Pentax Ad 8x25 WP Binoculars

Binocular arrived well protected by its packaging. Light weight and well made and seems to be very good quality. It's very useful and easy to use for certain purposes, which is why I bought it. It won't replace a larger, good quality binocular but that's not what it's for. Shipping was free and very quick. It fills a need for a very nice, small, casual use tool that won't weigh a person down.

I own several pairs of highly rated binoculars that I use for bird watching, but I wanted something really small and inexpensive to carry with me during other activities. I do own a pair of pocket binoculars that are even smaller than these, and cost much more, but they are 10X power, which makes them hard to hold steady, and their eye relief is barely adequate for someone who wears glasses, as I do.I have found most binoculars costing less than $200 to be terrible, but I've had had good luck with Pentax cameras and optics and on paper these were exactly what I was looking for, so I bought these.All I can say is that these are astonishingly good for the price. The image is bright and free of distortion and chromatic aberration right to the edge of the field of ... MoreI own several pairs of highly rated binoculars that I use for bird watching, but I wanted something really small and inexpensive to carry with me during other activities. I do own a pair of pocket binoculars that are even smaller than these, and cost much more, but they are 10X power, which makes them hard to hold steady, and their eye relief is barely adequate for someone who wears glasses, as I do.I have found most binoculars costing less than $200 to be terrible, but I've had had good luck with Pentax cameras and optics and on paper these were exactly what I was looking for, so I bought these.All I can say is that these are astonishingly good for the price. The image is bright and free of distortion and chromatic aberration right to the edge of the field of view, which is admittedly much narrower than larger binoculars. Ricoh's specs do not indicate that these use ED glass, but the optical quality is such that I would have guessed they do. They are also solidly built and focusing is tight and precise.There are no objective lens covers and the flimsy ocular lens caps provided are worthless, but that's fine for something I want to keep in a lightweight case in my pocket or a bag. As other reviewers have noted, the case supplied is too snug, but a Megagear neoprene case for small cameras like a Canon Powershot or Fuji XF10 fits perfectly.

For glass under 300$ CDN I personally feel that nothing Beats Pentax Ricoh. I take this ocean paddle boarding/hiking and the small light weight form factor is appreciated. close focus you will see double circles but that doesn't bother me as I am greatful that's it even has a decent close focus at all for what you get in this form factor. Sometimes it's nice to observe insects and flowers when the moment arises, this accommodates my needs. If one doesn't need a weather proof/collapsible small form bin, I'd highly recommend the Papilio 2 6.5 x21. At the end of the day my favourite bin is an 8x32 but it cost 4 -5 times as much and these serve the perfect purpose of what ever you have on you is what you will use. Buy these and take them everywhere all the time.