Pentax porro compacts? (1 Viewer)

[jzmtl]

After getting a 10x42, I thought about a compact that I will actually likely to carry. Initially I looked at Nikon sportstar EX, but the short eye relief doesn't appear to work with my eyeglasses (or does it? haven't tried hands on yet).

Pentax seems to have several models that are good price, though not as compact as roof. However it seems these models are rarely talked about on the net, google turned up very few useful results. The ones I'm looking at are the UCF R, UCF X II, and UCF WP. Is anyone familiar with these? What do you think? I will likely go with 8x version.

 

[typo]

Welcome to the forum.

The only Pentax compact I've tried is the Papilo with 15mm eye relief and that was fine with my glasses, but mine are the close fitting, rimless sort. The ones you mention have 15mm ER as well compared to the Sportstar 13mm. Many spectacle wearers find they need somewhat more than that so I couldn't say what would work for you. Perhaps you could estimate the distance you need from the setting on your 10x42. Use something non-scratchy to very carefully gauge the depth inside the eyecup. Unfortunately the published distances are not always reliable as they don't always reflect the actual available ER either.

A cheap reverse porro that is popular with members here is the Olympus Tracker PCI 8x25. That lists 16.5mm. Note it's not waterproof. I seem to remember the Nikon Prostaff ATB felt more generous on ER than some other compacts I've tried and that is 15.5mm.

If you can't find a store to try some for yourself then try to order from a somewhere with a generous return policy.

Good luck,

David

 

[Binastro]

Pentax have had some fine compacts, but the new Chinese 8 x 25 reverse porroprism is not nearly as good as the older Japanese versions.
Even the Japanese ones vary between samples as do the Chinese.
A very old 8 x 24 black angular 1960s? reverse porroprism is amazingly good. As good as the top makers but not waterproof.
The best thing is to try various compacts in a store and buy the best one. Buy the one you test not a new untested boxed one as they vary a lot even if they look identical.
Olympus and Nikon also make or have made many compacts.
Minolta compacts are also good, as are a few independents.
There are often deals, such as half price offers.
The 6.5 x 21 Papilio is very nice. There is an 8.5 x 21 also.
Canon compacts generally I have found not so good, but I may have been unlucky.
There are also many roof prism compacts.
If you buy secondhand check carefully for fungus, haze and collimation.
Minox made some nice compacts, sometimes on offer. Some have an amazingly accurate altimeter accurate to half a metre in altitude. Far better than any reference as one hectopascal equals about 28ft or 8 metres.
I can put mine on a table and when I lift it to head height the reading is different.
my most used binocular is a well used but excellent 10 x 25 Docter bought very cheaply secondhand.

 

[jzmtl]

Thanks for the responses, I've never seen the olympus binoculars locally, but the tracker model looks quite good for the price. Looks like I'll keep looking, the pentaxes aren't really that compact anyway.