Compact Pentax UCF x II Binoculars

Whilst I did not have enough time to conduct a full test and review, I had the opportunity the other day to have a quick look at the Pentax UCF x II range of compact binoculars and my initial impressions of them were good for binoculars in this class.

Pentax UCF x II Binoculars

Pentax offers 4 different magnifications within this range, all with the same compact 25mm objective lenses and all using the Porro prism design:

• 8x25 UCF X II
• 10x25 UCF X II
• 12x25 UCF X II
• 16x25 UCF X II

Price

Whilst they all have a MSRP list price of between $120 and $140 (£50 and £120), they can now usually be found at a much cheaper cost and on places like Adorama and Amazon in the US and UK are currently offering them at  pretty hefty discount, from about $80 (£70):

• Buy & Compare Prices for Pentax UCF Binoculars

For me, this price range puts them in the category of Low-Cost Binoculars ($50 – $130) and that is why I feel that they are impressive as in this range their stats are pretty good:

Described by the manufacturer as durable and rugged, they do have a solid feel to them and are said to have a once piece construction to improve sturdiness and strength. Whilst I have seen far tougher optics, these should withstand most day to day knocks and bumps with no problems. The black rubber armor has a nice feel to it and will also help in protecting them. Their lightweight and compactness, makes them convenient to carry anywhere.

Fully Multi-Coated Lenses
The UCF X II’s also have Fully multi-coated optics that  improving light transmission for high contrast images with no glare or flare and will remove harmful ultraviolet rays. “Fully Multi-Coated” means that all air to glass surfaces have received multiple layers of anti-reflection coatings, and this is what you want in your binoculars as opposed to just “Multi-Coated”

BAK4 Prisms
High-quality BaK4 prisms that transmit more light at the edges to enhance illumination. Again this is what you want as BAK 4 Prisims are produced with superior optical glass and are much better than the cheaper BK 7 prisms.

Techical Specifications:

Pentax 8x25 UCF X II Binoculars

• Field of View at 1000m: 108m / 324ft @ 1000 yards (Angle of view 6.5°)
• Exit pupil: 3.1 mm
• Eye Relief 15 mm
• Dimensions Depth 115 mm
• Dimensions Width 110 mm
• Dimensions Height 56 mm

Pentax 10x25 UCF X II Binoculars

• Field of View at 1000m: 87m / 261ft @ 1000 yards (Angle of view 5°)
• Exit pupil: 2.5 mm
• Eye Relief: 15 mm
• Depth: 115 mm
• Width: 110 mm
• Height: 56 mm

For Compact binoculars at this price range, the stats that jump out for me are the 15mm of eye relief, that should be enough for most eyeglass wearers and an impressive field of view that beats most other compact binoculars that I have reviewed.

So to sum up, if you are looking for a cheap, compact pair of binoculars, you could do far worse than a pair of Pentax UCF X II’s