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Pentax Spotting Scope
PF-80ED (Waterproof)

A bigger scope
for a smaller price
(review updated 12-04-08)

See price info

Pentax PF 80ED-AHere's a fine scope that produces a bright, clear, image, with excellent resolution.

One attraction is the generous selection of famed Pentax eyepieces that fit the scope,developed over many years for use with amateur astronomical telescopes.

At 16 inches the PF-80ED-A is longer and a few ounces heavier than the other top-endbirding scopes we tested.

However, the price is smaller. Note that the Pentax zoom 20-60x eyepiece is usually included in the price of the scope, whereas for most other top scopes one must buy the eyepiece separately.

The 20-60x zoom eyepiece (70509) that we tested is easy to use and has a wide field of view. It's completely waterproof, even when not attached to the body (70950) of the scope. Of course, the scope itself is also completely waterproof.

The Pentax has protective rubber armoring and an extensible lens hood. A raised line on the body serves as a sighting device. The scope comes in a straight model as well as the angled one we tested.

Pentax has recently come out with new, outstanding camera adapter to let you connect a camera to you scope for digiscoping. It is the Pentax UA-1 Adapter.

-- Michael and Diane Porter

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