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Nikon vs. Pentax

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Blackbird View Drop Down
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    Posted: July/03/2007 at 15:53
Can any of you ss experts tell me which is the better spotter between the Nikon Fieldscope 25-75X 82ED, and the Pentax 20-60X 80ED ? The spotter I decide to buy will be primarily for looking at 6mm. bullet holes (on white paper) between 300 and 500 yards. Thanks in advance!
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RifleDude View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/03/2007 at 16:02

Hey, Blackbird.

I have considered both these scopes as well and in my research have heard good comments about both.  For what it's worth, these folks had some extremely good things to say about the Pentax 80 ED, even going so far as to proclaim it as the best scope in its class and calling it their "reference standard" for 80mm scopes!  They especially praised the Pentax eyepieces, as has several other reviewers.

http://www.betterviewdesired.com/70-80mm-Spotting-Scopes.php

 

In addition, I believe Koshkin has the Pentax and speaks very favorably of it.

 



Edited by RifleDude
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koshkin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/06/2007 at 17:00
I just spent some time playing with the 82mm Nikon Fieldscope (as a part of my Optolyth review).  I think Pentax is a better way to go.

ILya
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Blackbird View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Blackbird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/06/2007 at 18:24
Thank You very much, I found a used Pentax with the zoom eyepiece for $700. I will buy it this weekend.
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mikerabe View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mikerabe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/25/2007 at 22:00
WOW! I will have to disagree with koshin on this one. IMHO the Nikon is better in just about every category. But hey Koshin is an optics Master and well according to the amount of time I have spent posting on this site I don't know much. The pentax is defiantly a good scope but if price was the same. and they are pretty close if you shop around a little I would take the Nikon every time.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote firstscope Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/25/2007 at 22:05

Koshkin,

where is this review? Curious about your thoughts on Optolyth.

FirstScope

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucznik Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/26/2007 at 10:08

Originally posted by mikerabe mikerabe wrote:

But hey Koshin is an optics Master and well according to the amount of time I have spent posting on this site I don't know much.

  1. Koshkin is an "Optics Master" for much more than the simple number of posts he has here.  Spend a little time getting to know about him and you will find that he is far better qualified to discuss optics than just about anyone you are likely to meet. 
  2. Your lack of posts doesn't mean you don't know anything, just that you haven't yet shared much of anything. Your input may for a time carry a bit less weight than that of others but, that's simply due to a lack of familiarity with you.

Originally posted by mikerabe mikerabe wrote:

...IMHO the Nikon is better in just about every category... The pentax is defiantly a good scope but if price was the same. and they are pretty close if you shop around a little I would take the Nikon every time.  

 

However, the prominent display of the Nikon logo as your avatar does betray something of a bias toward Nikon products.  This isn't in and of itself bad as a preference for a particular brand can be legitimate but, it does suggest that your review of other products might be a bit lacking in impartiality.



Edited by lucznik
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koshkin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/26/2007 at 12:43
Originally posted by mikerabe mikerabe wrote:

WOW! I will have to disagree with koshin on this one. IMHO the Nikon is better in just about every category. But hey Koshin is an optics Master and well according to the amount of time I have spent posting on this site I don't know much. The pentax is defiantly a good scope but if price was the same. and they are pretty close if you shop around a little I would take the Nikon every time.  


Have you compared the two side by side?  If yes, which eyepiece did you use with the Pentax?

ILya
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mikerabe View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mikerabe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/26/2007 at 15:33
I have compared the two side by side. They were both angled versions. When I compared them the Nikon had the 25-75x zoom the Pentax had the 20-60x zoom. Optics wise they are both really good. but the Nikon seemed brighter to me which may be do to the fact that Nikon's uses a Schmidt Prism in place of the porro prism. The Pentax angled version has an extra prism between the porro prism and the eyepiece which is an inferior design and plays a role in lack of brightness in their angled scopes.

Color's were more true and vibrant in the Nikon.The Nikon also seemed sharper to me throughout the entire power range. The Pentax was good in the middle range but lost a little at the beginning and end of it magnification range. 
   
The Pentax eyepiece had better eye relief  and  offered a  wider FOV.  But optically it is no better than the Nikon offering. 

The Nikon is smaller and fits into my pack better than the Pentax.
The Pentax is nice in the fact that there are tons of astro. eyepieces that can be used with it but most of them are just OK.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/26/2007 at 16:22
Interesting.  Which exact Nikon and Pentax scopes did you look at? 80mm models? Also, was it the XF eyepiece in the pentax? or the XW? or one of the earlier ones?

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mikerabe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/26/2007 at 21:56
Kosin,
I am referring to the Nikon ed82 angled and the Pentax pf 80ed angled.
Eyepieces: nikon 7467 25-75x on the 82mm Pentax 70509 smc 20-60x

Lucznic,
Yea I like nikon optics I own the 8x42lxl and 10x25lxl binos, and ed50 and the ed82 and love them all and would not trade them for anything from Europe.
To my eyes nikon has the most neutral and vibrant colors of anything else offered and this makes them extremely comfortable to look through!  I like my eyes to be as comfortable as when glassing and I  think Nikon has it right on.
 
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firstscope View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote firstscope Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/26/2007 at 22:28

 

Funny how everyone likes what they have.  I have the Optolyth 80mm HD and was curious to know what Koshkin thought of that animal.  I found it to be the best for me compared to the Nikon, Swar, and Zeiss.

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