Discover What to Look For in Birding Watching Binoculars  

Quality and Price - let’s get the price issue over and done with first. What you should realistically pay for bird watching binoculars is a question that is under constant debate.

If you go for economy birding binoculars you obviously loose on quality, they can be less comfortable, they aren’t generally designed for hours of use at a time and they can take some of the enjoyment out of bird watching.

If your budget allows it is generally advisable to be kind to your eyes and pay a little more for your binoculars. Better quality optics and better designed bird watching binoculars can make all the difference when you are bird watching even when it’s just for a short period of time.

At a rough estimate as an occasional user expect to pay around £50 - £75, if you want something that is more durable and perhaps waterproof you are looking at around £75 - £120 and if you are looking at bird watching on a regular basis then you’ll probably want to look at binoculars in the £150+ range.

Understanding the Numbers - so what is meant by 8 x 32, 10 x 42, 10 x 50 and all the other wonderful combinations that you see when looking for binoculars?

The first number (e.g. the 8 in 8 x 32) is the magnification and the second number (32) is the objective size.

Magnification  -  a lot of inexperienced buyers tend to assume that the higher the magnification the better the bird watching binocular. It is true that higher magnification offers a slightly greater level of detail but it also requires a steady hand and for anything over 10 then you generally need a tripod to use the binocular effectively.

(If you want high magnification without the need for a tripod check out Canon image stabilizing 15x50 IS All Weather Binoculars)

If you are a beginner then a lower level of magnification will generally give you a better field of view making it easier for you to spot birds.

Most bird watchers tend to go for a binocular with the magnification of ‘8’ which offers a good compromise between magnification and field view.

Objective Size - if you are looking for a birding binocular that offers good image quality and brightness then you want to look at binoculars with a higher objective size (40mm +).

Need compact / lightweight? Then going for an objective size of ‘32’ is a good compromise between size / weight and performance.

Field of View - the field of view is the how much you see when you are looking through your binoculars so a wide field of view allows you to see a wider area and makes it easier when you are trying to spot a bird.

A greater field of view is important but not at the expense of image quality, so don’t be tempted with cheap models that boast a wide field of view when they lack more essential features.

Eye Relief  - if you wear glasses then it’s important to buy a birding binocular with eye relief of at least 15mm if you want to enjoy the complete field of view.

Lens Coating - if you’ve already had a look at some binoculars you will have seen reference to coated, fully coated, multi- coated and fully multi-coated lenses.

For increased light and better image brightness you want coated lenses and many standard models now come with multi-coated lenses so don’t settle for less.

The best binoculars have fully multi-coated lenses.

Focus - focus Type - when you are bird watching you need to be able to focus on birds that are close to you and birds that are a long distance away so you want to select a binocular with a centre focus system. Bird watching binoculars with a centre focus system have the greatest ability to cope with all ranges (near focus, medium distance and long range).

Focus Speed – birds rarely oblige by sitting in one place for long periods so with bird watching binoculars there is a constant need to refocus as the birds move from one place to another. Binoculars that are slow to focus / refocus can negatively impact on your bird watching experience so always select a binocular that is quick to focus.

Waterproof / Fog Proof - waterproof / fog proof binoculars are only critical if you want to go bird watching in wet, foggy conditions. An extra upside of this feature is that your binoculars will have extra protection against dust and dirt getting inside.

Canon Binoculars / Nikon Binoculars / Celestron Binoculars / Pentax Binoculars / Olympus Binoculars / Bushnell Binoculars / Swarovski Binoculars / Steiner Binoculars

Waterproof Binoculars /  Marine Binoculars /Bird Watching Binoculars /  Astronomy Binoculars / Digital Binoculars / IS Binoculars / Compact Binoculars / Zoom Binoculars