Pentax ZD 8x43 ED
The ZD ED series consist of top-of-the-range, quite pricy binoculars produced by Pentax. They come with the following parameters: 8x43, 10x43 and 10x50. They all are Schmidt-Pechan constructions which roof prisms are phase correction coated and covered by silver reflective coatings. Apart from that they are equipped with low-dispersion glass in objective lenses and some aspherical elements as well. All air-to-glass surfaces are covered by multilayer antireflection coatings.
Pros:
Cons:
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Pictures
Manufacturer data
| Magnification | Lens diameter | Angular field of view | Prisms | Eye relief | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 43 | 110/1000(6.3o) | BaK-4/roof | 22 mm | 715 g | 3799 PLN |
Results of the review
| Real front lens diameter |
Left: 42.91+/-
0.05 mm Right: 42.9+/- 0.05 mm |
8 / 8.0 pkt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real magnification | 8.19+/- 0.1x | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Transmission | 87.9+/- 1% | 15/25.0 | ||||
| Chromatic aberration | Negligible in the centre, near medium on the edge. | 7.1/10.0 | ||||
| Astigmatism | Very low. | 8.6/10.0 | ||||
| Distortion | Distance between the first curved line and the field centre compared to the field of view radius: 54% +\- 5% | 6/10.0 | ||||
| Coma | Appears far from the centre because in a distance of about 75% of the radius and is a bit lower than medium on the edge. | 8.4/10.0 | ||||
| Blurring at the edge of the FOV | Blur occurs in a distance of 91% +\- 3% from the field of vision centre. | 8/10.0 | ||||
| Darkening at the edge the FOV | Almost imperceptible. | 4.6/5.0 | ||||
| Whiteness of the image | Very nice, flat transmission graph. Compared to the predecessor the coatings are definitely better. Practically white images, without any hues. | 4.6/5.0 | ||||
| Collimation | Perfect. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Internal reflections |
|
4/5.0 | ||||
| Housing | Small and shapely for a 43 mm class instrument. Good quality rubber armour but it sticks out significantly near objectives. Rubberized twist-up eyecups with 4 stops. Produced in Japan. | 7/8.0 | ||||
| Focusing | Significantly big, ribbed and comfortable central wheel with a full turn range of 560 degrees. It is properly damped. Comfortable diopter adjustment ring on the right eyepiece which shifts but it moves the outer element. | 4.5/5.0 | ||||
| Tripod | There is a comfortable exit. | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Interpupilary distance | from 58.4 to 74.2mm | 5/6.0 | ||||
| Closest focusing distance | 1.65 metres. | 2/2.0 | ||||
| Eyepieces FOV | Apparent field of view of 51.7 deg (according to simple formula) and 48.6 deg (according to tangent formula). | 4/20.0 | ||||
| Field of view | Measured by us amounted to 6.31 +\- 0.04 degrees and it was in perfect agreement with the specifications. A narrow field for such class of equipment. | 5/8.0 | ||||
| Quality of the interior of the barrels | Black but slightly shiny tubes. Grey bottom. Clean. | 4/5.0 | ||||
| Vignetting |
|
4.5/8.0 | ||||
| Prisms quality | Good quality BaK-4. | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Antireflection coatings | Yellow-green-orange on objectives, greenish on prisms, green-purple on eyepieces. Low intensity. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Warranty [years] | 30 | 5/6.0 | ||||
| Final result | 73.3% | 139.3 / 190 pkt | ||||
| Econo result | 0pkt. |
Summary
Pros:
- good transmission,
- excellent whiteness rendering,
- proper correction of chromatic aberration,
- negligible astigmatism,
- moderate coma,
- sharp image in the majority of the field of view,
- slight brightness loss on the edge of the field,
- relatively small, shapely and solid casing for a 43 mm objective lens,
- clear images already from 1.65 metres,
- exit pupils against a nice, dark background,
- good quality prisms and coatings,
- proper darkening of the interior and cleanliness inside tubes,
- long warranty period.
Cons:
- not impressing field of view,
distinctly truncated exit pupils.
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Compared to the previous DCF ED series we didn’t notice any serious changes apart from the coatings; the transmission graph, shown below, is the proof that it can make a difference.
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We didn’t have any objections to voicing a very positive opinion about the predecessor of this one; small wonder our opinion about its better successor is even higher. If you are not put off by a limited field of view of this one, the Pentax ZD 8x43 will definitely be an excellent choice.
