Are you tempted by the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece? We perfectly understand, it’s one of the best optical tools on the market, and it’s multi-purpose too! Gazing at the Moon during a clear-sky night and watching nature in its full splendor is an activity many people enjoy as a hobby. But we all know that some of the best telescope for beginners either comes equipped for bird-watching, or for celestial bodies’ observations. Rarely, one single piece of equipment fall into the category of best spotting telescopes for both terrestrial and lunar viewings. This is precisely what makes the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece so special: it doubles as a nature scope and an astronomy telescope all into one.
Moreover, some telescopes, be them perfectly built for both these activities, are too heavy and too hard to carry around in field trips or in the mountains for some nature watching or stargazing and not many can fit into a small backpack. Is there a spotting scope to satisfy all needs? Today we will look into the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece, a product that is said to have incredible tech specs and be exactly what amateur astronomers and nature lovers want in terms of clear, perfectly colored images, portability and price range. Is this model as good as advertised and as good as other professional telescope reviews said it was? Let’s find out together!
What is the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece?
We will begin this Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece review by looking into the scope’s tech specs and features. First and foremost, let’s appreciate the lens diameter of 65, combined with a focal length of 390 mm and a focal ratio of f/6.0, making it suitable for lunar viewings and bird-watching from impressive distances.
This scope is in fact a triplet with ED optical elements and doublet focusing lens. This means that the fully coated lens and the ED technology allow the user to capture bright, true, sparkling colors, sharp images, crystal clear edges and details of surfaces and textures. So far, the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece spotting telescope proves to be one of the best telescopes for bird-watching and one of the best telescopes for nature watching, as the optical design and the ED glass and coatings meet all nature lovers needs and expectations.
Is this telescope good for amateur astronomy as well? The Pentax spotting scope with zoom eyepieces gives you sharp and bright viewings of the moon. With surprising and almost unusual field of view wideness and the central focus knob which works very well, the telescope brings the Moon to your living room, so to speak, and, depending of the eyepiece you use, you will have the best light gathering possible and thus, all the details you wanted to see.
About the eyepieces, it is worth mentioning that this scope is built so it can support all standard American astronomy-dedicated eyepieces. It features a 1.25” adapter so from this point of view almost all third-party eyepieces are at your fingertips. Depending on what you really want to see out there in the sky, the telescope will offer the opportunity provided you install the eyepiece of your choosing.
(Click image to see more pictures on Amazon)
As we said, the Pentax optics makes this particular model to be perfect for bird-watching and nature observation. However, when we talk about nature, we also have to talk about the weather. The passionate bird-watcher needs a reliable piece of equipment which doesn’t falter under bad weather conditions. Rest assured, the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece is waterproof and filled with nitrogen, so the weather won’t make you any problems, especially since the scope also comes with dew shields which protects it from humid early mornings or a humid climate altogether.
The telescope also sports a few features that make it a powerful and an enjoyable companion: it has built-in sunshade slides which prevent glare and flare, it comes together with a rotating tripod mounting collar which allows you to position the scope in any angle or position you want, it is very light (almost 1 kg) and so compact, it can be carried into a small backpack. The full telescope comes with rubber armor around it, a high quality rubber coating which protects the scope and all internal components from shocks, wear, tear, scratches and so on.
Last but not least, the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece price is more than affordable, giving the tech specs it features. It may be one of best Pentax telescopes in this price range, considering it provides a high level of usability, high quality optics and incredible portability.
Pros and Cons to Using the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece
We’ve tested many scopes, but the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece is one of a kind in terms of optics, building and portability. Let’s sum up the pros and cons of this telescope, keeping in mind that it is a grab-and-go scope for amateur nature lovers and astronomers.
PROS:
- High quality optics – aperture, focal length and focal ratio allow good and sharp viewings of nature, trees birds and animals, while it opens up a clear viewing pathway toward the Moon;
- The ED optics and coatings allow unusual bright images, with clear edges, true colors and striking contrasts, allowing a good viewing of not only colors, but textures and surfaces as well;
- Very wide field of view and great light gathering power for incredible terrestrial and lunar images;
- The standard American astronomy eyepiece adaptor allows the use of all Pentax eyepieces and plenty of other third party eyepieces;
- It is nitrogen filled, with dew shades, waterproof building and sunshade slides to work perfectly in any type of weather and reduce also flare and glare
- It is also fully coated in high-quality rubber to protect the aluminum case and the internal components from scratches or shocks;
- It is incredibly light and compact, easy to be packed in a small backpack and carried around with no difficulty whatsoever;
- It can be placed on almost any type of tripod, and being very lightweight, it won’t turn the whole assemble in a hard-to-carry system;
- The price is more than affordable considering the tech specs;
- The product was very much appreciated by professional telescope reviewers and has very good customer ratings.
CONS:
- It’s hard to find a Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece manual online, which might annoy beginner astronomers and nature observers – especially the ones who are just learning about telescopes and how to use them.
Where to Find the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece?
You can find the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece for sale on Amazon, at the best price of $849.00 (with free shipping). As we mentioned, this is one of the most affordable telescopes on the market, given its features and its flexibility to be used with other third party accessories and providing top of the line celestial and terrestrial viewings.
Extra Info:
Maintenance Advice
This is perhaps one of the best built telescopes out there. It’s rubber coated, comes with protective lens covers, has built-in dew shade and sunshade, it is sturdy and compact, so all you need to do is keep it safe from truly powerful shocks and accidents. Clean the lens with microfiber cloths and keep it safe from excess dust and humidity and direct sun rays.
Telescope Accessories
If you read a few Pentax company reviews in the past, you know they make not only great telescopes, but also high quality accessories. This product is fully compatible with any Pentax eyepiece, but also other third party ones. Moreover, it comes with tripod mounting collars, so tripods (of almost any brand) are also fully compatible with it.
Warranty and Guarantee Information
The product comes with Pentax Limited Lifetime Warranty, but there are little details about what this warranty covers or how long it lasts.
Our Recommendation
Given that the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece images, be them terrestrial or lunar are so perfectly sharp, bright, contrasting and beautifully colored, we cannot do anything else but recommend you this product wholeheartedly. Even if you are a bird watcher or an amateur astronomer occasionally gazing at the Moon, this telescope will satisfy your needs and expectations. From this point of view, the price/quality balance is more than acceptable. You can make sure the Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece is a great asset for outdoor activities, as it is weather-proof, sturdy, light, compact, shock-resistant and incredibly portable. We also recommend you to watch some Pentax PF-65ED AII Spotting Scope with Zoom Eyepiece YouTube presentations to get a better idea of the product’s capabilities.
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