Pentax Papilio Binoculars - Choose Size

 (24 customer reviews)

I am thrilled with my Papilio binoculars purchased from [...] through Amazon. I am a butterfly, bird, and natural history hobbyist, so I cannot speak as a professional scientist or discuss optics technically. I bought them sight unseen based on useful reviews here and elsewhere by people far more knowledgeable than I. Small and light as they are, they are substantial in construction and have a great hand feel. The clarity is superb, in my opinion, in distance focus. But it is the 18 inch close range focus that takes my breath away. It's like having a portable microscope, which is useful both in the field, and contexts like museums and conservatories. I am perfectly satisfied with their performance in low light conditions. I chose the 6.5x21 over the 8.5x21 based on reviews of persons who said that they were brighter, had wider range of view (393 ft and compared to 315 in the 8.5x21), which makes them easier to follow small moving objects, like butterflies with erratic flight...Read more

Good quality, medium power, compact binoculars have been disappearing from the market over the last 10 yrs, so I was eager to try out the Pentax 6.5 X 21 Papillo binoculars. The first number refers to the magnification; the second number refers to the diameter of the objective lens in mm. The classic reference standard for binoculars is 7 X 50 submarine commander's glasses. Although manufacturers push "higher power is better", 7 times magnification is about the highest usable power with a hand-held pair of binoculars. Above that, the image is noticeable shaky, unless the binoculars are outfitted with image stabilization, or you use a tripod or other stand. A 50 mm objective gives great light-gathering ability if you view objects in dim light, but results in large, bulky, heavy units. A ~20 mm objective provides a good compromise between light-gathering ability and compactness. Note that for a fixed objective lens diameter, the image grows dimmer as the magnification increases...Read more

This binocular does indeed focus down to about a foot-and-a-half, far closer than any other binocular I know of. This makes it essential equipment for: art museums, biological fieldwork, any situation where you want to get closer to things you cannot simply GET closer to.

Excellent clarity, as to be expected from a top-line Japanese optical company (as clear as Nikon, for example). Bright enough for the purpose, has diopter (on right, I think), and adjustable for both those who wear eyeglasses and those who do not. They fit my weird, astigmatic, spectacled peepers quite well.

And...they are very reasonably priced. A no-brainer. See Rembrandt's brushstrokes up close! Buy them now. It is the right thing to do. :-)