Every year, come June or even up to late July where I live in western central Mexico, the inevitable occurs- the rainy season begins. By the time that it does, most of the birds that I had been virtually viewing daily in the trails, fields, and hills of  Churintzio, have long disappeared, to once again inevitably return in the fall. Whether raining or not, particularly in the early part of the rainy season, the skies are also seemingly invariably overcast.  So, without favorable conditions to go on my birding/photography hikes and not wanting to spend the daylight hours in our home doing the “chores,” that my hyperkinetic and ultra cleanliness-oriented wife, Maria, would prefer me to assist with, as from my perspective that would be truly “unnatural,”  I habitually head to those same trails and hills to view, overcast or not, literally becoming more abundant by the day, primarily insects along with some flora. To most optimally do so, the majority of those viewings are accomplished with the use of binoculars.

You see, not just any binoculars are capable of accomplishing that task. For example, the “birding binoculars” that I typically use with a configuration of 8x43 can only close focus up to 6’ away which is pretty standard for that size roof prism binoculars and which is more than sufficient for bird watching purposes. However, with some of the insects being as small as 1/16th of an inch, being that far away will not provide a suitable viewing image. No, to identify the insects and to see intimate details, you need optics that provide a much closer focus capability to fully appreciate the types of insects that you (as I do on my insect watching hikes) may come across like caterpillars, butterflies, dragonflies, wasps, moths, flies, grasshoppers, centipedes, bees, ants, bugs, and beetles-not to mention spiders. Sometimes, also, with the naked eye it's hard to determine what you are actually seeing is really an insect or just some plant debris or even a hole that was made by an insect, so a close focusing binocular is really helpful.

There are some compact binoculars that can close focus down to 3 feet. Yet, even that is not really good enough! No, there is only one make of binoculars that can provide a high quality stereoscopic image at less than 3 feet. That is the compact Pentax Papilio in either 6.5x21 or 8.5x21 configurations.

Marketed as the “butterfly binoculars” (Papilio meaning “butterfly” in French and even having a cutesy iridescent butterfly decal attached to it), these reverse porro prism binoculars are unmatched in their ability to deliver a focused binocular/stereoscopic view down to approximately 18 inches with superb image quality. Consequently, when using these binoculars I have been able when looking at a dragonfly from less than 2 feet to clearly see not only the amazingly intricate lacework on its wings but to see in sharp detail its alien looking like face that is composed of its fons and compound eye along with seeing its abdominal segments and (perhaps too much detail for some) its inferior and superior anal appendages. Also, with a very fast and smooth focusing ability, with these binoculars I have been easily able to first view a more or less stationary butterfly and then follow it as it hovers and then flies off. Or, also during the rainy season when I have seen up to 18 different kinds of wildflowers on the trails, these binoculars have allowed me to see not only the tiniest florets that make-up some of the flowers but also the insects (many times not clearly discernable to the naked eye) dwelling and feasting within them. With the assistance of these manmade optics, for me, observing and appreciating the intricacies of the myriad forms of life that cooperatively or otherwise cohabitate within nature exponentially-individually and collectively-magnifies, highlights, and reinforces the sense of joy, wonder, miracles, and magic of it all.

Relatively inexpensive, with retractable eye cups and an eye relief that most eyeglass wearers find appropriate to their needs, these binoculars weigh 10.2 ounces and are 4.5” long x 4.3” wide x about 2” deep. Thus, they conveniently can fit into a purse or even a large pocket. In fact, since I normally have a super zoom camera and my “birding binoculars” dangling from my neck, I typically have my Pentax Papilio 6.5x21 in my jacket pocket.

Although some people who own these binoculars say that they are suitable for bird watching, I am not of that opinion. Due to the small size of their objective lens, the large lens at the end of the binocular, their light gathering ability in low light conditions like overcast skies and during dawn and dusk is poor. Moreover, although I rarely if ever birdwatch or even insect watch while it is raining, these binoculars are neither waterproof nor fog proof which may pose a problem for some depending on under what weather/atmospheric conditions that they are exposed to.

However, if you do not want to go out in the field with a good quality hand held lens or with a field microscope (as I definitely prefer not to), these binoculars are the best thing for viewing insects, plants, and flowers in their natural environments. So much so, that if you are ever in my adopted state of Michoacan and are visiting one of the internationally famous monarch butterfly reserves that are located there, for the reasons stated above, you will really be kicking yourself if you did not bring along a pair of them. They are truly that view changing for that specialized purpose! Who knows, like me, you might even see your place (or at least those of insects) in the world somewhat differently after using them.


Disclaimer: The Pentax Papilio 6.5x21 binoculars mentioned in this article were purchased with my own funds and I received no compensation of any kind for the writing of this article.