Pentax PF-65ED
Pentax traces its origins to 1919 when the Asahi Optical Joint Stock Co. was established in Tokyo, Japan. After World War II, the company began making complete optical instruments under the Pentax moniker. Since then, Pentax has made many notable advances in camera design including its seven-layer super multi-coating (SMC), which was developed in 1971. Pentax’s SMC was not the first multi-coating system for camera lenses but, with a 0.998 coefficient of refraction, it was, at the time, the best. Today, in addition to cameras and other sports optics, Pentax offers an array of high- performance, affordable spotting scopes in a variety of sizes ranging from the full-size 80ED and 100ED models, to the compact PF-65ED reviewed here.
The scope has a large 65 mm objective lens for bright viewing under low-light conditions. Like its full-size 80 and 100 mm stable mates, the PF-65ED is treated with Pentax’s ED, or Extra Low Dispersion process, which incorporates lithium crown rare earth elements for optimum image resolution. Additionally, lenses and non-synthetic interior surfaces receive SMC full surface multi-layer lens coating for improved light transmission, clarity and contrast. The PF-65ED is waterproof, fogproof, nitrogen-purged and rated JIS class 6, or water tight, according to the Japanese Industrial Standard.