Binoculars

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi all

I am after some binoculars for this season and a quick search on the UKB forums leads me to Pentax Papilio; are these still recommended by members?

If so, which model (8.5 x 21 or 6.5 x 21) would be better for butterflies and would I be able to see birds reasonably effectively too?

Thanks

Lee

[Trev Sawyer]

I'm still using my old 8.5 x 21's and I would definitely recommend them. They have been upgraded since I bought mine, but I am happy with the old ones. The 6.5's may be slightly better for following a flying butterfly (being slightly less magnified), but I have never found any problem doing that. ... And yes, they are good for birds too. Easy to wear and light around your neck, you don't even know you are carrying them most of the time. For very close up work, they are brilliant and every scale can be seen if you lean in towards the butterfly until you reach the closest focal point.

[Mark Tutton]

I would second what Trevor says, had my 8.5 for three years and they are superb - good for birds too but obviously a compromise over full size bins, I have some Leicas specifically for this, but the upside is you don’t know you are carrying them.
Can’t recommend them highly enough.
Mark

[petesmith]

I bought the Pentax Papilio 2 8.5 x 21 recently, and am absolutely delighted with this model. Great quality optics, close focus, lightweight. Perfect for butterflying. Highly recommended!

[False Apollo]

I've got a pair of 6.5 X 21Papilio's which I love using for butterfly watching. Very bright image which show all the detail. My wife has the 8.5 x 21s, so I have looked through them both, I prefer the 6.5's though. I am not sure what the difference is between the second generation of these binoculars and the newer ones, but I am very happy with the original first generation. I use Zeiss 8X42s for birding.

Mike

[Pete Eeles]

I couldn't live without my pair of Papilios ... they're invaluable when looking for immature stages. In fact, I don't think I've found a Dingy Skipper egg without them; they save a lot of back-breaking searching on hands-and-knees! And, of course, they can be used for much larger things too

If I broke my pair I would buy another. I hope that says it all!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks all!

That's a good recommendation

Best wishes,

Lee

[Trev Sawyer]

WEX are currently selling the newest version for £119. That's not a bad price and as my originals are getting a little worn now, I've lashed out on a new pair. I'll keep the old ones for when I'm out with friends who don't have any to use.