Pentax SP 16x50 Vision Porro Prizm Binocular with Bak4 Prism, Fully Multi-Coated Optics Large Objective Lens Contrast-Rich, Bright Viewing Aluminium-Dicast Body Rubber Coated Body Black

These binoculars are really well made and feel right in the hand. They look nice. The focus wheel is nice and the focus lock is a bonus. They aren't too heavy, probably heavier than roof prism binoculars but still not too heavy to take out on a days walking.The eye cups are great for glasses wearers with more than enough relief.The optics are clear and sharp BUT suffer greatly from Chromatic abberation with purple, yellow and blue outline to birds, trees and the horizon. Its a real shame as I love everything else about these binoculars and at the price I bought them at they were a bargain but I just couldn't get on with them with this problem. I even exchanged my original pair for another thinking that they were faulty but the second pair had exactly the same issue. Its a real shame and I'm surprised that no one else has mentioned this issue on their reviews? Is it a dodgy batch? I'd be interested to find out.The only other niggle with these bins are the covers, they dont stay on at all! I wouldn't be using them had I kept the binoculars.EDIT - NOW 5 ******So after the first two models of these binoculars suffering from really bad chromatic aberration, I reluctantly decided to order a Celestron pair. They came and were awful, in comparison to the Pentax, it was like looking through fog and nothing was sharp like I had with the Pentax. So I decided to order a 3rd Pentax and live with the chromatic aberration as the Pentax were that sharp, felt superior and focussed superbly well. The 3rd delivery has just arrived and looking through them, they are perfect HARDLY ANY CHROMATIC ABERRATION. so I think Pentax must have a quality control issue, so pleased I persisted.

Quality is first class.The optics are very crisp and clear.They are a bit heavy,so a tripod is needed.They can be hand held if you can get support from a wall or tree or even a monopod.Overall a very good binocular and a good price to.Strongly recommend.

I've had a great affection for Pentax equipment since my early childhood so I'll start with a biased five stars and adjust as I go along.On receipt the first thing I noticed was how much heavier these are than my previous battered old octogenarian Hansas. No points either way as I have nothing new with which to compare them.The second thing was how beautifully functional they look (rubber coated magnesium body et c. and how, despite the new weight, they are really steady even if I hold them in the traditional way with fingers on top and thumbs underneath (in the thumb-shaped moulding). Plus one.On the other hand, they are big enough around the belly to prevent my dainty lilywhites from being able to focus if I hold them in the more sensible way (http://www.strathspey.co.uk/hold.html) so if I want a really steady image I have to focus then shift my grip. This is frustrating if I'm watching a moving object (identify subject, track subject, alter focus, track subject, shift grip, lose sight of subject, remove binoculars from face, reidentify subject, curse nature, and Pentax...). You really do need hands like shovels but as I implied I'm missing about a century of binocular evolution, so maybe it's just me. If you're only interested in watching static objects, drive closer. Minus two.There's a rather redundant focus lock: it would be more useful on a pair of 20× 80's with a tripod for stargazing. There's a tripod socket on this but I can't see me using it - I'd rather lean on the ground. The focus adjustment is secure anyway without being stiff, which is just as well as I can't get the hang of applying the lock while looking through the things so again I'm stuffed with a moving subject. Minus one for bad execution of a good idea.The dioptre adjustment is on one eyepiece only and is very nice - stiff and sort of saw-toothed with lots of little detents. That's a big plus one even though I do like the idea of independent focus.The clarity of the glass and absence of internal reflection until you look almost directly past a bright light source (kids, don't try it) are very good. Neither plus nor minus for this though, as BaK4 glass prisms with a phase-correction coating and lots of lens coating and nitrogen purging are pretty well standard in this price range. Ricoh's website says 'PENTAX applies multiple layers of coatings to every surface of every element' which suggests glass-to-glass as well as glass-to-air. The WP version of the SP 8× 40 (that's this one) also has a hydrophobic coating on the lenses to protect them from the weather. Brightness and contrast in the image are as expected for a 40 mm objective lens. At 8× magnification that's a 5 mm exit pupil - slightly wider than the best my mark one eyeballs can now achieve. I probably wouldn't have noticed any difference in quality with a pair of 10× except I wasn't sure I'd be able to hold the binoculars steady at that magnification. There's a barely detectable telephoto effect and some mild chromatic aberration around the very edge of the field of view but you do have to experiment and look for it. At dusk, against the sky, individual wires in a pig-net fence are visible at 900 metres even with my 50 year old eyes. Overall the image quality impresses me very much so plus one star and a half.I wear glasses and the eyecups screw in and out so there's no perishable folding rubber. There are nominally three soft detent positions but the middle one barely exists. I don't know why you'd want to use it anyway: right in with glasses or right out with a naked face and there's no vignetting unless you get silly about looking diagonally through them. They're comfortable on my face and they don't scratch my glasses. Plus one.The squishy polythene lens covers are no better than with earlier Pentax offerings - effing useless: the objective lens covers fall off without being touched and the eyepiece cover is a single oval which doesn't fit any known pair of binoculars from the entire history of consumer optics. Given that it's too big for even the maximum inter-eye distance, a bath tub would be equally effective. Minus two. Pentax, Ricoh, whoever, will you bloody well learn: the best optics in the world are just dirty sand if they're scratched and your customers will go somewhere else.The carry-case is soft fabric and looks (and feels) like it won't last a week. A bit like with modern cameras, the case has become an accessory after-thought. However, my experience of Pentax soft cases for camera lenses has me believing this one will outlast the kids. My only gripe is that there are no belt loops on it so, until I sew my own, the binoculars will spend a lot of time inside my rucksack instead of being at hand. Neither here nor there - alternative cases are ten a penny, I have needle and thread and at least I'll always know where to find the lens caps.There was no warranty card, no contact number and (as far as I can see) no serial number so I do wonder what will happen if, against expectation and experience, they fall apart in the next 12 months. Minus one for being uncharacteristically unhelpful.So that's about it. Brilliant image quality somewhat eclipsed by a host of minor personal niggles. Final score? Well, I give half a star again for the fact that Amazon are currently selling them for about £75 less than Pentax's RRP. That's better than 25% off, so overall four stars. Go for it.

Super picture quality and very light and robust. One small improvement would be to have attachments to keep the eye covers connected when the glasses are in use to avoid having to put in pocket. Also a strap for the case when not in use . Overall very happy with these.

These binoculars are excellent value, the image you see is sharp and they feel like quality, I was looking at a commercial aircraft at cruising altitude and could clearly see the type and which airline they belong to, I'm waiting for a clear night to try star gazing, I did buy a more expensive pair from another brand but wasn't happy with them and I returned them and got these instead I'm very impressed with these binoculars and I would recommend them to anybody.

These bins are comparatively light, well balanced and easy to hold. They appear to be well made and the focus lock is a nice touch. Cloudy skies have prevented an extended test but glimpses of the moon and stars between the clouds suggest they produce a bright, sharp image.