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Pentax DCF SP: how should the focus mechanism feel? (1 Viewer)

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baj

Active member
I just got a Pentax DCF SP 8x32, and I'm concerned that I might have gotten a bad focus mechanism. I would say they have the stiffest focus mechanism I have ever encountered, and there is a very faint rubbing/frictional sound for part of the focus travel. The stiffness doesn't seem to increase in the part of the range where the sound occurs.

I PM'd a few people who I know own this model (thanks for the responses!), and one of them suggested that I post this as a general question. For the other SP owners out there, does this sound like your binoculars? How stiff are yours compared to other binoculars you've owned or used? I love the binoculars otherwise but I'm not sure I can get used to this heavy focus. If mine are atypical I will send them back for a replacement.
 
It is stiffer than my Eagle Optics 8x32, which was the smoothest I have had. Much smoother than Bushnell porros, 8x42. I did not send the Bushnells back as I expected them all to be the same. If I had paid 200 for them, I would have sent the Bushnells back.
 
The 8x32 SP has excellent build quality and feel and should not feel tight. More like a reassuring firmness. It is not a light focus but it should not feel excessive in any way. Any inconsistency throughout the range of focus would indicate a problem which needs fixing. Maybe Pentax will have a look at 'em. This model is worth having in good repair.
 
I have the 8x32 ED and the focus is indeed pretty stiff. No roughness anywhere, however. It's really smooth.

Actually, until I got my 8x32 FL which has a light, fast focus, I didn't realize how stiff the Pentax was. Even now, I can't say it bothers me much. It works, the knob has a good grippy feel to it, and it seems to be built like a tank.
 
baj said:
I just got a Pentax DCF SP 8x32, and I'm concerned that I might have gotten a bad focus mechanism. I would say they have the stiffest focus mechanism I have ever encountered, and there is a very faint rubbing/frictional sound for part of the focus travel. The stiffness doesn't seem to increase in the part of the range where the sound occurs.

I PM'd a few people who I know own this model (thanks for the responses!), and one of them suggested that I post this as a general question. For the other SP owners out there, does this sound like your binoculars? How stiff are yours compared to other binoculars you've owned or used? I love the binoculars otherwise but I'm not sure I can get used to this heavy focus. If mine are atypical I will send them back for a replacement.
Click to expand...

It's difficult to quantify stiffness over the net, so your best bet is to just try another pair at a local dealer. I believe you are in northern virginia, so just head over to Penn Camera.
If yours is stiffer than the in-store sample send them back to the selling dealer for replacement.
 
baj said:
I just got a Pentax DCF SP 8x32, and I'm concerned that I might have gotten a bad focus mechanism. I would say they have the stiffest focus mechanism I have ever encountered, and there is a very faint rubbing/frictional sound for part of the focus travel. The stiffness doesn't seem to increase in the part of the range where the sound occurs.

I PM'd a few people who I know own this model (thanks for the responses!), and one of them suggested that I post this as a general question. For the other SP owners out there, does this sound like your binoculars? How stiff are yours compared to other binoculars you've owned or used? I love the binoculars otherwise but I'm not sure I can get used to this heavy focus. If mine are atypical I will send them back for a replacement.
Click to expand...

I own both the SP 8 x 32 and 10 x 43 and the focus mechanism feels identical for both models - firm but not stiff and very pleasant to use in all temperatures. I had the same stiffness problem in the past with my Zeiss 7 x 42 BGA Classic and Zeiss Repairs discovered that the grease for the focuser had simply dried up. It sounds like your binocular needs to return to Pentax for the same treatment Zeiss administered (which worked perfectly).
 
I sent Baj this in PM:

I just dug out my SP and rather to my surprise I find it stiffer than I remembered. I'd say they were middle of the range to perhaps a little stiffer than average but still a 1 finger turn but I'd prefer to use two.

One issue here is I've been using my Zeiss bins a lot recently than they have a very low friction focus so like color biases one can get "used" to this.

Getting one persons view might not be the best approach (as this tends to be a personal things) so I think you might start a thread. There are a few other SP owners here so you might get a more representative view.

Kevin
Click to expand...

I find it interesting that Kammerdiner said pretty much the same thing in his comment.

Kammerdiner said:
I have the 8x32 ED and the focus is indeed pretty stiff. No roughness anywhere, however. It's really smooth.

Actually, until I got my 8x32 FL which has a light, fast focus, I didn't realize how stiff the Pentax was. Even now, I can't say it bothers me much. It works, the knob has a good grippy feel to it, and it seems to be built like a tank.
Click to expand...

I agree with all of that though I think the SP might be stiffer than I prefer. For example it's a bit more stiff than the ZR bins (were stiffness and variability in perceived stiffness was also a problem for some users and not for others).

It's curious how perceptions change as you use other bins for these "non-technical" properties e.g. color bias is another one I've notice "change" in my perceptions over time.
 
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I tried the 10x43's and they had a very stiff focuser, but it took very little movement to get it just to the right spot. I sent them back and got the 10x50's and the focuser on those is much quicker than the 10x43's, surprisingly. Oddly, I preferred the stiffer focus knob of the 10x43's in terms of being able to get to just the right view with just a tweak of of the knob. The 50's seem to take a little work to get the right spot some times - not bad though. I am pleased with them. (Actually worked well using them for warblers this weekend in Corpus Christi & in the Rio Grande Valley.)

My ZR ED1 always seemed really slow in terms of focusing, but compared to the SP's, they feel almost amazingly quick and I don't ever feel I have to work to get the focus just right.
 
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Thanks everybody. I decided to send them back for exchange -- I realize that some focusers are lighter than others but these just didn't feel right. I didn't know Penn Camera sold these. I looked at their website and it doesn't show any Pentax binoculars. But I won't be able to get there before the end of the return period on the ones I bought.
 
Thanks everybody for the help. I returned the first pair and the replacement pair's focuser is much better, so I'm glad I made the switch. However, the second pair has an optical "feature" (fine lines visible on the objectives, but not on the outer surface) and I'm not sure if this is a defect or normal (especially since it's on both objectives). I posted it in the general section but if any of you SP owners have any comments I would appreciate it:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1804987
 
Last edited:
baj said:
Thanks everybody for the help. I returned the first pair and the replacement pair's focuser is much better, so I'm glad I made the switch. However, the second pair has an optical "feature" (fine lines visible on the objectives, but not on the outer surface) and I'm not sure if this is a defect or normal (especially since it's on both objectives). I posted it in the general section but if any of you SP owners have any comments I would appreciate it:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1804987
Click to expand...

That sounds like someone wiped the objectives with something coarse or gritty. For a $500.00 pair of bins I would return them...again.
 
I sent them back today. The dealer said they would send me a replacement pair that had not been sold/opened/returned before.
 
Good it sounded like you had a problem. My 12.5x50's are on the stiff side but are smooth and have a good feel. I just wish they spun the other way.
 
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