Customer Reviews

Pentax 62211 UCF-X II 8x25 Binocular

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Despite a mistake on my end, I'm very satisfied with these binoculars. I actually ordered the wrong item. I remember looking at both the 8x25 and the 10x25 of the Pentax UCF-X II binoculars, and for the reasons I need binoculars I knew that the 10x25 was going to be what I needed. I live on the top of a hill overlooking Los Angeles, Long Beach, Orange County, and on a clear day my visibility is 25 miles. I wanted a pair of compact / portable binoculars that could magnify both up close and very distant. I just purchased the wrong one and didn't carefully check my shopping cart. I was going to instantly return them, but I decided to try them out first. They do the job fine, and i'm not sure all the extra hassle of returning them would have been worth it, and i'm very satisfied with the performance of the 8x25.

Some other thoughts.

When they arrived I was shocked by how small and compact they were, and at first I was worried because, how was something so small going to produce a big image? But they have a great image quality, very sharp, easy to focus, and reactive. Most binoculars i've use cannot adjust quickly and it's hard to find your target, especially if it's moving. Great for bird watching, especially humming birds up close. I'll also add that I wear perscription glasses and was worried I wouldn't be able to see well without my glasses on. But I never use my glasses when using these, I can see a very sharp focused image without using my glasses.

I really trust Japanese products. The packaging is always superior and they make the extra effort to make good presentation. Everything came wrapped up in individiual plastic wrap, and even though there is a high quality case that comes with it, they still took the care to wrap the binoculars in a plastic bag. The feel of the rubber coating is high quality and grips well. Very solid construction and the work of a perfectionist. Same type of quality I've come to expect from Japanese electronics and automobiles.

I like how portable they are. I can take them anywhere. I go to about 10 baseball games a year, and they are excellent for baseball games. Totally changed the way I enjoy a game. For that reason alone, I recommend these for any sports fan. I was able to find Rhianna in the stands at a Dodgers game (she's dating Matt Kemp - center fielder). These would also be good for hunting, especially at dawn or dusk. They work very well in low light.

Another big reason I use them is for viewing the panoramic landscape from my hilltop home. I have a 180 degree view where I can overlook Disney World in Orange County (12 miles) and see the fireworks display every night. I can look at Long Beach Airport and watch planes (at a range of 1-3 miles), I can see the Hollywood sign (about 17 miles), I can see the buildings in downtown Los Angeles (14 miles).

The only issue i've had with them is I notice the light being refracted when it is sunny, and it changes the color and brightness of the image every few seconds. I'm not sure if this is because of the way the prisms work. I read that some prisms have different coatings for light to automatically compensate for the varied degrees of brightness. But adjusting the focus slightly takes care of the issue. Not a deal breaker, just a slight observation.

buy em.

Was very pleased with the cost and quality of the Pentax UCF-X II 8x25 binoculars. They are compact, light weight, easy to operate and give a good image. Good to use at concerts and on trips where weight and size are important. Good value for the money.

I bought this gadget for the 2007 US Open. Very well made, trendy at the same time sporty and light. User friendly even for binocular amateurs, perfect for theater,sporting events, sight-seeing. I love it.

Very nice compact binoculars. They are very lightweight and relatively small. The image is very sharp. I compared them against a number of other binoculars and these are probably the best among those with street price of less than two hundred. They are in the same class as the Nikon Travelite series, but the Pentax warranty is better, and arguably these binoculars are optically a bit better. These binoculars are ideal for tourism, travel, watching wildlife or air shows.

This model also comes in an identically looking WP (waterproof) version which is slightly more expensive. In my own comparison, and others' opinions, this version is optically a tiny bit sharper than the WP version. It was a hard decision to give up waterproofing, but I decided to go with better image quality. The difference was not major, so you may want to buy the WP model instead, especially if you are going to be on boats or in humid climates.

Pentax also makes similar models with higher magnification, 10x25 or even higher. They have a narrower field of view and are harder to hold steady (especially since they are so light), so you are probably better off staying with 8x25 on this one. 8x25 makes it easier to scan the landscape and find what you are looking for during the day.

Could these binoculars be better? Sure, they could have even sharper optics (you normally pay hundreds more to get to the next level), be smaller (these won't fit my shirt pocket), waterproof, and have a wider neck strap. However, for the price these are amazing, and definitely head-and-shoulders above the cheap no-name binoculars you find at discount stores and most sports stores. In other words, if you need a good pair, this model is a great place to start - anything less would be a visible compromise :)

Highly recommended.

These are perfectly adequate for sporting and theater type events. Very lightweight, which makes it easy to wear them around the neck for lengthy periods. I lost an eyepiece the second day I used them and Pentax was kind enough to send me a free replacement.

For the price, you can't beat this unit. The optics is great. I have a couple of binoculars but neither could match the clarity and brightness of this unit. One interesting finding was that the magnification and brightness of this one is better than the 16x50 unit I have for years!

I bought this as a gift for my parents and they absolutly love it! I recomend this product to anyone who likes to do any sort of bird watching and or anything else that invovles binoculars. It's amazing!

We use these for sporting events, best thing about them is the small size...I get thru security without them even seeing
them they are so small, not that they are contraband, but the small footprint makes things very easy.

I've used the belt loop a few times and it works pretty well and is secure. Basic design.

Not as powerful as I would like, but when you consider the price point it's a good deal.

I would buy one again.

We really like these binoculars. The optics are very good and the magnification is great for backyard birds. Easy to use and the moon looks great too!

This is a little jewel. I am sure you can get slightly better quality if you pay exorbitant amounts of money, but in its price range, I don't see how you can beat it. The optics are excellent and the mechanical feel of it is superb also. If you pay ten to forty times as much, you might get better quality under certain circumstances (darker settings, wet weather, etc...) but that would be a waste of money as far as I am concerned. Did you know you could focus as close as about six feet away?