By Frank Gallo
Points to consider when selecting binoculars
Ergonomics – how it feels in your hand, and weight – do you want to hold it all day. Check if the focus is smooth, especially in low temperatures (high-end optics focus smoothly in the cold). Does it have a wide field of view, high eye relief (a wide ocular lens – especially important if you wear glasses), good depth of field, edge to edge sharpness (prevents eye fatigue), and close focus of less than 8.5 ft. If you’re into butterflies, close focus to less than 6.5 feet can be helpful.
Eyeglass wearers keep eyecups down. Eyecups act as spacers between your eye and the ocular lens of the binoculars. If you wear glasses, then your glasses function as the spacer.
When it’s time to buy binoculars, I recommend 8 x 40 or 8 x 42. They offer a wide field of view, good depth of field, and decent magnification. Binoculars with 10x or higher magnification are harder to hold steady, have a narrower depth of field and field of view, and let in less light making it difficult to see detail in lowlight. However, if you are mainly viewing distant birds such as hawks, 10 x or even 12 x binoculars can be useful.
Compact binoculars, especially ones with 10x or higher magnification, or with a smaller than 30 mm objective lens should be avoided. There are 8×30/32 high-end binoculars such as from Swarovski or Zeiss with superior optical coatings that are quite nice.
While using binoculars, keep your eyes on the bird, and lift the binoculars to your eyes. Do not look at the binoculars before lifting them to your eyes and expect to see the bird.
Binoculars Under $750
Binoculars in the $150 to $750 range do surprisingly well optically and are often made in China or Japan. They are generally not as durable nor perform as well under suboptimal conditions, such as low or harsh lighting or in extreme cold but perform well for the price.
Vortex is a popular midrange brand that offers an unconditional lifetime guarantee.
1. Vortex Optics Crossfire HD 8×42 Binoculars at Amazon $149
2. Vortex Optics Diamondback HD 8×42 – $250ish
3. Vortex Optics Viper HD Roof Prism Binoculars (Highest Image Quality) – $400-$475 range
Although a bit heavy with a stiffer focus, these are one of the best midrange binoculars.
4. Celestron Trailseeker ED 8×42 Binoculars – Cornell’s overall pick under $650 (some edge distortion) 7 ft close focus. $380
5. Kowa BD II XD 8×42 Binoculars tied with Nikon M7 for #2 in Cornell’s review: $450 (upper end) very close focus under 5.5 ft, are sharp, bright, and well made.
6. Nikon Monarch M7 8×42 Binoculars: tied with Kowa – good edge to edge sharpness. $489. They are a little heavy. Close focus is about 7 ft. Optically, they rival Vortex Vipers.
7. Zeiss Terra ED 10 x 42 Binoculars. $450 get good reviews and are a trusted brand.
8. Athlon Midas & Midas G2 UHD 8×42: The G2 was rated third on Cornell’s optics review. $299. Sharp edge to edge with 6.6ft. close focus. I like the standard Midas at $250. It’s sharp and has good close focus for less. Good choices with a guarantee.
9. Nikon Monarch M5. The 8ft close focus is on the long end, but acceptable, and it gets good reviews for the $250 price.
High-End Binoculars $1500-$3500
If you’re serious about birding and think this will be a lifelong pursuit, then buy the highest quality binocular you can afford and skip buying several pairs of lower-end optics. You’ll likely save money in the long run, and high-end optics come with a lot of benefits. They’re more durable, are waterproof, have better optics, and cause less eye strain. Their warranties are for 5 or more years.
1. Swarovski NL Pures 8×42, 10×42, & 12×42 (12s need forehead rest). Swarovski’s flagship binoculars, the NLs are superbly balanced, sharp edge to edge, with an extremely wide field of view, and buttery smooth close focus. Although I generally recommend 8×42 binoculars, the 10x NLs have a field of view equal to their 8.5Els. $2950ish. The 8×32 is quite small and bright for a 32 ($2500). There are 10×52 and 12×52 in the series for $3450. 10-year warranty.
2. Swarovski EL’s 8.5×42. Excellent optically, these are bright, sharp, slightly lighter than the NLs, and well balanced. The 8×32 is small and light for those with smaller hands. $1995. Recent models have 13.5 close focus. Older models focus under 6.5. and are excellent for birding at this price point!
3. Zeiss Victory SF 8X42. SFs are Zeiss’s flagship binoculars. Although large, they are well balanced, have a buttery smooth focus wheel, close focus, and are comparable optically with NL Pures. $3000. 5-year warranty.
4. Zeiss Victory SFL 8×40. The SFL is a new line that is smaller than the SFs, lightweight, with close focus, and optically like the SFs. Great for those with smaller hands, and excellent optics at the lower end of the price range. $1500-$1800. This is probably the best deal at this price range.
5. Leica Noctivid 8 x 42. Their flagship model, the Noctivids are extremely bright, with a wide field of view, smooth close focus, and are great in low light. (Coma distortion was mentioned in bright light.) 30-year warranty. $3000
6. Vortex Razor UHD 8 x 42. Optically a good choice at the lower end of the price range. $1750, and with a lifetime warranty.
*Prices may vary.
Where to try and buy binoculars locally
Both the Audubon Shop in Madison and Fat Robin in Hamden have knowledgeable staff, offer a wide range of optics, and allow you to test binoculars in their stores. The Audubon shop also sells used equipment, making it possible to get higher end binoculars at a reduced cost. Of course, binoculars can also be purchased online, but if you use local expertise, I recommend purchasing from them. In the next month’s issue, I’ll discuss spotting scopes in more depth.
Frank Gallo is the Senior Naturalist at the New Canaan Nature Center, 144 Oenoke Ridge, and the author of Birding in Connecticut – a comprehensive site guide on where when and how to find birds in the State. Email: Fgallo@newcanaannature.org. For more on the New Canaan Nature Center, visit Newcanaannature.org.
