What is the best brand or type of binoculars for the amateur birdwatcher?
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M$4 Answers
Nikon is an excellent brand, and it is reasonably priced via Amazon etc.
My specific recommendation is the Nikon Action 7x35 Ultra-wide Binocular.
http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Action-7x35-Ultra-wide-Binocular/dp/B0001AOGAE
I have been birding since circa 1960.
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M$Well, apparently there are a lot of views and criteria when one need to choose the best birdwatch binoculars. When it comes to pick your choice probably what's important to you may not be important to somebody else. Follow this link if you want to know more on how to compare binoculars for birding.
http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binocsbwd95.html
http://bird-watching.suite101.com/article.cfm/what-are-the-best-binoculars-for-bird-watching
So, in order to find which binoculars better suit your needs, here are some basic guidelines you should follow in your picking and some features to look at:
1. Magnification
2. Objective Lens Diameter
3. Exit Pupil
4. Prism Design
5. Close Focus
6. Ease of Focusing
7. Eye Relief/Eye Cups
8. Field of View (FOV)
9. Lens Coatings
10. Weight
11. Waterproofing
12. Rubber Armoring
For detailed information follow the link.
http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/bird-watching-binoculars.html
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/features/binoculars.asp
As of April 22, 2010, the best binoculars you could get according to "bestbinocularsreviews.com" are the following ones which they highly recommend:
Swarovski 10x32 EL 32 Traveler Binoculars
Tested in the desert, Arctic and rainforest. Excellent for wildlife observation and birdwatching. One of the best binoculars in the world to take on Safari.
Zeiss 10x42 Victory FL Binoculars
With 10x magnification, superb birdwatching binoculars almost a perfect for Safari and Wildlife viewing.
Swift 8.5x44 Audubon Binoculars
Lightweight and multi-coated optics with BaK4 prisms for high resolution viewing.
Nikon 8x42 Monarch ATB Binoculars
Ultra-rugged lightweight body and high quality Nikon optics, ideal for birding, nature and sports observation, comes with high quality multilayer-coated lenses for superb defined images.
Swift 8.5x44 Audubon Binoculars
Designed by birders for birders and rated "Best Buy" by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. It´s 8.5x44 optical formula offers the perfect ratio for the ultimate birdwatching binoculars.
Canon 10x30 IS Image Stabilized Binoculars
Compact and light binoculars with Image stabilization technology highly portable. Great for air shows, nature trips or watching spectator sports.
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/birdwatching-binoculars.php
http://birdingbinocularsreview.co.uk/
http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binocsbwd95.html
http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/binoculars-for-bird-watching.html
http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/bird-watching-binoculars.html
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/features/binoculars.asp
http://bird-watching.suite101.com/article.cfm/what-are-the-best-binoculars-...
http://www.consumersearch.com/binoculars/reviews
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M$
It is clear from this answer that you looked up plenty on the web but have never done it yourself. That leads to wrong picks. Swarovski and Zeiss are unreasonably expensive and 10x binoculars are not good for general purpose birdwatching. That Swarovski is around $2000 and not even designed for birdwatching.
What else is new under the sun @albanian!
Off course I'm not a birdwatcher expert ¿Did you see any bird in my profile? ...but if you care to read more careful next time, you´ll see that I wrote:
"...the best binoculars you could get according to 'bestbinocularsreviews.com' are the following ones which they highly recommend:"
So, it's their recommendation, not mine. And if Swarovski or Zeiss are too expensive... well, there is always one of the other four picks they suggested, Canon, Swift or Nikon.
Since the asker did not specified about prices, just the BEST binoculars... well, my dear @albanian, those usually come with a heavy price don't you think? Now, if she asks again about the heavy price burden, then I will gladly search for a cheaper alternative. (If there is such thing with this items that also fulfill the “BEST” requirement).
Yes, you are just quoting from bestbinoculars.com, and they are not birders either and have in turn just looked up other reviews on the web. The question was which was best for an amateur birdwatcher, which certainly does not imply price is no object. Your answer is not bad, it just is typically off base because you are just looking stuff up without the background to analyze what you see. It's a problem with a number of Mahalo answerers. Swarorvski does make other models, also outrageously expensive, for professional and wealthy birders; but 10x42 is for other purposes. The other ones you culled from the list are mostly not for birders either. You did find one source to cite which did properly pick good birding binoculars;but, because you aren't a birder you were not able to pick out that one as the relevant source. I'm not sure that you understand yet that there are two issues, the style of binoculars ie 7x35, 10x42 etc , and the brand, ie Nikon, Leica, etc., and also some other model features. You listed the features at the top, but didn't know how to weigh them or apply them to the overall binoculars choice.
You didn't mention, by the way, what binoculars you use for your own hobbies or what hobbies they might be.
Very good, I love！http://www.qur3ck.com/Compact and light binoculars with Image stabilization technology highly portable. Great for air shows, nature trips or watching spectator sports.
...aaahh @albanian, you need to put more faith on your fellow Mahalonians. Again ... if you care to read my answer you could have seen the in depth review for every one of the six binoculars that bestbinocularsreviews.com posted at ...every ... single ... one of their links starting from their main six binoculars recommendation page that apparently you didn't read:
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/birdwatching-binoculars.php
...because if you did, you could have read the Featured Binoculars for Birdwatching:
...starting with:
Swarovski 10x32 EL 32 Traveler Binoculars
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Swarovski10x32EL32Traveler-35.htm
...and then with:
Zeiss 10x42 Victory FL Binoculars
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Zeiss10x42VictoryFL-10.htm
...followed by:
Swift 8.5x44 Audubon Binoculars
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Swift8.5x44Audubon-28.htm
...continue with:
Nikon 8x42 Monarch ATB Binoculars
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Nikon8x42MonarchATB-26.htm
...then with:
Swift 8.5x44 Audubon Binoculars
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Swift8.5x44Audubon-29.htm
...and finally this:
Canon 10x30 IS Image Stabilized Binoculars
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Canon10x30ISImageStabilized-4.htm
...where you could have seen the Deep Review, the Main Features & Highlights, Optics, Optical Performance, Price, Price Comparison, Main Specifications, Additional Links and User Reviews for each of them.
On top of that, you remark that because I'm not a birder I was unable to pick out the relevant source, that I lack knowledge on style of binoculars, and don't know how to weigh them or apply them to the overall binoculars choice.
That maybe true, but you failed to see that although I'm an absolute ignorant in the subject I quite managed to post almost all available information thru linking, in case the asker, who is most probably as ignorant as I am in this matter, could have an easy way in her understanding, how to pick one, how to weigh them and how to measure the available binoculars for birding, with a "How to choose a binocular video" hosted by a person that most probably know more than you on anything regarding binoculars:
...followed by two more links in case asker wants to learn how to compare binoculars for birding:
http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binocsbwd95.html
http://bird-watching.suite101.com/article.cfm/what-are-the-best-binoculars-for-bird-watching
...and again two more links if she wanted to follow basic guidelines for picking and some features to look at:
http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/bird-watching-binoculars.html
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/features/binoculars.asp
...and in the end if all of the above won't help in finding the binocular that asker is looking, she still can dig further into the website where there are many more binoculars for birding. Not for nothing the site has a section called "Birdwatching Binoculars" despite your nay-sayings.
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/birdwatching-binoculars.php
¿See?
Zeiss is a bit expensive but its lens are great. Olympus and Nikon brands so far are the lightest I used.
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M$
My Mother got some binoculars that had a built in digital camera. It was pretty cheap and not only allowed her to birdwatch but set up a great slideshow with everything she saw. This also helped with identification later. I'd find a pair of those.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
