The Howland Pentax Gear Page

Page by Royce
Last update: $Date: 2003/06/22 05:53:25 $ (UTC)

Our most recent piece of digiscoping gear is a Pentax PF-80EDA spotting scope. After spending quite a bit of time with the ScopeTronix 90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain reflector scope, and not really being able to get satisfactory results from it in combination with the CoolPix 5700 camera, it was time to try a different scope, a refractor this time. (We now use the 90mm Mak strictly for viewing by eye, at which function it excels.)

Swarovski and Leica refractor spotting scopes are highly rated, with Swaro apparently being the dominant type of scope used for digiscoping. The Pentax was rated only a little lower in terms of optical quality, but at a price that was substantially less. Plus the Pentax takes 1.25" eyepieces, which meant it would function with the ScopeTronix MaxView 40 eyepiece. So we decided to give the Pentax a try.

Our Pentax gear, pictured below, includes the following:

• Pentax PF-80EDA spotting scope
  • Accepts 1.25" eyepieces, standard and Pentax XL series
  • Weight is about 4.7lbs (with zoom eyepiece)
  • Objective lens of 80mm
  • Focal length is unspecified, but somewhere between 480mm and 525mm
  • 45 degree angle viewing
  • Closest focus is 19 feet
  • Built-in lens hood
  • Click-stop rotation ring for different viewing angles
  • Waterproof, with eyepiece O-ring seal
• Pentax zoom eyepiece
  • Zoom range 8mm (63X) - 24mm (21X)
  • Up to 22mm eye relief

When this set of equipment is used for digiscoping with the Nikon CoolPix 5700, results are generally good and occasionally excellent. The variance in quality is attributed to a combination of varying conditions in the environment, plus the operator still figuring things out. See the Digiscoping Experiments (Round 2) and Digiscoping Conclusions pages for details.

Resources where you can find out more:

• www.pentax.com for the Pentax web site

The scope and eyepiece are shown in a few pictures below.

	Front view of Pentax PF-80EDA scope.
	Rear view of Pentax PF-80EDA scope.
	Bottom view of Pentax PF-80EDA scope, showing Manfrotto sliding and quick release plates mounted.
	Rear view of Pentax PF-80EDA scope showing Pentax zoom eyepiece mounted.
	Rear view of Pentax PF-80EDA scope showing ScopeTronix MaxView 40 eyepiece mounted.
	Front view of Pentax zoom eyepiece.
	Rear view of Pentax zoom eyepiece.

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