Pentax Papilio Binoculars

[MikeOxon]

I mentioned in another thread, somewhere on this site, that I had some Pentax Papilio 6.5 x 21 binoculars on order.

They arrived today and I am very impressed. Of course, I expect that everyone in this forum already has their pair but, in case anyone hasn't, may I add my recommendation. The optical quality is remarkable for the price (currently £85 from Amazon) and the close-focus ability is amazing - it's like having a long-distance magnifying glass. The 6.5x mag is sufficient for the purpose and gives a bright image, with a wide field of view.

If, like me, your need for reading glasses is extending to middle-distance, then these are life-changing. The build quality is generally good but they are not waterproof. Fortunately, wet-weather butterflying is a minority pursuit, though use in tropical rainforest is probably ruled out. They do have a cover glass over the business end, like a wet-stage microscope, so are reasonably robust.

Finally, I notice that the Pentax brand has recently been sold to Ricoh, so the marketing strategy may change. Currently, I think they are a great bargain in their niche field.

Mike

[Trev Sawyer]

Yep, I bought a pair of the 8.5 x 21 Papilios a couple of years ago Mike and they are amazing. Focusing down to 0.5M, you can see the individual scales on a butterfly's wing. Well worth putting a camera down to use and you notice so much detail you would miss without such magnification. Good for egg spotting etc too!

Trev

[Vince Massimo]

I've just treated myself to a Christmas present and ordered the (preferred) 6.5x21 model through Amazon. They are presently down from £147 to £74.30 with free delivery (arriving in early January). That's me sorted

Vince

[MikeOxon]

I'm sure you'll enjoy them, Vince, and a very good price, too! My wife, who usually dislikes binoculars, is very taken with these, so I think we shall have to get another pair.

Mike

[ScottD]

I use a pair of Opticron Trailfinder II 8x25.
Closes focus is "only" 1.5m rather than 0.5m (not a big requirement for me) but they were also under £40.

[Pete Eeles]

I've just treated myself to a Christmas present and ordered the (preferred) 6.5x21 model through Amazon. They are presently down from £147 to £74.30 with free delivery (arriving in early January). That's me sorted

Vince

Thanks for the "heads up" Vince. I've just gotten me a Christmas present too

Cheers,

- Pete

[Vince Massimo]

Thanks for the "heads up" Vince. I've just gotten me a Christmas present too

Excellent!

Mine actually arrived this morning, only 17 hours after I ordered them (No postage charge!). It took just a few seconds to set up the eye-pieces and focus on my toes.

The previous discussion regarding this product is here viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2491&p=27913&hilit ... lio#p27913 . Although it has a slightly lower magnification, the general consensus is that the 6.5x21 model is preferred over the 8.5x21 for insects, butterflies and flowers because it offers a brighter image and a wider field of view. Having said that, there seem to be no complaints from those who have the other model.

Vince

[Paul Wetton]

Sound like a fine pair of bins for insect watching.

I have a pair of Delta Roof Prism Binoculars that are 10 x 42 but will more or less focus on my feet.

I would suggest something like these for those who bird and butterfly at the same time. They cost a little more though at around £300 and they're probably much heavier around the neck than the Pentax papilios.

[EricY]

Many thanks for the info Mike & Vince. Mine arr this morning (only ord on wednesday). Tested them out through the kit window immediately against my Opticron Taiga 8x25 (I do not use larger binos at all). A goldfinch on my niger feeder 35ft away looked much brighter & I could not see any difference in object size at that range, refocussed on a bottle label on window cill & just perfect. Very pleased & a good buy I think, looking forward to the insect season but in meantime I will be using them for birding etc (could not stand the big heavy ones round my neck). Eric

[Bill S]

Hi folks

Can anyone with a pair of Papilio's do me a favour and check to see whether they are stamped with a serial number please? Mine are with Pentax for repair (focus wheel came off and is lost) and I'm having trouble establishing proof of purchase (an ebay buy) so wondered whether they are stamped with a serial number and if so whether I could establish a date of manufacture.

Many thanks in advance.

Regards

Bill

[MikeOxon]

Mine do have a serial number on a label underneath, which is only visible when the eyepieces are pulled out to widest separation. The label says: "HOYA Corp. Made in China" followed by the 6-digit serial number.

Hope that helps,
Mike

[EricY]

My new ones say exactly the same as Mike's, 1st 3 numbers of my 6 figure number are 266. Eric

[Bill S]

Thanks both.

Bill