The Best Binoculars For Bird Watching

One of the biggest joys in life is discoveries, whether in the wildlife or even in the urban sphere, one could make use of some tools that would help in discovering things that cannot be seen to the naked eye and this is where binoculars come into place.

With binoculars, you not only can see the world as it is from far distances, but you also experience joy and relaxation that no other can feel.

Simply watching birds fly away and using their wing momentum to fly into the far distance and rippling through the airways is one of the most satisfying things you can see. As a matter of fact, watching birds is a whole subculture that is very popular, a lot of people dedicate a big chunk of their time to watching birds, some even make it a hobby or a career.

Because bird watching require more than just appreciation, binoculars that work are essential, you need to find the right pair for your case, some people appreciate the deep vision, and others appreciate a wide vision with the option to really zoom in on the details.

Because there is nothing less disappointing than seeing a rare bird with unique shape and colors and you can see what it looks like. Binoculars vary in size, magnification, and weight.

Bird watchers or birders need more than just an average pair of binoculars in their life unlike some hunters or average watcher.

Long Distance Bird Watching

Bird watchers need binoculars that have a great level of detail, they need to have precision and a nice weight to them.

Because seeing a rare bird requires you to be quick, you need something that can be handy, you can’t have tripods and other supplementary equipment.

One of the first things you should know about binoculars for bird watching is that power does not always mean more detailed, some people make the mistake of choosing the most magnifying level because they need precision, while it is true that more magnification means more zoom.

Fast birds and birds in flocks will be almost impossible to see with the super magnifying glass zoom, anything beyond 10 times is going to be less effective for birding. However, what is considered ideal for bird watching is from 7 to 9 times magnifying.

When choosing which binoculars you want to get for your best birding experience, you need to look at different variables and components such as wilder fields of vision.

The wider the field of vision usually the better, because spotting a rare bird or a bird you have been observing for while is going to be a little more difficult for capture if it goes into the forest or if it blends with a flock.

It is also going to be near impossible to catch if it travels very fast. Other variables depending on your own case can be and not limited to phase correction, roof prism, color fidelity, resolution, HD lens, super focus, and Porro prism.

But one of the most important components about birding binoculars is the size and weight of the binoculars.

Choose The Correct Size of Your Binoculars

When talking about sizes of binoculars, one needs to mention how binoculars differ typically in two main categories.

The first one is going to be the porro prism design, these are the old school traditional binoculars, and they are usually bigger and bulkier than most other binoculars.

They require more size for the traditional way of vision and they are definitely heavier than the other line of binoculars known as the roof prism binoculars where the design is much sleeker and unnoticeable than the porro prism.

One thing concerning these two designs is that the porro prism is more susceptible to damage and internal fog. Water and dust is also an issue sometimes, but the good thing about them is that they are cheaper than the roof prism.

The roof prism is smaller, more rugged and does not break easily, the roof prism also has technology which allows it to be waterproof and have other good features such as color fidelity since they are more expensive than the porro prism that is larger.

When considering the size, one must also account for the lenses, the small compact ones that are about 25mm to 28mm are the smallest, it’s perfect if you are tight in the package, it’s so small that you can put it in your pocket.

One downside to these lenses is the fact that they do not absorb as much light, so the images end up looking darker than they really are.

The medium range falls right on 30mm, these are almost perfect for both accuracy and portability. They absorb enough light and they also have very good size so you can easily carry them around. One of the downside to these is that you would need to wait for midday noon to get the best vision.

Conversely, the biggest is 42mm, it has the best image quality, it absorbs the most light and it offers the most accurate colors.

It’s also not easy to carry around as you would need a bag for it, they are mostly porro prism which means they need to be taken care of more than the small ones.

Importance of Choosing a Binocular With The Perfect Weight

One of the most overlooked aspects of binoculars is their weight, it is true that the standard size is going to be lighter than rocks and heavy objects when you first lift them and put them on, but you have to take into account that you be putting them on for a very long time, so your shoulders, hands, arms, wrists, and neck are going to get tired.

For the porro prism binoculars, you will need to be sitting on a chair or supporting yourself so you do not injure or tire your body.

As for the best option you can find, lighter is usually better, because bird watching requires more fast reactions, you will need to be faster and hold the binoculars for a longer time.

As a general guideline, if you are planning for long bird watching for a long of time, it is better to get something that weighs less than 30 ounces, but this does not mean that the lighter binoculars are better, as a matter of fact, generally speaking, 35 ounces binoculars are better than 25 ounce binoculars, the 25 ounce binoculars will cause you to feel more fatigue than the heavier ones.

Another thing to put in mind is that lighter does not mean better, and so is the opposite, if the binoculars do not have a lot of weight on them, you will notice that the image you are seeing is going to shake a lot, this is because the weight is so light that it is not stable.

For that reason, it is recommended to try them on and see for yourself if you can carry them for a long time or if you shake.