Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece) USA
- Free Item Included:
- Pentax WF-533 Fluid Head Tripod $99.95 Value
- Price: $684.95
- Free Shipping (USA)
- In Stock
- B&H # PEPF80EDA
- Mfr# 70950
Product Highlights
- A Superb Large-Size Scope
- Waterproof & Fogproof
- Angled Viewing
- Fully Multicoated Optics w/ ED Glass
- Pentax's SMC Multicoatings
- Accepts 1.25" Astronomy Eyepieces
- Accepts 82mm Filters
- Rotating Tripod Collar
- Rubber Armor
- Includes View-Through Case
Remember the Essentials
An eyepiece is required but not included with this item. Please be sure to purchase a compatible eyepiece in order to enjoy this spotting scope.
The Pentax PF-80ED-A Spotting Scope is a large and terribly impressive optical performer, with a brilliant 80mm objective lens and the ability to accept any 1.25" astronomy eyepiece as well as 82mm filters at the front of the objective. It is 100% waterproof and fogproof, with durable rubber armor over an all-metal housing that's got a rotating tripod collar with detented stops every 45°. The fully multicoated optics feature Pentax's well-regarded SMC multicoating process, and an element of ED (extra-low dispersion) glass helps provide razor-sharp edge delineation to high-contrast subjects.
The PF-80ED-A's 1.25" diameter eyepiece specification allows less compacting of the light shaft produced by the objective lens, and thus a larger final image with superior depth perception. Any great 1.25" eyepiece can be used, from Pentax themselves to elite telescope manufacturers' eyepieces such as Meade, Celestron, Vixen, and of course Tele Vue. The PF-80ED has a focal length of 518mm.
The PF-80ED-A is amongst the very short list of premium spotting scopes that includes a view-through case as standard equipment. This valuable accessory is quite nearly a necessity, and is not included but rather an expensive additional option with the European-made units.
Pentax supplies this scope with the Pentax USA's "Worry Free" Warranty; Pentax will repair or replace this spotting scope to the original purchaser (even if damaged by fault) for a small shipping charge.
- A superb large-class spotting scope with 45° angled viewing
- JIS Class 6 100% waterproof & fogproof construction
- Pentax's SMC multicoatings applied to every optical surface
- An ED glass element to provide ideal color correction and contrast
- Accepts 1.25" astronomy eyepieces
- Rotating tripod collar with detented click stops
- Retractable hood shields objective from stray light or moisture
- Accepts 82mm filters
- Includes a view-through case
- Pentax USA "Worry Free" warranty
| Objective Lens Diameter | 80mm |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 19.0' (5.8 m) |
| Weatherproofing | Waterproof & fogproof |
| Dimensions | 16.3 x 5.3 x 3.9" (415 x 135 x 100mm) WxHxD |
| Weight | 3.57 lb (1620 g) |
Included Free
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 8 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Bright eyepiece (6)
- Strong magnification (5)
- Sensitivity controls (4)
Cons
- Heavy (4)
Best Uses
- Astronomy (6)
- Shooting (4)
- Bright conditions (3)
- Low visibility (3)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual/ recreational (6)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (7)
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 8 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-8
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
- Sensitivity Controls
- Strong Magnification
Cons
Best Uses
- Astronomy
- Shooting
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
This scope is hands down for the money the best you can buy. Will be using it at the rifle range and for hunting. Never looked through a more crystal clear lens such as this. WOW!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Strong Magnification
- Well designed
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Shooting
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
The optics are of course superb but the very clever carry case is what makes this product stand out! Very convenient and well placed zippers and velcro closures make take down, set-up and transport from the shooting range to car to storage a joy without fear of damage to the scope. Superior sharpness and solid construction; exactly what I was looking for.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
- Sensitivity Controls
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Astronomy
- Birding
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
I use this for birding. It is my first spotting scope, so I have no basis for comparison (hence the 4, rather than 5 stars). I expect some of the German glass is better, but I'm not sure the value would be there, at least for me. I bought the 10mm and 20mm Pentax eyepieces. Both are very good. I use the 20mm more. I also bought a 14mm Televue Delos eyepiece that ROCKS with the scope. These 3 eyepieces give me 25x to slightly greater than 50x magnification.I see no color shift, and the image is undistorted out to the edges. The image is bright. It's big and heavy, but would not be oppressive to carry, and it needs to be on a tripod anyway.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
- Sensitivity Controls
- Strong Magnification
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Astronomy
- Bright Conditions
- Shooting
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
I bought this scope, and related eyepiece separately, but it was sent as a package, including a free tripod. This combo was less expensive than B&H's combo of the same items! Go figure. I'll be using it for spotting at the rifle range and for digi-scoping. So far, have managed to take one photo of the moon, before I received the Pentas universal camera mount. It's been cloudy, so I'll have to wait for clear weather to completely test out this rig. I'm sure it will all work well, as my past experience with Pentax has been excellent.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright
- Clear
Cons
- Sensitive focus
Best Uses
- Bright Conditions
- Low Visibility
- Shooting
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
I bought another less expensive scope and regretted it from day one. The eye relief was not great and eye fatigue set in on long days (across the course matches and longer). This scope is on the firing line with ones costing 2-3 times as much. Now I can see as well if not better than almost all of them. No more eye fatigue. I paired it with the xw14 eyepiece. That eyepiece is 35x in this scope. On a decent day I can see impacts from the 500 yard line. I noticed it before the targets were up when I could see the texture of the grass on the berm of the 500yard line. The depth and texture compared to others on that day was impressive.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
- Good price value
- Great picture quality
- Strong Magnification
- Waterproof
- Well built quality
Cons
- Sensitivity control
Best Uses
- Astronomy
- Bird Watching
- Low Visibility
- Nature Viewing
- wildlife viewing
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
Use for bird watching from tripod at home. Is everything it promises to be. Only minor thing is the focus wheel - it could be a little bigger or devided into at rough and fine wheel.
Overall, I think it is a great value for money.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
- Sensitivity Controls
- Strong Magnification
Cons
Best Uses
- Astronomy
- Birding
- Bright Conditions
- Low Visibility
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
I use it for bird and whale watching and looking at the moon and planets. I have the 20 to 60 times zoom. Its great because of its bright image, crisp and clear focus across the whole image, and minimal chromatic aberration. Its easy to focus and the lack of a fine focus control is not an issue. While substantial, I find it fine to carry.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Astronomy
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
I've been very pleased with this scope since I bought it in 2006. It's well made and has a nice smooth focus mechanism. I have both the XW14 and XW20 eyepieces. The low power eyepiece has a very wide bright field and clarity is excellent. 26x may not seem like a lot, but this eyepiece works great for me 90% of the time. It's not always about how large the image is, but rather how much detail you can see. When more magnification is needed I can switch to the 36x. Naturally this eyepiece is not as bright and the field is relatively narrow, but it's still very sharp. When you consider both cost and optical quality this scope is very worthy of consideration.
Displaying reviews 1-8
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 8 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Bright eyepiece (6)
- Strong magnification (5)
- Sensitivity controls (4)
Cons
- Heavy (4)
Best Uses
- Astronomy (6)
- Shooting (4)
- Bright conditions (3)
- Low visibility (3)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual/ recreational (6)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (7)
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 8 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-8
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
- Sensitivity Controls
- Strong Magnification
Cons
Best Uses
- Astronomy
- Shooting
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
This scope is hands down for the money the best you can buy. Will be using it at the rifle range and for hunting. Never looked through a more crystal clear lens such as this. WOW!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Strong Magnification
- Well designed
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Shooting
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
The optics are of course superb but the very clever carry case is what makes this product stand out! Very convenient and well placed zippers and velcro closures make take down, set-up and transport from the shooting range to car to storage a joy without fear of damage to the scope. Superior sharpness and solid construction; exactly what I was looking for.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
- Sensitivity Controls
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Astronomy
- Birding
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
I use this for birding. It is my first spotting scope, so I have no basis for comparison (hence the 4, rather than 5 stars). I expect some of the German glass is better, but I'm not sure the value would be there, at least for me. I bought the 10mm and 20mm Pentax eyepieces. Both are very good. I use the 20mm more. I also bought a 14mm Televue Delos eyepiece that ROCKS with the scope. These 3 eyepieces give me 25x to slightly greater than 50x magnification.I see no color shift, and the image is undistorted out to the edges. The image is bright. It's big and heavy, but would not be oppressive to carry, and it needs to be on a tripod anyway.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
- Sensitivity Controls
- Strong Magnification
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Astronomy
- Bright Conditions
- Shooting
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
I bought this scope, and related eyepiece separately, but it was sent as a package, including a free tripod. This combo was less expensive than B&H's combo of the same items! Go figure. I'll be using it for spotting at the rifle range and for digi-scoping. So far, have managed to take one photo of the moon, before I received the Pentas universal camera mount. It's been cloudy, so I'll have to wait for clear weather to completely test out this rig. I'm sure it will all work well, as my past experience with Pentax has been excellent.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright
- Clear
Cons
- Sensitive focus
Best Uses
- Bright Conditions
- Low Visibility
- Shooting
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
I bought another less expensive scope and regretted it from day one. The eye relief was not great and eye fatigue set in on long days (across the course matches and longer). This scope is on the firing line with ones costing 2-3 times as much. Now I can see as well if not better than almost all of them. No more eye fatigue. I paired it with the xw14 eyepiece. That eyepiece is 35x in this scope. On a decent day I can see impacts from the 500 yard line. I noticed it before the targets were up when I could see the texture of the grass on the berm of the 500yard line. The depth and texture compared to others on that day was impressive.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
- Good price value
- Great picture quality
- Strong Magnification
- Waterproof
- Well built quality
Cons
- Sensitivity control
Best Uses
- Astronomy
- Bird Watching
- Low Visibility
- Nature Viewing
- wildlife viewing
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
Use for bird watching from tripod at home. Is everything it promises to be. Only minor thing is the focus wheel - it could be a little bigger or devided into at rough and fine wheel.
Overall, I think it is a great value for money.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
- Sensitivity Controls
- Strong Magnification
Cons
Best Uses
- Astronomy
- Birding
- Bright Conditions
- Low Visibility
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
I use it for bird and whale watching and looking at the moon and planets. I have the 20 to 60 times zoom. Its great because of its bright image, crisp and clear focus across the whole image, and minimal chromatic aberration. Its easy to focus and the lack of a fine focus control is not an issue. While substantial, I find it fine to carry.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright Eyepiece
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Astronomy
Comments about Pentax PF-80ED-A 3.1"/80mm Spotting Scope (Requires Eyepiece):
I've been very pleased with this scope since I bought it in 2006. It's well made and has a nice smooth focus mechanism. I have both the XW14 and XW20 eyepieces. The low power eyepiece has a very wide bright field and clarity is excellent. 26x may not seem like a lot, but this eyepiece works great for me 90% of the time. It's not always about how large the image is, but rather how much detail you can see. When more magnification is needed I can switch to the 36x. Naturally this eyepiece is not as bright and the field is relatively narrow, but it's still very sharp. When you consider both cost and optical quality this scope is very worthy of consideration.
Displaying reviews 1-8
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