70 of 73 people found the following review helpful
Great for all-around nature study,
August 20, 2005 L. Saul - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pentax 62216 Papilio 8.5x21 Porro Prism Binocular (Electronics)
These binocs are perfect for anybody who is interested in all creatures, not just birds. We used them at the Everglades and were equally pleased with the views of birds, alligators, crabs, insects, etc. They have gotten me interested in butterflying, and for this purpose they are superb. I expect that in time, you will see rave reviews on butterfly websites. Being able to focus to 20 inches or so allows me to watch insects & spiders with as much detail as if my eye were just a couple inches from the object (if the naked eye could focus that close). The view is gorgeous. At close range, it is somewhat like looking through a dissecting microscope. Amazingly, the quality of the image is very good (for both near & far objects). I tried some truly bad binoculars ($100 cheapies, zoom binocs, etc.) while shopping around and the Papilio is definitely at a much higher level of quality. To me, the quality is not noticeably different from that of the $350 birding binoculars (8x32, etc.)...Read more
32 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Good choice,
September 6, 2007 L. Spickler (PA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Pentax 62216 Papilio 8.5x21 Porro Prism Binocular (Electronics)
I needed a light weight small size binocular for bird and concert viewing and these worked for me. I was also amazed to be able to see tiny insects on flowers that were not really visible without using the binoculars. I read many reviews on Amazon before purchasing these and am very happy with my purchase.
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful
A long-distance dissecting microscope for the field!,
September 5, 2009 Heliomphalodon Incarnadine (The Tertiary Subworld) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pentax 62216 Papilio 8.5x21 Porro Prism Binocular (Electronics)
This binocular is a wonderful instrument! Its close-focusing ability is nothing short of astonishing.
Carrying one of these in the field is like having a long-distance dissecting microscope in your pocket.
I purchased mine prior to a hike to Paradise Park on Mt Hood in Oregon, and I could not be more pleased with its performance.
For example, an unusual-looking fly alit on a wildflower in the meadow, and I was able to observe both in great detail.
The anatomy of the fly was quite clear -- its palps, its eyes, the veins of its wings, even the hairs on its body -- all were crisply presented.
Similarly, every structure of the flower was revealed -- a better view, in fact, than I might obtain with a magnifying glass in close proximity.
It was also easy to get a good image of distant objects; for example, to observe features on the mountain, or to identify birds in the trees at a range of roughly 50 meters.
For distance viewing it is certainly no match...Read more
(61 customer reviews)