On the subject of modest porros, anyone have any
opinion on the Pentax aspherics (model PCFIII??) At
just under $200, they would be something I might give
as a gift to a family member to try to lure them into
the birding/optics world. But at this price, I expect
coatings are marginal, and maybe the view wouldn't be
that shocking when compared to the $50 wonders they
have laying around at home.

Aspheric optics: big improvement or marketing hype?

Mike



>
> your folks may be right... a substantial investment
> might be more appropriate down the road..plus the
> fact
> that with the increased numbers of people
> participating
> in Watchable Wildlife the optics gang is putting
> more
> effort into turning out good stuff..this could mean
> some
> break throughs coming up in the not too distant
> future.
> pariticularly at the low end.
> meanwhile, there are some good optics out there for
> not
> a lot of money.
>
> Swift has updated their Audubon series and the
> glass is
> pretty good. Their porro prism bins are about
> $219.00
> from the mail order houses like Eagle Optics, etc..
> I don't recall the size of the larger lens in the
> 10x
> I think it's at least 42 and good color and
> brightness
> makes for a pretty crisp image.. they're not as
> good
> as the high end Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica, etc.. but
> they give respectable performance in the field and
> they
> are reasonably price...only down side is they're
> big
> and a bit heavy.. my wildlife photographer friend

PS. another downside west of the Cascades is that it
rains all the time (first approximation), and
inexpensive porros rarely advertise water-resistance.


=====
Mike Wagenbach wagen13 at yahoo.com
wagenATuDOTwashingtonDOTedu Seattle WA

The problem with expert advice is that it so often conflicts with one's plans.
-author unkown
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