How does a Japanese-made flagship
model from a 2nd tier brand compare with Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski?
Read on to find out …
Pentax 8x32 DCF ED
Review
When I went to buy a pair of 10x42 Leicas recently, the sales
guy tried to persuade me to get the 8x32s instead. In a way he was right – for
most people, most of the time 8X32s are the best binoculars. 8x32s are bright
enough to work well in low light, compact enough for extended carry and travel
and (just) large enough of aperture for some casual astronomy.
The trouble with 32mm bino’s is that they seem hard to make
well for a sensible cost, probably due to real optical constraints. Whatever
the reason, all my favourite 8x32s have been expensive. So if you want a really
good pair of 8x32s with all the premium features – light, compact body; bright,
sharp, high-res view; wide field and good eye relief; quality, rugged build and
long warranty – without bringing £1500 (~$2000) to the table for a pair of
‘Alphas’ what do you do?
As I’ve said before, a good strategy is to target the
flagship model of a wannabe-premium brand. The brand has worked hard to match
the best of the best and may have tried to price accordingly. But when the
sales flood fails to materialise, the discounts can be deep.
These Pentax DCF EDs are a case in point. On paper at least
they look competitive with Zeiss and Leica (if not quite with Swarovski’s ELs)
and they were once expensive. But at new-old-stock discounts they can be had
for a third the price. Specs can be deceptive though, so as usual let’s find
out if these top-of-the-range Pentax DCF EDs really are pushing into the high
end.
At A Glance
|
Magnification |
8x |
|
Objective Size |
32mm |
|
Eye Relief |
17mm claimed (13mm measured) |
|
Actual Field of View |
7.5° |
|
Apparent field of view |
55° |
|
Close focus |
~1m (yes really) |
|
Transmissivity |
? 85-90% ? |
|
Length |
127mm |
|
Weight |
665g |
Data from Pentax/Me.
What’s in the Box?
The Alpha brands have gone mad with
packaging lately, creating unboxing experiences to savour. That isn’t good for
the environment, though, and these Pentaxes have the exact opposite – the most
basic box you can think of.
Design and Build
These DCF EDs were Pentax’s flagship range and once also
included 8x43, 10x43 and 10x50 models. On paper at least they have all the
luxury features, like high eyepoint eyepieces, click-stop eye cups, ED glass
and fast focusing. They were likely designed as a response to Nikon’s
then-class-leading HGLs and their specs and some design features closely match
the Nikons.
Pentax were at one time a really high-end Japanese brand, but
like Nikon they have diluted that reputation a bit with some less than
wonderous cheaper optics sourced elsewhere in the Far East. But as we will see,
these truly are a high-end product – made in Japan and with very high build
quality, both mechanical and optical. And when they were first released, ED
glass was still a rarity in binoculars.
A warning when buying: Pentax make an identical-looking
DCF SP model that is much cheaper and doesn't have ED glass, so suffers (reputedly)
much worse false colour. It may be worse in other areas too. Caveat emptor!
Body
These are a typical pair of roof prism binoculars with a
short stubby body and conventional bridge – no fashionable open or semi-open
body here. Of the other top quality 8x32s out there, the DCF EDs perhaps most
closely resemble Zeiss’ Victory FLs, though these are slightly longer and
chunkier.
The armour is especially thick, warm and comfy, offering
maximal protection. It’s very well fitted too. In terms of fluff and dust
attraction it’s worse than Swarovski’s, but better than Zeiss’. It does smell
slightly rubbery.
Weight at 665g (650g measured) is around 100g more than
Zeiss’ Victory FLs, Swarovski’s 8x32 ELs and Leica’s Ultravid HDs. But hefting
the Pentaxes it’s not hard to see why. These are a heavily built binocular with
a robust feel: thick armour, deeply recessed objectives and over-sized strap
lugs. The extra weight isn’t materials, since these boast a magnesium alloy
body.
Strangely, though, Pentax only advertise waterproofing to 1m.
Though whether they really are less immersion proof than a pair of Swarovskis
or Nikons, or whether it’s Pentax playing safe, I don’t know.
Focuser
From
their general specs, which are almost identical, I suspect Pentax benchmarked
Nikon’s old HGLs before designing these. In which case it’s odd they didn’t
attempt to copy the large knob and super-fluid focuser of the Nikons. The
focuser is precise and doesn’t suffer free play, but it’s heavier and stiffer
than the best.
They do
however focus insanely close, down to about a metre (Pentax conservatively
claim 1.5m), but you’ll struggle to merge the image at that extreme short
distance. Even so, close focus is an outstanding feature. Pentax make the
Papilio, a specialist binocular for butterflies etc, and I guess they’ve used
that expertise here too.
Despite
that super-close minimum focus, infinity is just 1.5 turns away, so these still
focus plenty fast enough to follow birds on the wing.
Optics - Prisms
These have the usual Schmidt-Pechan (a.k.a. Roof) prisms, not
Abbe-König prisms which wouldn’t fit into such a compact format (all Zeiss
Victory FLs have Abbe-König prisms, except the 32mm models). They have phase
coatings like most modern roofs and may have dielectric coatings on the prisms
for high transmittance (the larger models certainly do).
Optics - Objectives
Discussion of objective design, ED glass, number of elements,
coatings here.
The objectives appear to be of triplet design, with a single
(?) ED element. What’s that? Well, ED (extra dispersion) glass in one or more
of the lens elements allows much better correction for false colour fringing
(technically chromatic aberration).
Coatings are a muted purple rather than the greenish-pink or
tobacco hues typical now. However, they look to be of high quality and are very
transparent, nonetheless.
Behind the objectives there are ridge baffles in the focuser
housing, but no anti-flare baffles in front of the glass (though the retaining
ring is blackened):
Deep purple multi-coatings are a bit old-fashioned now, but
still of high quality.
Optics - Eyepieces
The eyepieces are a 5-lens design with aspherical elements.
The eye lenses are large at 22mm, but flat not dished like some. Coatings look
excellent, exactly like a premium astronomical eyepiece in fact (no surprise
there since Pentax still make premium astro’ eyepieces). Field of view at 7.5° true is 0.5° less than the Zeiss or Swarovski
equivalents, but the same as Nikon’s HGLs.
Pentax claim eye relief of 17mm but that’s especially
misleading here. The ER may actually be 17mm, from the eye lenses. However,
those lenses are so deeply recessed that eye relief from the rim of the cups
(which is what matters) is much less – more like 13mm. Why is this especially
misleading? Because 17mm would mean the whole field is comfortably visible with
glasses on, whereas 13mm means the field – not the widest in the first place
– is significantly reduced for specs wearers.
Why is it
hard to get decent eye relief in a compact binocular? Due to the short focal
length of the objectives, the eyepiece has to be of short focal length too and
eyepiece ER tends to naturally drop off at shorter focal lengths. Swarovski’s
8x32 ELs have really good eye relief, but they are a significantly longer
binocular and Zeiss’ new 32mm SFs look to be much the same.
The
click-stop eye cups have three out positions and are positive and stable, right
up with the best. The eyepieces are also thankfully free from
blackouts as you move your eye around, a problem that some other long eye
relief designs suffer from.
Accessories
Case and strap are both a bit basic. In particular, the strap
doesn’t have the usual wide padded portion. You’d probably buy a harness for
all-day carry. The push-in rubber objective caps are high quality and give a
tight seal, but are a real pain to get in. The case is shaped like the one for
Nikon’s HGLs, but there it’s leather, here it’s basic cordura.
In Use – Daytime
Ergonomics and Handling
Weight is an area where these Pentaxes fall short of the
premium competition, which typically weigh about 20% less. You don’t really
notice that extra weight in the handling, though you might if wearing them all
day, especially since the strap is much thinner and less padded than many.
The focuser is precise and it
falls easily to finger. Finding perfect focus is easy and focus snap is
perfect. But the action is quite heavy and doesn’t have the fluidity that the
very best do. Then again, depth of field is so good you won’t need to focus
that much anyway.
Dioptre adjustment is via the
standard ring below the eyepiece. It’s well weighted and precise, with a
positive lock. But it has some free play and isn’t as convenient as a good
co-mounted centre knob.
Multi-adjust eye cups and no
blackouts mean eyepiece comfort is excellent without specs. But for those like
me who view with glasses on there isn’t enough eye relief and you lose both
field width and comfort compared to the best 8x32s.
I think these are
an elegant and understated binocular to wear – they are compact, exude quality
and avoid the fugly bulbous look of say Nikon’s old HG 8x32s. I quite like the
armour colour, too.
Pentax DCF EDs
are a compact and quite elegant binocular. Push-in objective covers are a pain,
though.
The View
Centre field the view is crystal clear, sharp and there is a
sense of very high resolution indeed. It’s bright too, if perhaps not as
stunningly so as the very best these days. Unlike a pair of Nikon’s
otherwise-superb HGLs, there is minimal false colour to spoil things when
things get very bright on snow or water, or the contrast is high.
Depth of field is very good indeed – you can set a middle
distance and mostly just forget the focuser after that, unless viewing down to
garden distances.
Field width is half a degree less than the Alpha leaders and
it does feel a bit more constricted, but there isn’t that sense of viewing
through a tunnel that truly narrow fields give.
The close focus view is excellent and really comfortable,
like a good birding glass should be. I watch a Robin collecting nesting fluff
from my drive in perfect 3D clarity. But then I find I can focus closer, much
closer. So I watch the bees in my heather with complete comfort.
Flat field?
Unlike
some recent binoculars, these don’t have a flat field. Off-axis, blurring
starts from about 60% field width in the daytime and gets noticeable after 70%.
I can’t read the scale on a ruler much beyond 75%, but it doesn’t blur out
completely at the edge like some do. Does this matter? In the daytime, where
you concentrate on the centre, probably not.
Chromatic Aberration
It says
‘ED’ on the focuser and indeed false colour correction is excellent. I can
watch the Goldfinches that flit around the trees opposite, silhouetted against
a bright cloudy sky, with no purple and green fringe to spoil their plumage.
Off-axis false colour is very well controlled too.
Only
when viewing the Jackdaw parents bringing up another brood in my neighbours’
chimney do I notice the faintest tinge of false colour, but that’s true of
almost every binocular.
In Use – Dusk
A 4mm exit pupil isn’t ideal for very low light conditions,
so these don’t work as well at dusk as a pair of 42mm or 50mm binoculars. That
said, their dielectric prisms and quality multi coatings mean they make the
best of low light during the day, so use in the forest or on very cloudy days
isn’t a problem like it is for 20mm bino’s.
In Use – The Night Sky
Field-edge softening during the day always looks worse at
night. Stars blur from just 50% field width, though stars on axis are
commendably point-like and sharp. But unlike other binoculars, the off-axis
blur is mostly due to field curvature with very little astigmatism until the
very edge – you can focus the distortion away until the last 10% or so. This
suggests Pentax put it there by design to make for comfortable panning. Shame
they didn’t ask an astronomer because it does spoil the view slightly through
what would otherwise be one of the best 8x32s I’ve tested for astronomy.
The field isn’t as wide as some, losing about half a degree
to a typical Alpha 8x32. Nonetheless it’s enough to cram in whole chunks of
constellation. Orion’s belt and sword both fit in the field, but that field
curvature means Nair Al Saif and Mintaka are both somewhat blurred and
distorted. M37, M36 and M38 all fit (just) in the same field of view.
In other ways they’re handy for astro’ use. The thick, warm
armour is appreciated, likewise their light weight and general wieldiness.
Ditto the lack of blackouts (which are a pain when the view is mostly blackness
anyway).
The Moon
A
6-day-old Moon is a thick crescent with a highly distinctive group of three
craters, Theophilus, Cyrillus and Catherina, just coming out of deep shadow.
Identifying them, even including the central peak in Theophillus, is easy. I
can also see a couple of deep craters in the north – Atlas and Hercules - too,
but that’s about it for craters; otherwise it’s about enjoying the larger
landscapes of the Moon, the Maria and highlands, sweeping Apennine mountains
and bright rays.
No, a
magnification of 8x hand-held isn’t ideal for the Moon, but nonetheless it’s a
good view – absolutely pin sharp, with no flare or ghosts, no spikes, just a
dazzling white and grey crescent.
Venus
A
brilliant evening Venus showed a clean image with no ghosts and minimal flare
and just a trace of spikes, no significant false colour.
Deep Sky
The
Hyades easily all fitted into the field of view, as did M36, M37 and M38 in
Auriga. But whereas a larger aperture would reveal M38 in particular as a burst
of stars, at this aperture it’s a dim fuzzy blob with stars only visible using
careful averted vision. M35, one of the biggest and brightest clusters, needs
averted vision to make the most of it too. Other bright open clusters like The
Beehive are dimmer and much less populous than through larger apertures; even
the Pleiades are less sparkly than I’m used to.
In
similar vein, the Double Cluster is much less spectacular than through larger
bino’s and the Orion Nebula is significantly dimmer and less nebulous than
through a 42mm. If found exactly where the Crab Nebula should be, but couldn’t
honestly claim I’d spotted it.
The
Andromeda galaxy was lowish in the spring evening sky and easy to locate, but
only the core was readily visible, along with just the faint sense of the
galaxy’s wider extent. Still, on the other side of Mirach I found a big dim
smudge that was M33 when I wasn’t expecting to.
All in all,
a 32mm aperture isn’t optimal for astronomy, but the little Pentax DCFs give a
good view with sharp stars and wide fields and a crisp, detailed Moon – great
for some casual astronomy once in a while.
Pentax 8x32 DCF ED vs Zeiss
Victory 8x32 FL
The Victory FLs are my favourite
8x32s to date for their combination of sharp, bright optics, wide field, good
eyepiece comfort and very compact size. How do these Pentax EDs compare?
·
The Victorys are actually slightly (1cm) shorter and
100g lighter
·
The Victorys have 0.5° more field width, but slightly worse edge
softening
·
False colour levels are virtually identical and
excellent in both
·
The Victorys have about 2-3mm more eye relief in
practice (despite 1mm less on paper)
·
The Zeiss focuser is smoother and faster, has a
larger more glove-friendly wheel
·
The Zeiss’ pull-to-adjust central dioptre is better
and easier to use
·
The Pentaxes have a conventional aluminium body, the
Victorys are composite
·
Resolution and general optical quality seem about the
same
·
The Victorys seem a tad brighter
·
External quality seems better in the Pentax – better
plastics and armour, better fit and finish
·
The Pentax do focus closer, which might be the
killer app if you like macroscopic viewing (flowers, butterflies)
Overall, the Zeiss are the better
binocular. But here’s the kicker – probably not three times (the typical cost
multiple) better, even to the pickiest optics fan.
Summary
In most ways these Pentax 8x32 EDs
fall a bit short of the very finest at this size – i.e. Zeiss Victorys and
Swarovski ELs, probably Zeiss’ new 32mm SFs too. But that makes them sound
mediocre and compared to most that’s unfair. What they give away is minor and
may not matter much in practice; meanwhile you might save £1000.
What do you give away if you choose
these over a pair of Alphas, then? The weight is a bit higher, the field a
little narrower and not quite as sparkling bright, the eye relief a bit less.
Compared to the ELs, the field blurs a bit more towards the edge. The focuser and
dioptre adjust aren’t quite as refined as Swarovski’s at least.
But in other ways, these give away
very little to the class leaders. Centre field, the view is super-sharp, bright
enough and full of high-res detail. False colour correction is excellent, just
as the ED label promises. Build quality is really very good indeed and the
30-year warranty confirms it. The armour is thick and the objectives heavily
recessed; I’m guessing they would take hard use well (much better than say
Nikon’s Monarch HGs). Depth of field is very good and close focus absolutely
class-leading.
Interestingly, these play very much
in the Kowa Genesis XD 8x33 league, but I mostly prefer these Pentax DCFs.
So, unless you really must have the
very best, these make an excellent every-day birding or travel and
nature-viewing binocular, especially if you don’t wear specs to view. They are
good for a bit of casual astronomy too.
If you are looking for a properly premium 8x32 at a mid-range
price, these Pentax DCF EDs are well worth a look, especially if you view
without specs in which case they come close to the European high-end. Highly
recommended.