PentaxPapilio II 6.5x21 Binoculars (Gray) suitable for watching objects both close-up and far away

Excellent! These are light weight binoculars with amazing clarity and they are particularly good for observing insects from 5-6 feet away. It is like having a great magnifying lens without crawling on the ground to use it.I highly recommend this product to all devoted eco-piddlers.

All should have one.

Excellent birding binoculars. Fine close focus. Lightweight.

Got these as an early birthday gift for my wife, who would be traveling with friends to a tennis tournament. The lower magnification was better for the nosebleed seats they'd gotten. (Though honestly, 4X might've been better still.) Very sharp optics, close focusing nice for watching hummingbirds and finches in the backyard, the small size makes them very easy to take along, and they were quite affordable. Just a well executed, nicely thought out package in every way.

These are butterfly binoculars, but the optics are so good that I also use them for birding. They focus close up for watching butterflies and other insects. When people ask about them, I suggest that they look at their feet. And usually get a surprised response -their feet look enormous. I have recommended them to so many people, and hopefully they have as much pleasure using them as I do. They are easy to use, which is why I let other people try them, as I can get them back to my setting easily and quickly. They are very durable, I am writing this after using them continually for years ?10years.

These are very nice little compacts. They're not as difficult to use as others I've tried. The problem I have with compacts is the eyepiece (ocular) lenses are always small with a very narrow beam of light and these eyepieces have to be placed and held directly over the center of the eye. Higher power compacts such as the 8x21 and 10x21 models are virtually impossible for me to use since that beam of light is even narrower. The 6.5x Papilios are a bit brighter and easier on my eyes. To anyone who hesitates due to the lower magnification, don't sweat it. A 6.5 magnification is pretty decent and it's easier to hold steady, especially compared to 10 power models. I doubt you'll see much difference between a 6.5x and a 7x.Their claim-to-fame is that the Papilios focus very close, necessary for butterfly and insect watching, but handy also for birding. Take it from someone who has done birding with the venerable old Leitz Trinovid 10x40 models in the past. Those binoculars had a "close" focus of about 25 feet and that can be a handicap when birding in deep woodlands. The old Trinovids were superb for open country but too claustrophobic in tight spaces.To my eyes, the optical quality of the Papilios is just fine. They're sharp with good contrast and a pleasing color rendition. These binoculars are lightweight, perhaps a bit too lightly built. They appear to be all plastic construction with a rubbery gripping surface that allows good handling. They are small binoculars so that means there's not that many places to put your fingers. Those with large hands might find them difficult to manipulate until they adjust to this small size. I was a little surprised at how loose they are. The focus knob and the body hinge are quite loose and a little bit too easy to adjust, in my opinion. I'd like these controls to be stiffer so you don't inadvertently change the settings. Eye relief is just enough for me as an eyeglasses wearer but there's no eye relief to spare.Overall, nice binoculars but I wouldn't want them to be my only binos. They're not good for low light and they probably won't handle the banging around most binoculars get during normal use. For those uses you really should have standard size binoculars in your choice of magnification, either porro prism or roof prism. The Papilios are good for travel, to keep in your vehicle or to back up the main binocular. As a compact, I really like them.

I'm interested in the local lizards and frogs all along the Myrtle Beach area, but in particular, I enjoy all the critters in my yard. It's cool how close I can get without disturbing them and how code you can zoom in. I wish the angle was a little wider, but for my purposes, these are still great. PS: It really does help to shut the right eye and focus the lens and then close the left eye and adjust the diopter? thing. It's a dial adjustment close to the body of the binoculars on the right side. Then fine tune lens with both eyes open. It will only take a couple seconds once you're used to it, but makes an amazing difference in sharpness. (Swype typing - sorry for any errors.) Oh! It would be nice to have a cap for the specialty lens at the end, but that's just a suggestion. No stars off! I love this thing.

Great binoculars that do what is described.