Home > Consumer Reviews > Pentax 10x50 XCF Binoculars With Case

I bought these binoculars initially to do some star gazing, but have since used them also for bird watching. They are excellent for both purposes - really amazing quality optics. Everything is BRIGHT through the lenses and you can see far more stars through these than you are aware of with the naked eye. Bought through Amazon they are a real bargain - about £30 cheaper than in the shops. I would recommend them to anyone for birdwatching or astronomy.

Like the previous reviewer, I initially intended to use these for stargazing, and have used them very successfully (once) for viewing meteors. However, despite receiving them as a Christmas gift in '06, I haven't used them much until recently, when I've started watching birds and animals from the windows of our house. I'm extremely impressed. As a kid, I owned a pair of high quality Swift 12x50s. I used them a lot at the coast, watching yachts and ships at sea. I found them to be decent, if not exactly spectacular during low light conditions. By comparison, these Pentax XCF 10x50s are a revelation. The 10x50 magnification / lense-diameter ratio makes a big difference in image brightness, aided even further by the high quality optics and BAK-4 prisms. The main focus wheel and right-hand eye-piece adjustment are consistently accurate (turning them to the same positions gives the same result each time), so it's a quick and easy process to set them up for watching local sights. The images are always bright and sharp, with just the slightest loss of sharpness in the outer 10% of the image (not uncommon at this price range, and even with more expensive models). The binoculars came with a soft case, which isn't particularly impressive (I'd have preferred something more substantial), but it does the job. Because of the extremely-slight blurring at the outer edges of the image, and the just-adequate supplied case, I'd have given a rating of four stars for these binoculars - if they'd cost £150-£200, that is. At this price, though, you can't seriously dock one star for such minor grievances. All things considered, the Pentax XCF 10x50s are an excellent piece of kit, a great all-round set of optics for most casual and hobby purposes, and well derserving of a five star rating.

Bird watching or Star gazing these binoculars are very good for the price. As other reviewers have said the case is basically just a cloth cover but do you buy them for the case or for the item itself? Most of the time mine are around my neck in use and held there by a very sturdy strap which is included in the package and it would take a considerable ammount of force for it to part company with the scopes.The case is secondary.The binoculars are just the job for the those who want to get that little bit more out of their pastime without breaking the bank and Amazon make that possible at a price that is hard to beat.

Now then, I am no expert but I can tell you that these are superb. I referred to Ray Mears' Outdoor Survival Handbook for tips on binoculars, very helpful. Briefly the higher the first number the harder it is to hold them steady, so most people go for an 8 as the first number. Now I don't have problems with holding these steady and I am a petite woman and I can tell you you can see really well with these. If you are a novice like me and just want to see more than the bird in the hedge or blob on the horizon these do the trick, they bring everything into really sharp focus. Go on buy them, you won't be sorry.

These are great - just what I wanted. I have a pair of mini bins which are good - so I wanted something which would give greater magnification and clearer viewing in poor light. These are comfortable to hold and easy to use. The case is a bit disappointing - soft, with no strap - but it serves its purpose and the bins are a great price so I have no complaints.