Howard220
Well-known member
I like them. How's that for a review?
For the $139 I paid at Eagle Optics (less at some other vendors) I am very pleased. To keep at one window that offers a view of a feeder that gets a lot of activity, I wanted to replace my very nice (optically) Nikon Travelite 9 x 25's with their very narrow field and roll-down eyecups. The fellow I talked with at Eagle offered to compare the Pentax with the other inexpensive lightweight porro I considered: the Kowa YF 8x 30. His review yielded more distortion and chromatic aberration in the Kowa, and a little less sharp. So I went with the Pentax. (That I could talk with someone who was willing to examine both is one of several reasons I ordered from Eagle.)
Chromatic aberration is minimal. While a cut or two below the level of my old Swift Audubon 8.5x44 804R's, the view is quite clear and relaxed. I was hoping for a bino with a larger FOV (such as the Kowa), but I decided I would accept a smaller field (367 ft) but with a nicer view than one with a larger field but a poorer view. (I already have one of those, and I do get a bit disgusted with them anymore.) There is a fair amount of pincushion distortion in the Pentax, but out in nature I don't care. There is also a bright ring visible around the entire field (though outside the field) that I see when a) not wearing eyeglasses and b) with the eyecups retracted one step down from being fully extended. So, the closer your eyes to the eye lenses, the larger and more prominent is the ring. I don't know where that ring is coming from, but it doesn't seem to interfere with the overall view.
Considering how far out the eyecups can be twisted out, it'd seem there is plenty of eye relief available. But I just cannot see the *entire* field when wearing eyeglasses, and the twist-down eyecups are fully retracted down. (My eyeglasses are -1.50 diopter, so they are not very thick.)
These binos are very lightweight (a shade under 17 oz. on my postal scale - no strap or eyecups attached), and easy for me to hold. I have relatively small hands. I measured the interpupillary distance as 56 - 74 mm center to center. (Pentax specifies 60 - 70 mm.) Again, once set properly, the view is quite relaxed - no straining to see. The hinge adjustment for changing the IPD is very smooth, with just the right amount of tension.
Is there veiling glare? If there is, *I* think it's pretty minimal unless I'm looking at something that is within maybe 20 degrees of the sun. Even then, a shift in eye placement will eliminate it.
Are there cons? You bet. The focuser is very stiff. I cannot turn it with the fingers of one hand; it requires two hands: pushing with one, pulling with the other. The right-eye diopter adjustment is even stiffer. Maybe over time they will loosen. I can only hope....
The objective covers are "snap-in" style, and one of them is not all that tight. I am therefore guaranteed to lose them somewhere - anywhere. The rainguard for the eyepieces is so big as to simply not fit. Sure, once they are attached to the neck strap they won't disappear, but I won't expect them to stay on the eyepieces to protect them. I am going to look for replacements for both ends. One odd thing: If I want them to stand up on any flat surface I have to open them up fully. Otherwise, its center of gravity makes them fall over. I have not yet attached the strap; maybe that'll be an issue, too. ;-)
Any questions? If I think of anything else I'll post more.
For the $139 I paid at Eagle Optics (less at some other vendors) I am very pleased. To keep at one window that offers a view of a feeder that gets a lot of activity, I wanted to replace my very nice (optically) Nikon Travelite 9 x 25's with their very narrow field and roll-down eyecups. The fellow I talked with at Eagle offered to compare the Pentax with the other inexpensive lightweight porro I considered: the Kowa YF 8x 30. His review yielded more distortion and chromatic aberration in the Kowa, and a little less sharp. So I went with the Pentax. (That I could talk with someone who was willing to examine both is one of several reasons I ordered from Eagle.)
Chromatic aberration is minimal. While a cut or two below the level of my old Swift Audubon 8.5x44 804R's, the view is quite clear and relaxed. I was hoping for a bino with a larger FOV (such as the Kowa), but I decided I would accept a smaller field (367 ft) but with a nicer view than one with a larger field but a poorer view. (I already have one of those, and I do get a bit disgusted with them anymore.) There is a fair amount of pincushion distortion in the Pentax, but out in nature I don't care. There is also a bright ring visible around the entire field (though outside the field) that I see when a) not wearing eyeglasses and b) with the eyecups retracted one step down from being fully extended. So, the closer your eyes to the eye lenses, the larger and more prominent is the ring. I don't know where that ring is coming from, but it doesn't seem to interfere with the overall view.
Considering how far out the eyecups can be twisted out, it'd seem there is plenty of eye relief available. But I just cannot see the *entire* field when wearing eyeglasses, and the twist-down eyecups are fully retracted down. (My eyeglasses are -1.50 diopter, so they are not very thick.)
These binos are very lightweight (a shade under 17 oz. on my postal scale - no strap or eyecups attached), and easy for me to hold. I have relatively small hands. I measured the interpupillary distance as 56 - 74 mm center to center. (Pentax specifies 60 - 70 mm.) Again, once set properly, the view is quite relaxed - no straining to see. The hinge adjustment for changing the IPD is very smooth, with just the right amount of tension.
Is there veiling glare? If there is, *I* think it's pretty minimal unless I'm looking at something that is within maybe 20 degrees of the sun. Even then, a shift in eye placement will eliminate it.
Are there cons? You bet. The focuser is very stiff. I cannot turn it with the fingers of one hand; it requires two hands: pushing with one, pulling with the other. The right-eye diopter adjustment is even stiffer. Maybe over time they will loosen. I can only hope....
The objective covers are "snap-in" style, and one of them is not all that tight. I am therefore guaranteed to lose them somewhere - anywhere. The rainguard for the eyepieces is so big as to simply not fit. Sure, once they are attached to the neck strap they won't disappear, but I won't expect them to stay on the eyepieces to protect them. I am going to look for replacements for both ends. One odd thing: If I want them to stand up on any flat surface I have to open them up fully. Otherwise, its center of gravity makes them fall over. I have not yet attached the strap; maybe that'll be an issue, too. ;-)
Any questions? If I think of anything else I'll post more.
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