The first photoelectron band of difluorocarbene CF(2), has been studied by threshold photoelectron (TPE) spectroscopy. CF(2) was prepared by microwave discharge of a flowing mixture of hexafluoropropene, C(3)F(6), and argon. A vibrationally resolved band was observed in which at least twenty-two components were observed. In the first PE band of CF(2), the adiabatic ionization energy differs significantly from the vertical ionization energy because, for the ionization CF(2) (+) (X(2)A(1))+e(-) <-- CF(2) (X(1)A(1)), there is an increase in the FCF bond angle (by approximately 20 degrees ) and a decrease in the C--F bond length (by approximately 0.7 A). The adiabatic component was not observed in the experimental TPE spectrum. However, on comparing this spectrum with an ab initio/Franck-Condon simulation of this band, using results from high-level ab initio calculations, the structure associated with the vibrational components could be assigned. This led to alignment of the experimental TPE spectrum and the computed Franck-Condon envelope, and a determination of the first adiabatic ionization energy of CF(2) as (11.362+/-0.005) eV. From the assignment of the vibrational structure, values were obtained for the harmonic and fundamental frequencies of the symmetric stretching mode (nu(1)') and symmetric bending mode (nu(2)') in CF(2) (+) (X(2)A(1)).