Reviews by pajarito

Judging from the lack of recent posts, there hasn\'t been a lot of interest in this big Pentax scope in recent years. I confess I am the only person I know who owns one. A few days after I got it, I took it to Argentina with me. To save weight I foolishly decided to take a monopod instead of my Manfrotto tripod. I wound up buying a Velbon tripod in Buenos Aires, because the monopod was useless given the length and weight of the scope. Even the cheap-o Velbon with plastic head was pretty much over-matched. This is a serious scope and you need a serious tripod under it! The size and weight are genuine considerations. It\'s a bit harder to pack, a bit harder to steady, and a bit harder to lug around than its lighter, smaller confreres. HOWEVER, what you see through this thing is quite astounding. The eyepiece is the size of a tomato paste can, and even when cranked up to full 60X power it is bright and sharp. I would recommend this scope with a couple of reservations - seriously consider the dimensions, and make sure you are willing to use a very sturdy tripod!

I bought my 10X42\'s a long time ago, to replace another pair of Nikons that I still have and still use. The 10X42\'s have proven to be very durable (overall), staying in allignmebt in spite of having been dropped on a couple of occasions, having travelled in luggage, and having been handled somewhat \"casually\" over the years. Every time I decide to \"upgrade\" I make the mistake of taking the Nikons with me for comparison\'s sake - and it has been impossible to justify the major cash outlay that would be required to improve on the optics of these fine binoculars. Over the years the finish has gotten a bit scuffed, and the protein rubber armor seems to be getting loose. The eye cups have started to tear from being folded and unfolded - I am a \"marginal glasses-wearer\" and so I probably fiddle with the eyecups more than most people. But they have remained very bright, very color-neutral, and very, very sharp. They have been subjected to minor dust storms in South Africa without getting clogged up, they have suffered through -40C weather in Canada and remained functional, and they have survived the indignity of being wiped off with every fabric known to man. The main difficulties are that these binoculars are NOT waterproof - so watch out for that - the minimal focus is a bit on the long side at 15 to 16 feet - and Nikon service is abysmal at least here in Canada. All that said I would still highly recommend these binoculars - especially if you can pick up a pair second-hand from someone silly enough to part with them.