Pentax sport optics

Hi all can anyone recommend a pair of pentax binoculars in the region of about £100.
I was thinking of something like this but don't know much about them.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pentax-16x50-XCF-Binoculars-Case/dp/B000067O8H/ref=sr_1_48?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1244650532&sr=8-48

thanks for any replies

SRS of cause

Can I ask what you will be using them for, primarily?

eg, low light etc?

Not a problem tooks just mainly for when i'm scouting about doin my lanscapes

I meant the model Tel of course i'll buy from srs

Sorry

No bother dude

The only reason I asked is that I have several sets of binoculars acquired over the years, some of them quite old (and expensive at the time!) but none of them are particularly brilliant in dawn or dusk scenarios.

From my old rifle shooting days, scopes were considered good in low light if they had an exit pupil size of 4mm or more.

So, if I were to choose a pair of Pentax binoculars for around the £100 mark, and wanted them to be good to use in dawn or dusk situations (like landscape photographers take photos in?) then I'd probably go for the 8x40 XCF's, being 5mm exit pupil, and rugged/outdoorsy!;

link

They are probably weather sealed too!

7x50 is the classic low light specification, lots of light gathering power and not too much magnification.

Thanks all They look really good tooks.

Whats an exit pupil excuse the ignorance

The exit pupil is where the light leaves the binoculars before it enters your eyes.

I'd agree with Tooks.
Don't go above 10x magnification with binoculars as they are just too difficult to hold steady, the image will " wobble" too much. If the optics are good you don't need any more magnification anyway. In the £100 price range the 10x50 or 8x40 offer the best bang for the buck. I'd also recommend the 8x40 XCF as they are smaller and lighter so you're more likely to carry them with you after the first week or so!
Dare I say , while you're in the shop, it may even be worth trying out some of the smaller 8x21 types depending on your requirements. They're so small you won't even know they're in your pocket. They don't give much away in daylight but at dawn and dusk they may be too dim.
My personal preference is for roof prism types ( like the 8x36 DCF which offer water resistance) but then you're up to £175 and above.
But the most important advice is try before you buy, and preferably at the same time of day you'll be using them! Do side by side comparisons too as they'll all seem fine on their own. It isn't until you switch from one to the other that you notice the glaring differences.

And just to add, your pupils are usually about 4 to 5mm wide, so that's all the light they can accept. Any more is a waste and can actually hinder dawn/dusk viewing.

I've had numerous binoculars over the years but the ones I've got now are about the most useful I've ever had. They are small easy to carry and most importantly they ZOOM from 8x to 20x. They also have a nice snug fitting case. The Pentax model is 8-20 x24 Amazon US, unfortunately these seem to be discontinued the nearest now being 8-16 x 21 link You might get them for £70 if you shop around. SRS are expensive at £105.

I've just looked out of the door with mine and it's 8pm on a rainy dull night and there's no problem seeing clearly even at 20x

shim

The exit pupil is a simple calculation of Objective lens diameter, divided by the magnification. So for the ones you linked to Martin, it would be 50mm/16 = 3.125mm.

For Shim's 8-20 x 24 bins, the exit pupil at 20x magnification would be just 1.2mm. They obviously suit him, but most people find a 20x mag too much to handhold, and the image too dim with such a small objective lens.

Exit pupil is the equivalent of a lens aperture, and there's a good description of it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_pupil

The best bit of advice I can offer is to go somewhere and try out as many different pairs as you can. You may find you prefer a roof prism 8x32 pair, or a porro 10x50, or a porro 8x21...

Dan