When I first decided to invest in a pair of Nikon binoculars for bird watching or 'bins' as they are sometimes called, I had no idea about what I wanted or what to look for in a good pair of binoculars. I recently started going on outdoor walks in the countryside as part of a healthy lifestyle change, and decided to get a pair of binoculars so as to enjoy the outdoors a little more close up, you know the usual things, for spotting birds and checking out local wildlife.
I simply wanted a decent pair of robust, reliable binoculars that I would be able to use daily. I thought it would be an easy task to find the right pair, however it proved harder than I thought. It was very confusing trying to fathom out all the technical questions on what seems to be a simple thing to choose - which set of binoculars is best for me?
Questions such as - which magnification to choose? What affects the light or darkness of an image? How to get a better field of view? What makes the image sharper? What types of lenses are best? The list goes on...
Here is what I discovered; it may help you save time and money when deciding which pair of binoculars to buy. I narrowed down my search to finding the best binoculars for bird watching to one's that give a decent magnification, a sharp quality image, and the build quality had to be robust enough to handle daily use while at the same time be light enough to carry on long walks.
About Magnification
The magnification that seems to be most popular with bird watchers is the 8 x 42 or 10 x 42 models. The numbers are a little confusing for beginners, so to put it in simple terms 8 x 42 means that the image you are looking is eight times closer than that of viewing something with the naked eye, the 42 is the width of the viewing lense in millimetres, this also affects how much light is allowed into the binoculars, the lower the number the less light is allowed in and thus the darker the image. Pick a set with 35 to 45 mm, this will allow enough light to enter the binoculars to help give a clear, sharp image in low light conditions such as in the early morning or late evening. But an important point to note is the higher the magnification, the more you will suffer with image shake unless you have very steady hands or use a tripod. Using too high a magnification also reduces the width of view.
About Image Quality
The quality or sharpness of the image is very important; this is what usually separates a great set of bird watching binoculars from an average run of the mill pair. Image sharpness is governed by the quality of the lenses and the coatings that have been applied to them. The better the lenses, the sharper the image, but better lense quality is usually reflected in the price you pay. The difference between a cheap pair and a good quality pair will be worth the difference in price and will enhance your bird or wildlife watching enjoyment.
About Build Quality
You may, like me be out and about in all weather conditions and terrains, so you want a set of 'bins' which are tough enough to put up with all manner of 'lumps and bumps'. It happens from time to time that the binoculars may be bumped against trees or fence posts or even be dropped on rough ground. This can cause all sorts of problems with cheaper or poorly made models, from loss of alignment and double images, to allowing water penetration causing the lenses to mist up. As a minimum the binoculars you choose should be 100% water proof, fog proof and shock proof. Preferably with a rubber coated body for extra protection. You also have to consider the weight of the 'bins', holding up heavy binoculars for extended periods of time soon gets very tiring on the arms.
I chose the Nikon 7294 Monarch ATB 8x42 Binoculars, as they suited me. All in all, the final choice is down to you, but remember spending a little extra money on a good quality set of bird watching binoculars now rather than a cheap set will give you many years of bird or wildlife watching pleasure, and could save you from having to spend extra money in the future, when you realize the cheap pair are just not up to the job.
There are many online stores that sell binoculars that are ideal for bird and wildlife watching, but finding the right pair can take a long time. I found out that to get the best quality 'bins' at the best price I had to do a lot of research and took advice from people in the know. The easiest way to get the best quality and price on bird watching binoculars is to ask someone who has already done it!
I simply wanted a decent pair of robust, reliable binoculars that I would be able to use daily. I thought it would be an easy task to find the right pair, however it proved harder than I thought. It was very confusing trying to fathom out all the technical questions on what seems to be a simple thing to choose - which set of binoculars is best for me?
Questions such as - which magnification to choose? What affects the light or darkness of an image? How to get a better field of view? What makes the image sharper? What types of lenses are best? The list goes on...
Here is what I discovered; it may help you save time and money when deciding which pair of binoculars to buy. I narrowed down my search to finding the best binoculars for bird watching to one's that give a decent magnification, a sharp quality image, and the build quality had to be robust enough to handle daily use while at the same time be light enough to carry on long walks.
About Magnification
The magnification that seems to be most popular with bird watchers is the 8 x 42 or 10 x 42 models. The numbers are a little confusing for beginners, so to put it in simple terms 8 x 42 means that the image you are looking is eight times closer than that of viewing something with the naked eye, the 42 is the width of the viewing lense in millimetres, this also affects how much light is allowed into the binoculars, the lower the number the less light is allowed in and thus the darker the image. Pick a set with 35 to 45 mm, this will allow enough light to enter the binoculars to help give a clear, sharp image in low light conditions such as in the early morning or late evening. But an important point to note is the higher the magnification, the more you will suffer with image shake unless you have very steady hands or use a tripod. Using too high a magnification also reduces the width of view.
About Image Quality
The quality or sharpness of the image is very important; this is what usually separates a great set of bird watching binoculars from an average run of the mill pair. Image sharpness is governed by the quality of the lenses and the coatings that have been applied to them. The better the lenses, the sharper the image, but better lense quality is usually reflected in the price you pay. The difference between a cheap pair and a good quality pair will be worth the difference in price and will enhance your bird or wildlife watching enjoyment.
About Build Quality
You may, like me be out and about in all weather conditions and terrains, so you want a set of 'bins' which are tough enough to put up with all manner of 'lumps and bumps'. It happens from time to time that the binoculars may be bumped against trees or fence posts or even be dropped on rough ground. This can cause all sorts of problems with cheaper or poorly made models, from loss of alignment and double images, to allowing water penetration causing the lenses to mist up. As a minimum the binoculars you choose should be 100% water proof, fog proof and shock proof. Preferably with a rubber coated body for extra protection. You also have to consider the weight of the 'bins', holding up heavy binoculars for extended periods of time soon gets very tiring on the arms.
I chose the Nikon 7294 Monarch ATB 8x42 Binoculars, as they suited me. All in all, the final choice is down to you, but remember spending a little extra money on a good quality set of bird watching binoculars now rather than a cheap set will give you many years of bird or wildlife watching pleasure, and could save you from having to spend extra money in the future, when you realize the cheap pair are just not up to the job.
There are many online stores that sell binoculars that are ideal for bird and wildlife watching, but finding the right pair can take a long time. I found out that to get the best quality 'bins' at the best price I had to do a lot of research and took advice from people in the know. The easiest way to get the best quality and price on bird watching binoculars is to ask someone who has already done it!
