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Old 20-06-2012, 04:09 PM
ausastronomer (John Bambury)
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Shoalhaven Heads, NSW
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hollowcore View Post
I got given a pair of Pentax 10x50 PCF WP binoculars. Don't know much about them. Are they expensive, are they any good for star gazing?
Hi,

These are a $250 to $300 pair of binoculars. They will either be the older 10x50 PCF WP or the more recent 10 x 50 PCF WP II. They are mid priced and very good performers. They give good sharp images across a large part of the FOV with clear bright images. They also offer excellent eye relief of 20mm which makes them suitable for using with glasses on. They are nitrogen filled, which prevents fogging and they are water resistant.

They are a level below the top grade binoculars from Germany and Japan like Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski, and the top grade binoculars from Fujinon, Canon and Nikon which all cost $800 plus. They are however a clear notch better than the budget binoculars which cost < $100.

Overall these are an excellent binocular for astronomy or marine/outdoor use and as a starter pair of binoculars for astronomy I couldn't think of anything much better.

Cheers,
John B
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