Discoverer 8x42 vs. pentax DCF Wp 8x42 (1 Viewer)

I was looking for a spare 8x42 and I was looking at Discoverer, so I was wandering how it compers to Pentax DCF WP 8x42. Pentax has great optics and I am impressed with it, so if Discoverer has much worse optical quality I will probably be dissatisfied. How close or far are they?

Thanx.

They are both fairly comparable in build quality. The FoV from the Discoverer is considerably wider - which is nice. On the downside, the Discoverer's diopter adjustment is located just in front of the focus ring and has no locking feature so; it is fairly easily knocked off its setting. It's not hard to reset it but, it is an annoyance. The Discoverer also has no provision for mounting the binocular to a tripod, if that't important to you.

How they compare in terms of optics, you know brightness, sharpness, clarity, crispness etc.

Regagds, thanx for response.

Well, if we set aside the diopter adjustment issue I already mentioned and talk strictly about the view, I believe that the Bushnell is better. I have owned both and I still have the Discoverer. I don't doubt the Pentax's build quality, nor even its value as a good, budget-class binocular. I am also pretty comfortable that the lens coatings on each are fairly comparable and that they both do a pretty equal job of controlling optical abberations.

The big thing is the FoV. The 8x42 Pentax DCF WP II only manages a FoV of 330 ft. @ 1000 yds which is pretty narrow. It is barely comparable to many full-size 10x glasses. The 8x42 Bushnell Discoverer on the other hand, manages a full 420 ft @ 1000 yds FoV - which is exceptional. Not even the "Alpha" binoculars manage to equal this. The best part is that this wide field is not marred by overly large areas of "soft focus."

The Pentax makes you feel like you're looking through a thin tube. The Bushnell feels more like looking through a big bay window.

...Now, if they had only figured out a better diopter adjustment.

I had in mind the original Pentax DCF WP 8x42 not its succesor DCF WP II, but now that you mentioned it you rised my curiosity about the two Pentaxes, are they identical opticaly or is there any diffrence between them?

There is very little, if any, real difference between the two versions of the Pentax.

Discoverer dioptre.

Interesting, 'cos my Discoverer 7x42 dioptre has a click-stop built in which prevents accidental movements. I also know as a fact that the British Antartic Expedition use a number of the Discoverer binoculars so as they stand up to such a harsh environment, they must be well built. In my opinion as a repairer of bino's, Bausch & Lomb / Bushnell expensive models are better built than Pentax.

richard866945 said:

Interesting, 'cos my Discoverer 7x42 dioptre has a click-stop built in which prevents accidental movements.

Click to expand...

Mine too has a click-stop diopter adjustment. But that little adjustment wheel also has a little knob that sticks out.

Try stuffing your Discoverer down inside of a coat during cold/nasty weather and you will soon discover (pun intended) that you will have to re-adjust your diopter back to its preferred setting quite often. It's not hard and takes only a moment but, it's still annoying after the third or fourth time in a single morning.