PentaxUP 8-16x21 Brown Binoculars (Brown) Fully-multi coating Zoom Tripod socket provide

These definitely feel like a very substantial, well built set of binoculars as you hold them in the hand. The dials are precise and very easy to operate. They are very well balanced and easy to steady. A high quality build.Also, the zoom dial is in a more appropriate and ergonomic location as compared to other brands. You don't have to lose your view while fumbling with zoom on these. It's right up on top and falls naturally under the fingers right behind the focus wheel and has a short and smooth sweep to it. Other manufacturers put the zoom down under, usually on the right side where it is very awkward to control without adjusting your grip and creating a viewing disadvantage.The diopter adjustment is right behind the zoom and pops out with a push. Once adjusted, just pop it in where it's out of the way and forget about it. It's a very nice feature. All dials are lined up with easy access. Kudos to the engineers!Despite the 21mm objective, the zoom on these allow more light transmission than other zoom binoculars with larger objective lenses that I've owned over the years. Mostly TASCO and Bushnell.Just for image comparison, I focused these, a pair of fixed power Nikon Aculon T01 8x21mm, and a pair of TASCO 8-24x25mm on my 75" HD TV in a dark room from approximately 15" away. The image from these was definitely brighter and more true to color than the Nikon's and totally blew away the TASCO. The TASCO is going back. What rubbish!Another very nice feature is actually the strap which has a unique quick release system that consists of metal pins that attach with a push, slide and click. Just push the release button, slide the strap end forward and lift to release. This is a much better system than those cheap plastic snap connectors with a cord loop on other brands. When the strap is removed, there are no pigtails dangling about. It's a durable, convenient and clean design.Overall, I would say that Ricoh/Pentax has employed engineers/designers that are actually educated to a high degree and institute a high level of common sense in thier designs. The design of this binocular is very well thought out. One of, if not the best I've seen.As far as the aesthetics go, I think they look absolutely up to date, if not a bit futuristic. These are binoculars that would look right at home in James Bond's arsenal of gadgetry. No fancy rangefinder or laser guidance system, but they definitely have the look. LolMy intended use for these is in dry conditions, so being waterproof is not a priority, but would nonetheless be a nice bonus feature. Oh well. What idiot submerges binoculars anyway? The strap is not only for carrying, it's a safety strap too! Use the strap. Don't drop them in a lake, stream, puddle, bathtub, sink or toilet! Don't put them in the washing machine or dishwasher either! I could go on and on...As far as rain goes, I don't think it will be an issue unless you're in a monsoon, hurricane or similar. In those conditions, you should be running for cover, not looking through your binoculars.In conclusion, Money well spent. I'm very pleased with this purchase and will definitely look to RICOH/PENTAX in the future for my optical needs.

I never owned a decent pair of compact binoculars ... the ones I had were pretty crappy. But I did want a pair to take on cruise vacations for use on 'scenic cruising' days while onboard. The two I considered were this one and a pair from Nikon. I immediately ruled out Nikon because although I like Nikon brand cameras, the reviews weren't as favorable as they are for these & they were 3x the price. These seemed to fit the bill so I thought I'd give them a try. Amazon had one pair that were 'open box', in 'like new' condition for half the normal price and I thought that was a great deal.Experts will tell you there are better out there and zoom binoculars in general kind of suck, but I have zero experience with binoculars and these work well for me. They're very clear and easy to focus at the 8x setting and acceptably clear and a little bit less easy to focus at the 16x setting. Diopter setup took about 30 seconds so if you're going to pass them to someone else and they change that setting, it's a breeze to change it back.Good features:Decent strap, excellent carrying case with belt loop, easy setup, retractable diopter knob, simple eyecup adjustments, super smooth focusing & zoom dials, clear & bright at any zoom setting, small, extremely light at 12oz.Not so good features:Image not as bright and has a smaller field of view than full sized binoculars but that's a characteristic of the smaller lens diameter, focusing at full zoom takes more fine tuning to get a clear image, diopter adjustment knob is sensitive and takes some getting used to, no mention of any weather resistance.All in all I'd say that even at current full-price, these are a bargain (even more so because I got an 'open box' pair). If you run across one that's been returned and up for resale in like-new condition, jump on it. If you're looking for something you can throw into a suitcase and not add much weight to an already overpacked bag, these are perfect. However if super-high image quality, and/or large field of view is your main concern, you'll probably be disappointed by these.

I like Pentax fine, but these are honestly just ok.8x is clear but very narrow view.Like looking through a toilet paper tube.Small glasses and tight field of view makes for an annoying time afield in my experience.It would take a very specific need for me to grab these and go due to such a narrow FOV.Over 12x mag is just mehhhhh.Kinda grainy and hazy with a slight fish eye feelEye relief is a little touchy.Little gimmicky feeling.Maybe even a tad cheap feeling.I'm keeping them, but as I said honestlythey're just ok.

I use binoculars at work (Airport security) and when on walks or playing Golf. I have had many pairs of bigger binoculars (my favourite being my Celestron 10-30x50 zoom). But i wanted something a bit smaller ad saw these on Prime Day for £76 so i purchased them and they are excellent with a clear bright sharp image at 8 zoom and a less sharp but still impressive image at 16 zoom. I also previously purchased a Nikon Aculon T11 8-24 x 25 zoom pair and they are excellent although with a slightly misty image. So my ranking for zoom binoculars is 1. Celestron 10-30x50, 2. Pentax 8-16x21 and 3. Nikon Aculon 8-24x25. My ranking is based on price v quality with the Celestron costing £40 on Amazon and the Nikon costing £90 from Argos clearance on Ebay. All 3 are excellent and am very impressed with the Pentax sharpness.

I bought these Pentax UP8 Binoculars after doing a bit of research and I like them a lot because they offer a good balance of factors like size, clarity, brightness, zoom capability and build quality. In the pack you apart from the binoculars you get a case, neck strap, eyepiece covers and a user guide.The rubberised build feels resilient, although unlike some Pentax binos these are not categorised as waterproof. I like the range of user adjustment – you can adjust the eyepieces independently, and I think they’re good for spectacle wearers. In addition, there’s a concealed dioptre adjustment control - a couple reviews complain of the absence of one but it’s definitely there but just not in the same place as on other binos.The hinged width adjustment can also accommodate a wide range of face sizes. Even though these aren’t waterproof binos, the thing that should make them durable is the fact that all the mechanisms are internal and there are no exposed hinges etc.The image quality is good for the price point, but you have to remember that the reason most binos are not zoom models are the inevitable compromises in the field of view – it’s narrower, plus other there are other trade offs. I am not a high end bino user but find these UP8s fine for most purposes from landscape viewing and, at higher zoom, closer up observation of wildlife etc. The images are bright and unless at maximum zoom, sharp. It’s inevitable that sharpness will deteriorate at maximum zoom but it’s still decent if you can hold the binos steady enough. A standard tripod mounting hole is also provided.Overall these are a good value and versatile pair of binos that seem well-made. Given the price point, my only minor bleat is that I wish there had been a lens cover for the objective lenses.

Researched for over 2 days trying to find the best binoculars or spotter scope - mainly for bird watching and coastal wildlife spotting - nearly went for the Celestron zooms which look great for the price but are heavy and closest focus is 15m these have a very close focus point about 12 feet and have a great zoom and focus control PLUS they are so lightweight they have a tripod connection as well and they come with a handy carry case and quick-attach strap - beautifully made and excellent quality highly recommend.

These Pentax binoculars are very good VFM - Images are crystal clear They are easy to set up if you know how. I find that after focussing at 8x magnification that if the zoom is then increased to 16x mag the focus (for me) requires a slight adjustment. Very straightforward to do.Pentax do make good optics both in Binos / Monoculars and Cameras. They are a trustworthy company. I've used many of their cameras and a couple of pairs of binoculars before these with no complaints at all.

Delighted with these, bought them to replace a cheaper pair of zoom binos that broke on me. These are a massive improvement over the old set at a really reasonable price, especially when it comes to eye relief as can comfortably use with glasses. They are perfect for giving crystal clear views over close range like back garden but also have impressive zoom capabilities- useful to mount them for zooming in to avoid shaking they can screw onto any basic tripod without needing to purchase an adapter.