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Choosing for Bird-Watching
Bird-watching is enjoyed from both static locations, for example from a window at home, and as a more mobile pastime, perhaps during a country walk. Whilst you may wish to purchase one pair of binoculars that can do both, be aware that your choice must always be, by necessity, a compromise. A nice big pair of binoculars will begin to feel like a millstone around your neck, when on a long country walk, whereas a more compact pair may not give you the magnification or light gathering power you want when observing at home. So the choice of a compact, lightweight pair of binoculars against a mid or full sized pair should be based upon where you expect to be using them most.
Typical good power ranges for bird-watching are 6x32, 7x42, 8x40, and 10x42 or 10x50. These sizes combine the best light gathering ratio's with the maximum useable hand held magnification. (The 10x is sometimes too much to get a nice wide field of view). If you are happy to observe from only static locations you might consider buying a tripod to support heavier, more powerful binoculars but be aware of the limitations of higher magnifications before you spend your money. Higher magnifications generally reduce your field of view making it harder to track birds on the wing. If in doubt, please call us for a more detailed discussion. |  |
| Do not buy zoom binoculars for bird watching as, at the higher magnifications, they do not gather enough light for the early morning or late evening observing sessions and are generally of poorer optical performance than comparable fixed focal length binoculars.
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