Pentax 10X43mm DCF ED Binoculars

The higher the power of a binocular, the dimmer the image and the harder it is to make out details at long distances when light levels are low. That's why every little bit of extra light gathering helps with a high power binocular. The extra 1mm aperture of the Pentax 10 x 43mm DCF ED may not sound like much when compared to a standard 42mm aperture binocular, but that extra millimeter adds almost 5% more light gathering capacity, and almost 16% more when compared with a 40mm binocular. That's extra light that can significantly extend your grasp of color and detail during overcast skies/twilight birding. It can often make the difference between seeing subtle field marks and making a difficult identification and missing the bird entirely.

Add to that extra brightness the exceptional color fidelity and sharpness of costly ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass, and you have an absolutely unique high power binocular. The use of ED glass for superior color reproduction and the elimination of chromatic aberrations (spurious color) is common in spotting scopes, but very rare in binoculars. Pentax is the first binocular manufacturer to adopt its optical advantages to an entire line of binoculars.

Like all the Pentax ED series, the 10x43 ED is totally waterproof and fogproof and uses the latest type of sophisticated aspheric optical elements to give you excellent resolution, very low distortion and astigmatism, and an exceptionally flat field that is sharp and in focus from edge to edge.

Features of this binocular . . .

H-body roof prism with internal center focus.Lightweight magnesium-alloy body with noise- and shock-absorbing dark green rubber armor and black trim. Many naturalists believe that dark green armor is less disturbing to birds and wildlife than conventional black armor. Shallow thumb grooves molded into the underside of the body help position the hands to balance the binoculars properly for comfortable extended observing sessions.Sophisticated four element/three group objective lenses for sharp, high-resolution images.ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass optical elements reduce chromatic aberrations - the color fringing seen at the edges of dark objects viewed against a light background in lesser binoculars - to vanishingly low levels. Chromatic aberration is essentially non-existent, eliminating the yellow and purple fringes around tree limbs and power lines seen against a bright sky, and making it easier to determine the true color of eye rings, for example.Fully multicoated optics for maximum light transmission. External lens surfaces have an additional scratch-resistant hard coating for added protection from scratches, dings, rough handling, etc. A hydrophobic (water-shedding) coating on the lenses helps keep water from forming large beads on the lenses during foggy or rainy observing, improving the image sharpness and contrast.Hybrid aspherical lens elements in its five-lens/three-group eyepiece design provide a wide field with good edge-to-edge sharpness.Little more than one and a half turns of the comfortably-large ribbed rubber-clad focus knob moves from an excellent close focus of 6.6' out to the horizon and beyond. The 6.6' close focus and good 6° field make the 10 x 43mm Pentax ED surprisingly usable for close-in woodland birding. It's only real limitation close-in would be a shallower depth of field than an 8x binocular, requiring more frequent focus adjustments to keep a bird in sharp view as it moves from branch to branch in a nearby tree or bush.Nitrogen-filled and O-ring sealed to be internally fogproof in all temperature extremes and waterproof to a depth of 1 meter. The inert nitrogen filling also prevents the internal formation of fungus in high humidity climates, such as rain forests.Phase-correcting prism coatings provide high contrast and resolution. This is particularly visible when looking sunwards, where more color and detail is clearly visible in the shadowed areas of backlit or silhouetted birds.Twist-up rubber-rimmed eyecups retract into the binocular body for eyeglass use. The eyecups have four built-in click stops to more precisely match the eye relief to your eyesight. The eye relief is specified at 17mm. While this is technically correct, the actual usable eye relief will typically measure a few mm less due to the recessing of the eyepieces when the eyecups are in the down position for eyeglass use. A shorter eye relief than specified is typical of all binoculars. Vignetting will be minor for most eyeglass wearers.Objective lens covers are provided to protect the optics. The covers are tethered to the binocular body so they can't be lost in the field, but can be removed if desired.A socket is built into the center hinge to let you connect an optional photo tripod adapter for extended tripod-mounted hands-free observing sessions.The continuously variable diopter ring on the right eyepiece allows you to match the binocular's optical performance to that of your eyes. It can be locked in place so it can't accidentally be knocked out of adjustment during use.An eyepiece rainguard is standard equipment, as is a wide woven neck strap and a lightly padded Cordura-type nylon soft case. The case is designed primarily to store the 10 x 43mm ED when it is not in use, so no shoulder strap is provided.This Pentax binocular is covered by the Pentax "No-Worry" lifetime warranty. If a Pentax ever requires repair, even if the damage is the owner's fault, Pentax will repair it or replace it (at Pentax's option) to the original owner for a charge of only $19.95 to cover handling and return shipping. The "No-Worry" warranty does not cover cosmetic damage, theft, or loss. Replacement may be with a compatible model at Pentax's discretion if the original model is no longer available.

Tech Details: 

Armored	Yes
Close Focus	6.6'
Exit Pupil	4.3mm
Eye Relief	17mm
Field of view	6
Field of view 1000 yards	315'
Height	5.7"
Interpupillary Distance	58-74mm
Number of optical elements	9 per side
Optical Type	Roof Prism
Relative Brightness	18.49
Twilight Factor	20.74
Weight	25.8 oz.
Warranty	"No-Fault" Limited Lifetime

 

Supplied Accessories: 

• Soft case
• Wide woven neck strap
• Eyepiece rainguard
• Objective lens covers