Pentax SP 8x40 specs and field of view
A field of 429 ft (at 1,000 yd) puts the SP 8x40 in first place of 6 models in its size, level with the size median of 429 ft. The porro prism body weighs 27.2 oz.
- Field of view
- 429 ftat 1,000 yd
- Eye relief
- 13 mm
- Close focus
- 20 ft
- Weight
- 27.2 oz
- Exit pupil
- 5 mmcalculated
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Who the SP 8x40 suits
The exit pupil works out to 5 mm, which suits dusk and dawn. The wide view helps when you scan a hillside or follow moving birds.
Eye relief is 13 mm against a size median of 15.1 mm, and close focus is 20 ft against 17.7 ft, so eyeglass wearers and close subjects fare worse here.
SP 8x40 aside, the most popular models of all sizes are in our best binoculars comparison. SP 8x40 is one of 6 models in the 8x40 binoculars comparison.
SP 8x40 specifications
SP 8x40 figures as Pentax prints them; rows marked * are calculated from the 8x40 size.
| Magnification | 8x |
|---|---|
| Objective lens | 40 mm |
| Prism type | Porro |
| Field of view | 429 ft at 1,000 yd (143 m at 1,000 m) |
| Angular field of view | 8.2° |
| Apparent field of view | 60° |
| Eye relief | 13 mm |
| Close focus | 20 ft (6 m) |
| Eye spacing range | 58 to 71 mm |
| Weight | 27.2 oz (770 g) |
| Length | 7.4 in (188 mm) |
| Width | 5.1 in (130 mm) |
| Focus system | Center focus |
| Exit pupil | 5 mm * |
| Twilight factor | 17.9 * |
| Relative brightness | 25 * |
* Calculated from the size, not printed by the maker.
SP 8x40 against other 8x40 binoculars
SP 8x40 shows 429 ft at 1,000 yd, at or above the 429 ft median of the 6 8x40 models in the chart. At 27.2 oz it is heavier than the 25.6 oz median for the size.
SP 8x40 and its nearest rivals
SP 8x40 next to the 8x40 models closest to it in maker list price, with the best figure in each column in bold.
| Model | Field of view | Eye relief | Close focus | Weight | Exit pupil | Maker list price | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentax SP 8x40 | 429 ft | 13 mm | 20 ft | 27.2 oz | 5 mm | Check price on Amazon | |
| Nikon Action EX 8x40 CF | 429 ft | 17.2 mm | 16.4 ft | 30.2 oz | 5 mm | ||
| ZEISS Victory SFL 8x40 | 420 ft | 18 mm | 4.9 ft | 22.6 oz | 5 mm | ||
| Pentax SP 8x40 WP | 330 ft | 20 mm | 11.5 ft | 31.7 oz | 5 mm |
Pentax binoculars
SP 8x40 questions
SP 8x40: does it work with glasses?
SP 8x40 has 13 mm of eye relief, well short of the 16 mm the RSPB advises for people who wear glasses.
SP 8x40: what does 8x40 mean?
SP 8x40 magnifies 8 times through 40 mm front lenses, which works out to an exit pupil of 5 mm, the width of the beam of light that reaches each eye.
SP 8x40: how wide is the view?
SP 8x40 shows a view 429 ft wide at 1,000 yd, at or above the 429 ft median of the 6 8x40 models in the chart.