Pentax DCF XP 8x33 (1 Viewer)

Does anyone have experience with this model? I was comparing other mid-priced mid-sized roofs and I saw them in the case. Thay are tiny in the hand, but have a narrower field of view than the DCF SP model. I am tempted by the size. Not much bigger than compact porros but mid-sized optics. The literature does not mention aspherics as in the SPs, any other differences in the optics?

Maybe not the best choice

Robert Ellis said:

Does anyone have experience with this model? I was comparing other mid-priced mid-sized roofs and I saw them in the case. Thay are tiny in the hand, but have a narrower field of view than the DCF SP model. I am tempted by the size. Not much bigger than compact porros but mid-sized optics. The literature does not mention aspherics as in the SPs, any other differences in the optics?

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Robert, I am relatively new to birding, but I own a pair of these as, it now turns out, my back-up pair of bins. What would your objectives be in your purchase? Weight? Price? Size? My overall assessment is that they do not excel in any particular category, and alternatives might better match specific criteria.

I found my XP's for $349 at the local Audubon shop, and I am thinking now I could have spent that amount more wisely. For hiking and camping, they are on the heavier side, but ok. So they do not really serve the best as compacts.

While they seem relatively free of distortion, there is some fall off of resolution out to the edge. But I do not believe that the XP's are the sharpest bins you can find for that kind of money. If roofs are your criteria, and you are looking for your primary bins, for comparable money I would go for the Swift Audubon 8.5x44 HHS over the DCF XP's in a heartbeat. With only slightly less field of view, I found the HHS's to be sharper, with good handling, good brightness, and, specs aside, more usable eye relief with glasses than the XP's. The Swifts do weigh 6 oz. more.

I have found that the resolution of my DCF XP's seems to be barely adequate out to my backyard feeder, c. 75 feet, but not much more. Also, in dimning light, they are just about useless. My primary glasses are now Nikon 8x42 LXL's, obviously no comparison, which I went for without question when I was able to snag them for about 20% less than their commonly advertised discounted price. And I have kept the DCF XP's as backups for such higher risk adventures as hiking, canoeing, and houseguests.

Hope this helps,

Bradley

Thanks for the reply. I have a need for glove-box binos. I will probably just keep my current midsize model in there, but I am never one to miss an opportunity for another pair. For $200 I would consider it harder, but $350 is steep considering I could get compacts from Nikon or Zeiss for that price.

Robert Ellis said:

Thanks for the reply. I have a need for glove-box binos. I will probably just keep my current midsize model in there, but I am never one to miss an opportunity for another pair. For $200 I would consider it harder, but $350 is steep considering I could get compacts from Nikon or Zeiss for that price.

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And I'd be tempted to sell mine for $200. I don't know what that might tell you.

Bradley

My overall assessment is that they do not excel in any particular category, and alternatives might better match specific criteria.

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I own a pair of the 8x33 XPs as well and would tend to agree with the above statement. They do not stand out in any particular area but offer, in my opinion, a decent level of quality and performance. I thought that they were an overall better buy than some of the other binoculars in that price range because of their combination of physical size, weight and optical performance. Though not providing as crisp an image or as wide a field of view as something like the Bushnell Legends I thought that their slightly smaller size and lighter physical weight make up for it to some extent.

I also own a Nikon 8x42 HG. The HGs are my primary birding glass while I keep the Pentaxs in the car because of their relatively compact size. There isn't much of a comparison between the two in terms of the image quality as the HGs offer a much crisper image, wider field of view and brighter image overall. Out of those three advantages though the only one that really seems to be noticeable, in my opinion, is the decreased field of view...and to some extent the shorter amount of eye relief. I thought the Pentax's image quality was more than adequate for typical daytime birding situations.

I do not think I would hesitate to buy them again if I was presented with the opportunity. I think they provide a more ergonomically friendly, compact package than something like the Bushnell Legend and Browning 8x32s while still a step up in image quality from something like the Wind River Katmai.

My only thought on the discrepancy between my experience and the previously mentioned one would be the issue of quality control. At this price point quality control is definitely an issue. I owned several pairs of Nikon Monarchs (around the same price range as the Pentaxs in question) and found there to be quite a bit of difference in the image quality between the individual units. I must assume that to also be the case here. Though I doubt that I need to say it to you I always think it is a good idea to actually purchase the specific unit that you, as a consumer, have been evaluating at the optics counter.

Hope this helps somewhat in your decision.

Individual units

FrankD said:

At this price point quality control is definitely an issue. I owned several pairs of Nikon Monarchs (around the same price range as the Pentaxs in question) and found there to be quite a bit of difference in the image quality between the individual units.

Hope this helps somewhat in your decision.

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Frank!

When you say "individual units", do you mean that you have seen a significant difference between the left and right ocular in the same instrument? That is what I have seen many times. But I have never heard anyone mention that.

Regards, Patric

When you say "individual units", do you mean that you have seen a significant difference between the left and right ocular in the same instrument? That is what I have seen many times. But I have never heard anyone mention that.

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In this instance, no, I was comparing one binocular of the same model to another. However, I would be curious as to your thoughts on the comparisons between individual oculars. I would think that somewhat difficult to measure for the average individual. Which eye do you use to compare...or do you use both? Would collimation issues come into play as well?

FrankD said:

In this instance, no, I was comparing one binocular of the same model to another. However, I would be curious as to your thoughts on the comparisons between individual oculars. I would think that somewhat difficult to measure for the average individual. Which eye do you use to compare...or do you use both? Would collimation issues come into play as well?

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Frank!

I have squinting eyes since my early years and my left eye is the main eye. My right eye has about the half of the resolution of the left. My discovery of the difference is when I have compared the image of the both oculars with the left eye; I have in some cases discovered a clearly difference in sharpness between the left and the right ocular. I am not sure if I understand the word "collimation" and which meaning it has in this case, I don't find it in my swedish-english wordbook.

Regards, Patric

Patric

Swedpat said:

I have in some cases discovered a clearly difference in sharpness between the left and the right ocular. I am not sure if I understand the word "collimation" and which meaning it has in this case, I don't find it in my swedish-english wordbook.

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Patric,

Collimation means precise alignment of optical elements in telescopes and binoculars. With binoculars the lenses and especially prisms may sometimes be out of alignment - and this may happen individually in each tubes. Sometimes there may also be individual elements of lower-than-usual quality in either tube. So your observation is certainly possible and it has been mentioned by some of our bino-gurus like Kimmo Absetz and Henry Link.

Ilkka

Thanks Ilkka, now I get it.

Patric

Thanks for the comments guys. Much appreciated.

Pentax DCF XP 8 x 33

DId you get any reply to this? I've also been looking at these!
Thanks
Barbara

Robert Ellis said:

Does anyone have experience with this model? I was comparing other mid-priced mid-sized roofs and I saw them in the case. Thay are tiny in the hand, but have a narrower field of view than the DCF SP model. I am tempted by the size. Not much bigger than compact porros but mid-sized optics. The literature does not mention aspherics as in the SPs, any other differences in the optics?

Click to expand...

The literature does not mention aspherics as in the SPs, any other differences in the optics?

Click to expand...

The XPs do not have as wide of a flat field as the SPs though I do feel it is more than adequate for birding. Overall resolution is very good similar to other binos in that price range..Nikon Monarchs, Bushnell Legends, etc... I would consider the SPs a step above those in overall optical performance but a step below the high priced roofs.

I continue to use the XPs in addition to the E series and the LXs. Their overall size and handling appeal to me as much as their optical performance. When you pick one up you will see what I am referring to.

Hope this helps somewhat.

I held these binocs today and loved the feel of them--seems like such a nice, practical package and optics seemed decent. But, I see fairly negative notes in this thread ...

(I'm replacing a pair of Audubon Equinox 8x42, which were decent but I found somewhat hard to get used to. Since I lost that pair and poor, I can't go up much in price.)

Iam a bit late on this thread but i have the 8x33XPs these were an upgrade by Pentax when i sent in the 8x28 that were showing some white fringing down the right side in certain light.Pentax decided not to repair these and sent a new pair of the 8x33.I wish they had sent my money back instead although small and light i hate the fast focus and the image is very poor.