What Binoculars Are Best For Bird Watching?

how to choose bird watching binoculars

binoculars are fantastic for bird watching and getting closer to nature. but buying them can feel daunting, with a wide range of prices and confusing technical features.

• when buying binoculars, it's important to set a realistic budget. it's possible to find a good pair of binoculars from around £50, but prices can go into the thousands, so think carefully about how much you're willing to spend.
• what will you be using your binoculars for, and in what kind of conditions (time of day, any weather etc.)? tips in the performance section below should help.
• binoculars must be comfortable to hold and the focus wheel easy to reach and turn, otherwise you'll only use them once.
• check you can lookthrough them without straining your eyes - you want to enjoy using them!
• important as the optics are, you should always consider size, weight, and ease of use, too – great images are of no use to you if you find the binoculars difficult or uncomfortable to use.
• sometimes this can be down to very personal factors, such as how well the eyecups sit against your eye sockets, so take the chance to try before you buy, if you can.

budget and price bands

binoculars fall into three price bands:

£50 to £150

starter level

great introductory models - look for waterproof, fogproof qualities with rubber body armour. quality can vary.

£150 to £350

mid-level

amuch wider choicewhere you can find fully multi-coated optics for better brightness and image clarity. expect a decent warranty. lightweight models andhigh-quality compact binoculars with well-known brand names can be found for around £300.

£350and above

advanced

cost isn't the most important factor here. expect premium features such as ed glass, water repellent coatings and more. you can be more fussy about what suits you, for instance the shape of the eyecups or the position of the focus wheel.ideally test in the field tofind what you prefer.

• second-hand binocularscan be a good buy so long as you keep totrusted brands and are happy to risk lack of warranty.
• be sure to check all moving parts for wear, especially the focusing, and make sure there are no scratches on the lenses; look inside from the wrong end to check the prism for chips.
• don't let aftercare be an afterthought. look beyond the features advertised: check for reviews, warranties and what's included.

magnification for bird watching

• 8x or 10x magnification is the best compromise between power and practicality in birdwatching binoculars.
• any stronger andyou'd struggle to get a steady view without a tripod - not practical for wildlife watching!
• if you mostly birdwatch in open country and/or across large stretches of water, you may want the extra magnification of 10x.
• however, if you mostly birdwatch in woodland, at fairly close quarters, and/or like to be out when the light may be poorer (dawn and dusk for example), you would be best to opt for an 8x model.
• for beginners, 8x zoom is great. anything higher will be somewhat hard to handle and not shake while watching.
• 8x40 seems to be the sweet spot between magnification and viewing area.
• an 8x42 or 8x40 combination will give you the best results for birding, generally speaking (fov, bright picture, ease of use—all critical for following fast moving birds).

what does 8x or 10x mean?

if you think of looking at an object with your naked eye as 1x, then an 8x binocular would make the image eight timescloser.

10x42 or 8x42

the first figure is the magnification provided, the second is the diameter of the objective lens in millimetres.

10x pair and 8x pair

the 10x pair will give you a more 'zoomed in' view so you might see more detail, but they might beharder to hold steady - especially after an hour of use,and the 8x pair might give you a brighter image.

try both in similar conditions to what you plan to use them in. then you can decide which is better for you!

lower and higher magnifications

thehigher the magnification, the more sensitive the binoculars are to movement. so the harder it is to hold the binoculars steady, and the more likely you'll get ashakyview which is no good.

lower the magnification (e.g. 8x, 10x):

the brighter the image

the wider your field of view

the easier the binoculars are to hold.

higher the magnification (e.g. 12x):

the darker the image (not good for low light conditions!)

the narrower the depth of field, requiring more frequent focusing

the harder they are to hold steady

• higher magnifications exaggerate even small movements of your hands, and bigger objective lenses make bins heavier and harder to hold steady.
• if most of your birding is at long range, or you regularly read bird rings, then extra magnification is useful, but remember that it restricts your field of view, and also exaggerates any shakes and wobbles.
• higher magnifications may provide more detail, but they can also make the image shakier due to hand movements.
• generally speaking, the field of view will reduce as the magnification increases; however, two binoculars with the same magnification can have a different field of view, due to internal design of lenses & prisms.

performance and conditions

this depends on your budget and what you need your binoculars for. what's important to you?

distance

if you’re looking to spot birds and wildlife at great distances, magnification and field of view might take priority.

garden watch

if you’d like binocularsat hometo get a better view of birdsin your garden,they don’t need to be waterproof.

however, you might need good close focus, anddecent low-light performance (for shady spots and darker skies).

wear glasses?

if you wear glasses, make sure your binoculars have appropriate eye relief, often achieved by removable or twist-down eye cups.

travel

if you travel a lot or go on birdwatching trips with light luggage, size and weight may be extra important factors.

compact binoculars might deliver better here.

low light conditions

do you tend to watch wildlife at dawn and dusk or in generally low light conditions? if so consider larger objective lens sizes (that second number e.g. the '32' in '8x32mm') and look for lens coatings that give better brightness. best to try before you buy too.

close focus

if you’re looking to observe detail on insects/small mammals/reptiles/plants and not just birds, close focus distance will also be important.

• if, on the other hand, you do a lot of birding in woodland, or at dawn and dusk, then light-gathering ability should be your priority.
• that can mean going for a larger objective lens (42mm and upwards), or investing in higher quality glass (look for the designation ed or hd), or both.
• finally, consider whether you’ll be using the bins for bug-watching, too – if so, a close focus figure of below 2.5m is a big help.
• note down which performance points are most important to you. this helps you focus your search for the right pair of binoculars for you!

figures and specifications

magnification

magnification determines how much closer the observed object appears compared to the naked eye. for birdwatching, a moderate magnification of 8 or 10x is recommended.

10x magnification will make your target appear 10 times closer, and so on – it’s as simple as that.

objective lens

the large lenses at the front of the binoculars – a larger lens means more light, a brighter image, and better low-light performance, but will be heavier.

the objective diameter is the width of the front lens in millimetres. a larger objective diameter allows more light to enter the binoculars, resulting in brighter images, especially in low-light conditions.

field of view

how wide the image appears, in terms of how many metres are visible at a point 1000m away. so, a field of view of 140m@1000m will take in a wider view than one of 120m@1000m.

a wider fov enables birdwatchers to track birds in flight more easily and observe birds in their natural habitats.

close focus figure

this is the closest you can get the binoculars to focus – anything under 2.5m is good and makes the bins useful for bug-watching.

chromatic aberration

also called colour-fringing, this is a coloured halo that appears around dark objects, especially against bright light. higher quality glass eliminates this.

objective diameter and exit pupil

• for aperture, 42 is a great compromise imo, as it will allow for a nice eye relief.
• if you'd still like to have 10x or more, go for a 50mm aperture, but that's heavy af...
• there are three main classifications, compact- normally referring to an objective size of 20-25mm, mid-size normally being 30 or 32mm & full size being 42-50mm.
• optics with objective lenses—the glass at the fat end of the tube—larger than 42 mm are heavier, and those smaller than 30 mm, while lightweight, aren’t bright enough to show detail in poor light.

exit pupil

the exit pupil is the small circle of light you see when you hold the binoculars at arm's length and look through the eyepieces.

it is calculated by dividing the objective diameter by the magnification.

a larger exit pupil, typically around 4mm to 5mm, ensures a brighter image, especially in low-light conditions.

the binocular’s exit pupil has a direct correlation to your own pupil, so in very bright conditions you may not notice a difference, but as light levels drop & your pupil dilates you can make use of the extra light a larger exit pupil offers.

eye relief and close focus

eye relief

eye relief refers to the distance between the eyepiece and the observer's eye, which determines the comfortable viewing distance.

for those who wear glasses, a longer eye relief helps to avoid vignetting or loss of field of view.

the majority of today’s binoculars have a twist up eyecup design and so can be quickly adjusted for optimum comfort.

look for binoculars with an eye relief of at least 15mm for glasses wearers.

close focus distance

the close focus distance denotes the minimum distance at which the binoculars can focus sharply.

a shorter close focus distance allows birdwatchers to observe small details on nearby birds, and is especially important for insect observation.

body types

porro-prisms

porro-prisms have a 'traditional', stepped shape with an angled body.

roof-prisms

roof-prisms are recognised by a straight-through appearance.

they tend to be more compact than porro-prism binoculars and many people find them more comfortable to use.

their internal focusing helps protect them from the elements.

compact

affordable yet high performance compact binoculars are the rspb hd compactsrspb avocet compact binoculars.

• alldesigns make for good binoculars and it can come down to personal preference.
• today most high-quality binoculars tend to be roof-prism.
• porro prisms look old-fashioned, but actually offer slightly better optical performance than an equivalent pair of roof prisms.
• but the latter will be considerably smaller and lighter, so are generally preferred by birders.

try before buying

• the best thing is to go into a sporting goods store (or hit a vendor booth at a birding festival) and try out a lot of different magnification and size combinations and pick the one that you like.
• if you get to try them before buying, make sure to check for chromatic aberrations and to have a sharp image even on the far sides of the field of view.
• try both in similar conditions to what you plan to use them in. then you can decide which is better for you!
• most rspb shops havebinoculars you can try, with no pressure to buy. there may also be staff on hand who could give you some advice.