Birding & Nature Watching Binoculars Buyers Guide

If you are looking for Birding Binoculars that are specifically designed for Bird and Nature Watching but are a bit confused on what to get, don't worry! Our helpful Birding Binoculars Buyer Guide will run you through everything you need to know to select the best binoculars for your needs. The following guide explains the Numbers, Definitions, Features and Terminology only found in quality Binoculars for Bird & Nature Watching. We will run you through what to look for when picking the best birding binoculars for your exact needs.

talks about what to look for when picking out a pair of binoculars and some of the features that top-notch bird watching binoculars have. We’ve also included our Top 3 Bird Watching Binoculars for 2020. (Note that these selected models are also suitable for wildlife and nature viewing, travel or general use).

 So What Do All The Numbers Mean?

All Quality Binoculars are defined by two numbers. The first number relates to the magnification or zoom of the binocular. The following number relates to the size of the lens. Lets take a look at 8x32 Binoculars for example. In this case the 8 means the object will be magnified 8 times. The 32 refers to the lens size and how much light is let in. 

What Is The Best Size For Birding & Nature Watching?

When people first think about getting Binoculars the first they think of is getting one with the biggest zoom possible. This is understandable as the whole point of having Binoculars is to see objects up close. But there is much more to finding the right Binocular for your needs than just Magnification.

Why Does Size Matter?

In choosing binoculars for birding or nature watching, size is a very important factor to consider and going bigger is generally not the way to go. If you have larger magnification you will sacrifice the qualities of what you need for this hobby. Some of the things that make a larger magnification less ideal for this hobby are: 

• Smaller/ Narrower FOV or Field Of View. This means that you get less of the background around your object.
• Higher magnifications are more sensitive to movement and vibration. So if your hands shake or move it becomes harder to steady your view. When going 12x or bigger, you will generally need to use a stand or tripod in order to get a steady image.
• Images can often be less vibrant and bright and when birding you want your object in as much definition as possible.
• Cheaper High Magnification Binoculars tend to be blurrier and harder to focus.

 What Is Field Of View?

FOV or Field Of View as briefly mentioned above, is the width of what you can see when looking through your Binoculars. Having a wide FOV for birding is generally preferred by most users.

Let's say you want to look at bird sitting on branch. Having a wider FOV makes it much easier to quickly find you target when first looking through your Binoculars. If the bird is flyin having a Wider FOV is also advantages as it is much easier to find and follow your target while it is on the move. This because you have a wider viewing area, so you'll see your target easier than being zoomed in on a smaller, more concentrated area.

So Binoculars with a lower magnification will have a wider FOV, are easier to find and follow your target, and easier to keep your target in focus.

Narrower FOV will make your target larger and closer as it is more magnified, but it makes it harder to find and follow your target as well as stabilise your Binoculars without the need of a stand or tripod. 

Blurring and distortion can occur around the border of your view range when the FOV is too wide, especially in lower quality generic brands.

See below for examples of Wide and Narrow FOV

 

What FOV and Magnification are Recommended?

The most common setup for birding are 8x32 Binoculars, 8x42 Binoculars, 10x42 Binoculars & 10x52 Binoculars.

The width of whatever you can see whenever you look through the binoculars is called the field of view, or FOV. As stated before, a wide FOV is essential and preferred by a majority of bird watchers and available with most binoculars made for bird watchers. Basically, binoculars with a lower magnification will have a wider field of view and vice versa. If the FOV is too wide, this will somewhat distort the borders of the images. This is usually the case when you buy cheaper binoculars.

So, it is recommended that you get a pair of binoculars that have a good amount of magnification. When you are trying to decide which pair of binoculars to get and magnification is not an issue, always go with the ones that have a wider FOV.

Wider field of view: If a bird is in a tree, it would be easier to put your binoculars to your eyes and quickly see it. With a wider field of view, it won’t be as hard to focus. Basically, you won’t have to spend wasted time searching for the bird. Obviously, many subjects are not going to remain still and wait to be observed. Using a slightly lower magnification means that you will have a much wider field of view. This is why bird watchers opt for magnification in the range of 8x to 10x.

The image will have better stabilisation: When it comes to handheld binoculars, having powerful magnification is not always a benefit. A 12x or 16x magnified image will shake significantly more than a 10x magnified image.

Eye Relief: The relief is the amount of distance between your eye and the eyepiece when you can still see your subject. You will find more 8x or 10x binoculars that have a good amount of relief and can be used with glasses. The binoculars will be easier to use if you wear eyeglasses. Your eyes will not need to be as close to the eyepiece.

All in all, 8x binoculars can be used with most kinds of terrains and many different environments. This applies to both heavily wooded areas as well as wide-open spaces. When using a pair of binoculars with a lower magnification, your images will come out brighter. You will have a wider field of view, which means that you can follow around birds that like to move fast and the ones that are off in the distance.

When you are using a slightly higher magnification, such as with 10x binoculars, you will be able to take in more details. This is very practical when you want to look at different types of wildlife. Slower moving birds will usually be in an open environment, which will not be hard to see even when your binoculars have a narrower field of view.

If you are using binoculars that have extremely high magnification such as 16x or more, you will need a tripod to help you gain a steady image. Also, do not buy the inexpensive binoculars that have a high magnification – they are significantly inferior in image quality, clarity and durability. Cheap, high magnification binoculars often produce distorted images.

For most people and their particular outings, the 8×42 or 10×42 binoculars are the best ones for bird watching as well as for general use.

The Field of View / Angle of View

The width of whatever you can see whenever you look through the binoculars is called the field of view, or FOV. As stated before, a wide FOV is essential and preferred by a majority of bird watchers and available with most binoculars made for bird watchers. Basically, binoculars with a lower magnification will have a wider field of view and vice versa. If the FOV is too wide, this will somewhat distort the borders of the images. This is usually the case when you buy cheaper binoculars.

So, it is recommended that you get a pair of binoculars that have a good amount of magnification. When you are trying to decide which pair of binoculars to get and magnification is not an issue, always go with the ones that have a wider FOV.

Size and Weight of Bird Watching Binoculars

When it comes to binoculars, you must also pay attention to the size and weight. As can be expected, this might play an essential part in many different instances. But, this will basically depend on what you like to do as a bird watcher. The lens size (also referred to as the objective lens size) is actually much more important than the weight and size of the binoculars.

Small Binoculars

A lot of small binoculars have lenses that are in the range of 20mm to 28mm. Obviously, it will be easier to carry around a lighter pair of binoculars than heavier ones. Also, being compact binoculars, you might take them along more often and come across more bird watching opportunities. Small binoculars are also wonderful for those times when you are travelling because they are portable and can easily be chucked into a bag or a suitcase at a moment’s notice.

However, one of the bad things about smaller binoculars is that they have smaller lenses and are not able to get as much light in as the bigger ones. This means that the images will not be as beautiful and bright as the ones that you can obtain with large lens binoculars. Unfortunately, this situation is even worse in low light conditions.

Standard Size Binoculars

Most standard sized binoculars have lenses that are 40mm or 42mm. These are the most popular choice by bird watchers. Some people still use full sized 50mm binoculars; they are willing to overlook the fact that their chosen binoculars are heavy if those binoculars provide benefits such as a brighter image or a wider view.

Eye Relief and Using Binoculars with Eyeglasses

If you are a regular eyeglass wearer and need to wear them when out bird watching, then the eye relief is going to be a very important feature to you. Simply put, it is the distance your eyes can be apart from the eyepiece and still allow you to see a focused image. For anyone who wears eyeglasses, the most suitable pair of binoculars would be those that have a longer eye relief.

So, if you are an eyeglass wearer, always try to get an eye relief that is a minimum of 15mm to see the entire image. On the flip side, understand that a longer eye relief is going to reduce your field of view.

A lot of people want to know if wearing your glasses is a necessity when using binoculars. If you use your glasses for near-to-far or far-to-near vision impairment (near sighted or far sighted), then it is possible to use binoculars without having to wear your glasses. The binoculars will already enhance and magnify the image, eliminating the need for glasses.

However, if you have astigmatism, then you must wear your glasses. The binoculars will not adjust your vision. The bird watching binoculars recommended at the end of this guide are suitable for use either with or without eyeglasses. They all have a long enough eye relief as well as twist down eyecups. These allow you to adjust the binoculars for use with glasses on.

Fog and Waterproofing

A decent pair of binoculars will be okay to use in light rain and humidity. However, you really should think about getting a good pair of waterproofed binoculars, even if you are not the type who likes to look at your subjects while out in the rain. Make sure that your binocular choice is not only waterproofed but also fog proof. If the binoculars have been sealed with O-rings, then they will be moisture proof.

Not only will this seal stop moisture from getting inside, but it will also deter dust and other debris from getting onto the lens and messing up your vision. Also, try to get binoculars that are either Nitrogen or Argon purged. This simply means that the inside air has been substituted with dry gas and will not fog up on the inside. Proper waterproofing will protect your binoculars from corrosion.

Anti-Reflective Lens Protection

A majority of binoculars are available with an anti-reflective lens coating. This helps to transmit light. Anti-reflective coatings can help enhance the amount of brightness that an image has. For instance, binoculars that have small lenses but good anti-reflection coatings can sometimes have a nicer image than large lens binoculars that don’t have as many coatings.

So, watch out for low-quality optics by listening to what the vendor says about its product. The definition of “coated” might mean one layer of anti-reflection protection per some vendors. This is usually just the top and bottom elements or the things that can be seen. The definition of “fully coated” is that all of the air on the glass surface has an anti-reflection coating. This is a good thing. The definition of “multi coated” is that some of the surfaces, normally the bottom and top one have a lot of layers of the coating.

A multilayer coating does a good job of reducing reflected light that cannot be eliminated with just one coating. It also transmits more light. Quite naturally, more than one layer will provide more protection than one. The definition of “fully multicoated” is that the air to the glass surfaces has more than one anti-reflection coating, which is very beneficial when it comes to binoculars.