Mar 09

Birding Binoculars – The Birdwatchers Best Friend

Birding Binoculars are the Birdwatchers Best Friend
By Daryl Plaza

You are going out bird watching one of your fun, extracurricular activities and you are armed with your birding binoculars and a sense of adventure. It’s a hobby that takes little equipment, but the right equipment makes the difference between a fun, relaxing hobby and an exercise in frustration. Birding binoculars make all the difference and allow you to not only get out in nature but to birdwatch up close and personal.

The correct birding binoculars should be carefully researched when looking to purchase.

A few things to consider when looking into birding optics would be:

-Lightweight and compact binoculars

-Durability and comfortable to use

-Focusing controls that make easy adjustments

-Handles different lighting conditions from low to bright light as well as regular conditions.

Whether you are considering standard binoculars or the compact style, obtaining the best birding binoculars is a wonderful investment that will stand you in good stead for years to come. Viewing pleasure is all about durability so that you don’t need to worry, a good feel because you’ll be holding them a while and making sure that they are a good fit for your personal preferences.

Stepping up to digital camera binoculars may also be an option if you want to not only observe but preserve memories of your experiences. Taking the same care in researching and reviewing digital camera binoculars through birding supply stores that have a good selection of birding optics makes for a wonderful experience with memories to last a lifetime.

Many birding and camera supply stores have a good selection of birding optics, but be knowledgeable and do your research before purchasing. Read the reviews and testimonials and look into several different manufacturers because each has their own styles and feel. The choice of the best binocular is personal and each person is different. Whether it’s a camera or birding binocular, you’ll want to test out various brands before making a final decision.

Some things to keep in mind when choosing bird watching binoculars include:

Objective lens diameter: This is the front of the birding binoculars where the light enters the optics. 30 to 50 mm is the norm for a good optic lens. Compact pocket binocular optics usually come in sizes below 30mm. The larger the optic lens, the heavier the binocular.

Magnification: The usual choice for most birdwatchers is 7, 8 or 10x magnification in overall use. You don’t want to have too much power because it will give you a smaller field of view, as well as less light entry and poor image quality. The binoculars will also be heavier and harder to manage and thwarting shaking will be more of a challenge.

Exit pupil: This is the diameter of light you can see in the eyepiece. 4mm exit pupil size is recommended.

Focus adjustment: The speed that you can refocus your image is very important. The best bird watching binoculars will allow you to refocus quickly from bird to bird.

Eye relief: Birdwatching with glasses can prove a real challenge unless you have eye relief that allows you to hold the binoculars away from your face and still get a full field of view image.

Prism Design: Another important aspect to consider:

Porro prism: In this case, the optical is Z-shaped and will give you a wider, more bulky and heavy set of binoculars that are not as well sealed as the O-rings are on the outside which allows in dirt and moisture. They are, however, less expensive although not as durable.

Roof prism: With a roof prism, you can look towards a more slim and lighter weight design. While these binoculars are more expensive, they are easier to waterproof or to make water resistant. Considered more durable than Porro optic binoculars, they can withstand a lot more abuse.

Lens coatings: Lens coatings let more light through which results in a high quality image with the best coating being a fully multicoated lens. A water repellent coating will also enhance your birding binoculars, which will help with light rain and fog conditions.

Lens coating abbreviations are listed below:

- Coated (C) means there is a one-layer coating on one lens surface.

- Fully coated (FC) is a one layer coating on all air to glass surfaces.

- Multicoated (MC) has several coated layers on at least one-lens surface.

- Fully multicoated (FMC) has several coated layers on all air to glass surfaces.

Birding binoculars is one of the essential pieces of equipment for successful bird watching because they will not only bring your images to life, but allow you to catch a load of sightings that would otherwise be restricted with the naked eye.

Avoid zoom binoculars, which will give low image quality and are a poor choice for bird watching. Also in that category of poor choices are binoculars that focus each eye separately because of the time factor in focusing on your subject. The bird will usually be gone by time you focus on it. These types of binoculars are usually good for boating.

Go for the more expensive binoculars, which will give you a higher quality image. You don’t have to go for the most expensive, however, as the best birding binoculars are usually in the mid-price range. If you shop with reputable manufacturers like Nikon or Bushnell. Do some research prior to purchase and read some reviews to get a feel for the best products, you will wind up with the best pair of birding binoculars for your needs and preferences.

Daryl Plaza is a regular contributor to BigSkyBinoculars.com an informational website on binoculars which is design to provide information to consumers of all aspects of the different Binocular styles and help them choose the best one for their specific needs.

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