Buying Binoculars in brief
Binoculars are a birder’s most important tool. There are a lot of specifics about binoculars that you might want to research before buying. (attached) But a short-cut is to google “binoculars for birding” and read several reviews and summaries. e sure to research specifically birding binoculars!
There are kinds of optics on the market that are fine for watching an opera or a Broadway play, or for bringing with you to a football game.
Others are small and lightweight, great for, say, long-distance hikers – but they’re frustrating for bird watching because it’s hard to find birds quickly through such a limited field of view.
Other binoculars are designed for hunters, so they can see deer from a great distance. Others are for people on ocean-going boats who want to focus on objects that are miles and miles and miles away – but using these binoculars for birdwatching can give the user a bad case of what feels very much like sea-sickness.
Most birders choose magnification of 7x or 8 or 8.5. Any more makes it impossible to focus on small birds and often make people queasy because they’re so hard to hold steady.It’s always a good idea to try binoculars before buying. Unfortunately, there’s no local store that has lots of birding binoculars to try and compare. If this pandemic ever eases, maybe you can go on a few bird walks with other people and ask to take a look through their binoculars.
Bernie loves his Nikon Monarchs, which are popular with many birders. They usually sell for under $300. Nikon also makes several “entry-level” models, in the $120 dollar range, that get good reviews and have the same excellent lifetime warranty.
Buying Binoculars in more detail
Buying Binoculars? - Some Things to Consider. Binoculars come in an incredibly wide range of prices, from a few that are just a little over a hundred dollars up to many that are over $2000. In general, you get what you pay for – but this isn’t always the case. Every now and then a relatively inexpensive set of binoculars comes along that amazes everyone.
The most important thing is to try binoculars before buying. Unfortunately, there’s no local store that has lots of binoculars to try and compare, so your best bet is to go on bird walks with other people and ask to try out their binoculars.
Weight
Standard-sized binoculars are much better for birding than compacts. The extra weight is worth it because you’ll be getting greater quality and clarity. However, you’ll make excuses not to carry binoculars that are too heavy. Again, try before you buy!Binocular harnesses take a lot of pressure off your neck, distributing weight evenly across your shoulders and chest.
Interpupil Distance
If you can’t adjust the binoculars properly to the distance between your pupils, you won’t be able to use them as binoculars.
Magnification Power
“8x35” binoculars provide an image that’s magnified 8 times (as compared to seeing it with your naked eyes). More power is NOT better for birding binoculars. Don't get talked into buying 10 or 12 power glasses. They're incredibly hard to hold steady and you can't focus on anything close. People who watch songbirds usually have binoculars in the 7x to 8.5x range.
Optical Performance
Best way to test this: Set up an eye chart a good distance away and see what’s the smallest line you can read.
Ease of Focusing
• How much do you have to turn the focusing mechanism to go from watching a warbler in a bush right in front of you to checking out an osprey overhead?
• How smooth does focusing feel? Low-quality binoculars feel as if there’s grit in the mechanism.)Minimum Focusing
Distance Some binoculars focus down to 5 feet; others are blurry at any distance under 25 feet! Many birders also enjoy watching butterflies and dragonflies. They need binoculars that allow them to focus on distant birds as well as beautiful flying creatures that are just a few feet away.
Brightness
Divide the size of the objective lens (the 35 in 7x35) by the binocular’s power (the 7). In general, the larger the answer, the brighter will be the image you see through your binoculars. (However, inexpensive 7x35s with poor optics and poor lens coating may lose so much light that they’ll be “darker” than a pair of 10x40s with good optics.)
Sturdiness
Some binoculars can survive many hard bumps without losing any of their optical quality. Others get knocked out of alignment the first time they roll off the car seat onto the carpeted floor. Tell the salesperson where you’ll be using your binoculars and how hard you usually are on your equipment. (Many birders buy through Eagle Optics. The staff there is excellent at answering questions and making suggestions based on what you tell them about your own personal needs and preferences.)
Water Resistance
If you’re going to do a lot of birding in fog, early morning, or from a boat, make sure your binoculars’ water seal has a good reputation.
Maintenance/Life Span
Good binoculars will last for many years, but they might occasionally need to be cleaned or (after a few hard knocks) “re-columnated”. Most reputable binocular makers have good warranties. (Birders tell stories about getting their favorite “bins” replaced for free after they’ve left a pair on a car roof or dropped them in a swamp.) I’ve had very good service through Land, Sea and Sky, a Houston company that’s been repairing sports optics for decades. They have contracts to do repair work for several binocular makers. Last fall, after three incredibly soggy days at Plum Island, my “waterproof” binoculars ended up full of condensation. Land, Sea and Sky took them apart, dried and cleaned them, returned them to me within a week, and charged me only postage.
Eyeglass compatibility
All good binoculars have eye cups that can be adjusted for use with or without eyeglasses. However, eye cups differ greatly. Some twist up, some are pushed or pulled, some have to be folded down. Many birders have strong opinions about what system works best. If you wear eyeglasses, talk with other eyeglass wearers before buying.
Some Suggestions
Google "binocular reviews" and you’ll find several helpful sites. It’s best to read more than one site to get a balanced picture.
• Check out BirdWatching magazine’s advice and reviews at http://www.birdwatching.com/optics.html
• Audubon has lots of useful information at http://www.audubon.org/gear/binocular-guide
• You can also check this British site: http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/ This site’s article about the biggest mistakes you can make in buying binoculars is excellent.
Note: New models come out very quickly and old ones get retired, so you might not always find the specific binoculars that were recommended by a friend.
YOU PROBABLY DON’T HAVE TO PAY THE LIST PRICE!!
Once you feel you can make a well-educated choice, look for the best (and most reliable) sites/prices. The Eagle Optics website often has excellent deals – and the staff there is always helpful.
Maeve Kim 2012 – revised 2017
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