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.
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.