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Message: <blockquote data-quote="zzffnn" data-source="post: 3243143" data-attributes="member: 133374">Binoculars as microscope - Pentax Papilio 6.5x21 vs Minox BF 10x42It is my pleasure to join this great forum here. I am trying to buying another binocular as microscope and need your kind help.I currently have the Pentax Papilio 6.5x21 and like it as a microscope looking at insects. I want more magnifications (~10x) and brighter/bigger objectives, without interrupting natural behavior of insects (I have many good real microscopes for unnatural “manipulation”, if I want to do that). Will Minox BF 10x42 provide more magnification and resolution, in theory (I am guessing not significatnly, if my calculation is correct)? I understand that Penta Papilio 6.5x21 has near focus of 0.5 meters, while Minox BF 10x42 has near focus of 1.2 meters.I know Pentax Papilio has a 8x21 version and in macro mode its magnification is around 10x, but I want brighter/bigger objectives and 10x. I do not mind using binoculars on mini tripods.Occasionally I use the Pentax for faraway objects too and it works fine for me, though that is not the main reason I bought it for (my main use for Pentax is close observation of insects and museum displays). I have an old Russian Red Star 10x42 for faraway objects, but its close focus is not usable as microscope.Please kindly comment. You do not have to have hands-on experience with either binoculars – I think all you need is some decent understanding of optical theories and math. Thank you very much.</blockquote>

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