version of this binocular. I figured at the weight of these you have to mount them, might as well have 10x.There was one site a few yrs. ago that had these for around $460 US, but do not have them anymore. They come up on Ebay once in while.
Regards,Steve
 
Hi Tom, I have wanted the 10x50 version of this binocular. I figured at the weight of these you have to mount them, might as well have 10x.There was one site a few yrs. ago that had these for around $460 US, but do not have them anymore. They come up on Ebay once in while.
Regards,Steve

Steve,

You've been talkng about the PIFs for years -- why not place an ad on eBay and see if somebody wants to sell theirs? Offer them $460 if that's the price you want.

The Fuji 10x50s were heavy too (but not quite as heavy as the PIFs, as I recall, did you compare the specs?), but I was disappointed with the edge performance of the Fujis. From Holger's review, I was expecting the Fujis to be sharp very close to the edge, which was not the case. Stars spiked not far off axis. Could have been a bad sample.

Yes, the PIFs are WP and built like a tank, but ask yourself: Do I want to carry these heavy suckers around with me all day in the hills and the valleys of rural Pennsylvania looking for black panthers?

If I were given the choice of taking the PIF hernia poppers with me on a field trip AND a tripod, or a Canon 10x42 IS, and had the deep pockets to buy the IS like you will once you get your daughter married off :), I would go for the IS.

Yes, I know what you're thinking, what happens when the IS fizzles the day after the warranty expires? Answer: You put them in the recycle bin marked: Plastics. :)

Seriously, you've been talking about the PIFs since the late 20th century, the time is neigh to take the plunge and buy a pair before diesel fuel prices jump to $10/gallon, and it will cost you $50 to get the leaden PIFs shipped to you!

Your bino buddy,
Brock
 
Steve,

Your friend Brock has a point.

If you have indeed been pining about the Pentax PIF binoculars for years on end, now would be a good time in which you place an advertisment querying whether anyone's willing to part with their pair.

As noted in my earlier post, however, there is a military surplus store in Perth, Australia which has the Pentax PIF 7x50 binoculars in stock. They certainly don't come cheap at AUD850 - especially given that the AUD is quite strong against the USD at present (i.e. AUD 0.95 purchases USD 1) - but there is scope to negotiate approx 10-15% of the purchase price should you contact the store directly. Though it may appear that I'm 'plugging' the Pentax PIFs on behalf of Wellingtonsurplus, the simple fact is that I'm extremely impressed with their build quality, optics, durability and ability to perform in low light conditions. Further, this happens to be one of the few binoculars that can be focused across the full field - no small achievement given the moderately wide field of view. Lastly, the optics employ Pentax's SMC (Super Multi Coating) and field flattener lenses. The prisms themselves are also multicoated.

With some research, perhaps it's possible to locate a new pair for sale in the US. If yes, the asking price will arguably be cheaper than what's being demanded offshore. For example, the list price of the PIFs in some UK specialist stores (i.e. camera houses) is approx 700-750 pounds, which equates to over AUD1450. In my view, this is simply ludicrous …

Regards,

S.A.
 
I wouldn't mind getting one of these Pentax PIF, esp. at a cheaper price, but I hope to get a Nikon 12x50 SE here pretty soon. In fact it was Brock's :) I think I could live the the 12 SE ok for now.
Regards,Steve
 

Attachments

  • brocks fujinon 6x30 second batch at his place 024resize crop.jpg
    brocks fujinon 6x30 second batch at his place 024resize crop.jpg
    76 KB · Views: 681
Last edited:
Steve,

I have a 10x50 PIF. I'm not interested in selling it, but if it's any consolation I would rather have the 12x50 SE. The PIF performs very much like the SE optically, but with the inconvenience of IF, much shorter eye relief and it weighs 1700g! Also the fov spec for the 10x50 is very inaccurate. The afov is not 65 degrees. It's about 60 degrees, same as the SE series.

Henry
 
Hi Henry, Thanks so much for your timely post on this subject. I had forgot that you had a 10x50 PIF. After having the use of the Fujinon 10x50 FMT-SX and really I loved that binocular, the IF and weight of that binocular does make a difference in ease of use, everyone that looked through both of these like the 10SE because of center focus and weight. I laid on my back looking up at the night sky, using both the Nikon 10x42SE and this Fuji and I must say my arms and wrists would get tired pretty fast with the Fuji.
Regards,Steve
 
I have collected binoculars for many years and while most of them are Swift's, i do also have a number of Pentax binoculars including a PIF 7x50 and a couple of PIF 10x50's. Also have a Pentax BIF 7x50 and a Swift Storm King Mark II. All are nice marine type binoculars with outstanding image quality, but the Pentax PIF's are just a step above almost anything else that i have ever looked through. They are the sort of binoculars that make people's mouths drop open when they look through them. I wish i had a quarter for every time someone looked through them and then pulled them away from their eyes and looked down at them, astonished and said WOW! What kind of binoculars are these? They are definitely big and heavy and you don't grab them if you are going for a hike, but for a pair to keep in the car, boat, or use for astronomy...........i just don't think they can be beat for image quality. I always have a pair with me when i go to Grand Teton or Yellowstone National Parks for wildlife viewing each fall and i also mount them on a heavy tripod with a parallelogram mount for astronomy viewing. The field flattener lenses make for a 3D "spacewalk" view unlike anything else i have experienced with other binoculars. For a little tighter view of the cosmos, i do have a Swift 20x80 Satellite binocular that gets you up close and personal. This is my first post, but i have been lurking here for a long time and finally decided to jump in feet first! Good to join you fine gents! Kind regards to all, Kerry
 
Hi Kerry,Thanks for your thoughts on the Pentax PIF binoculars. I would still like to get one someday, but I found that I do like the Nikon 12x50SE that I just bought and it compliments my 10SE.:) Now all I need is a Kowa Highlander, well that isn't going to happen. :)
Regards,Steve
 
You might try checking out some West Marine stores.

Over the past year and a half, I was able to acquire two sets of PIF 7x50's for the low, low price of 150 USD on clearance sale. I had seen the first set on the clearance table, and the clerk told me they had another set in the back storeroom. Of course, I was really trying to acquire some Fujinon FMTR-SX's, but I could afford those even less. When I saw the amazing reviews online of the PIF's (comparable to the Fujinon's, and some of the best binos ever, apparently), I went back to the store and picked up the PIF's, but I could only afford one set at the time.

I showed them to a friend who was rather impressed with them, I told him about the second set and assumed he would buy them, but several months later, I went to the same store and found the second set on the clearance table. Luckily, I happened to have the money at the time, so now I have two sets of these outstanding binoculars (and sorry, but I'm not parting with either of them, because at this point in my life, I couldn't afford to replace them).

So, ask around at West Marine, because you might find some PIF 7x50's hidden in a dusty corner of the storeroom, perhaps even marked down to $150...

That said, I wouldn't mind finding a pair of PIF 10x50's for skywatching, myself.
 
Last edited:
Hi Amper, I would say you got a super deal, good for you.:t:

You could always use these to work out with.;)

I am landlocked in central Pa.
Regards,Steve
 
Warning! This thread is more than 16 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top