When buying binoculars for specific purposes, there are many factors to think about before making your purchase. A pair of binoculars that are useful for bird watching, might not be useful for other activities, and vice versa. To avoid frustration, both in trying to use an unsuitable product as well as wasting money on something that doesn’t work the way you need it to, it is important to know what specifications work best for your hobby.
With bird watching, it is important to find binoculars with the right size and weight, since you’ll likely be packing them with you as you walk and hike. Usually an 8×40 is considered a good size since they are compact enough to be easily packed and carried, but are also large enough to provide good magnification, field of view, and can maximize light in dusky forests. A magnification higher than 8 is usually not needed for bird watching, and can actually be detrimental since it negatively impacts the field of vision, brightness and clarity of the image, as well as the fact that a higher magnification can result in blurry images due to hand tremors. A large objective lens, of about 40 millimeters, will ensure that lots of light is gathered and will also provide a wide field of view that is ideal for catching moving or flying birds or when counting flocks of birds that are grouped together.
Other things to consider are a near focus, since you may want to get close-ups on nearby insects or birds. Sometimes, if the object is too close, binoculars with a longer focus will not be able to provide a clear, detailed image. You will also want a good depth of field which will prevent you from having to continually adjust the focus when moving back and forth from near to far images.
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Wednesday Sep-08-2010 23:42:43 PDT Add to watch list |
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4" tall Sesame Street BIG BIRD w/ BINOCULARS PVC Figure US $15.99 End Date: Thursday Sep-09-2010 11:41:06 PDT Add to watch list |
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Plush Binoculars Bird 4" Adjustable with Neck Strap New US $10.00 End Date: Thursday Sep-09-2010 12:12:54 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Friday Sep-10-2010 1:24:51 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Friday Sep-10-2010 2:00:52 PDT Add to watch list |
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BIG BIRD vintage SESAME STREET figure MUPPET binoculars US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Sep-10-2010 14:07:15 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Friday Sep-10-2010 23:24:34 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Saturday Sep-11-2010 6:00:44 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Saturday Sep-11-2010 13:42:37 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Saturday Sep-11-2010 15:00:46 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Saturday Sep-11-2010 15:24:47 PDT Add to watch list |
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Camo Spy Binoculars 30 x 50 Bird Watching Camping Hun US $18.95 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Sep-11-2010 15:33:10 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Sunday Sep-12-2010 2:24:45 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Sunday Sep-12-2010 2:30:39 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Sunday Sep-12-2010 2:30:39 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Sunday Sep-12-2010 12:24:44 PDT Add to watch list |
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Swift 702B Plover Armored Binoculars BIRD Watchers *NEW US $59.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Sep-12-2010 12:41:02 PDT Add to watch list |
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Cat Yard Statue Bird Watcher Binoculars Garden Decor US $19.97 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Sep-12-2010 17:38:38 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Monday Sep-13-2010 0:42:33 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Monday Sep-13-2010 1:00:36 PDT Add to watch list |
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SPORTING BINOCULARS - 10 X 50 - CAMPING + Bird Watching US $8.35 End Date: Monday Sep-13-2010 4:02:59 PDT Add to watch list |
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BIRD WATCHER Parking Sign watching rare binoculars gift US $7.95 End Date: Monday Sep-13-2010 17:22:58 PDT Add to watch list |
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Figment Bird Watching With Binoculars & Hat Disney Pin US $1.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Sep-13-2010 17:27:35 PDT Add to watch list |
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Binoculars 7x35 Magnification for Nature Bird Watching US $14.95 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Sep-14-2010 6:33:00 PDT Add to watch list |
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VINTAGE MUPPETS SESAME STREET 4 IN BIG BIRD BINOCULARS US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Sep-14-2010 12:42:11 PDT Add to watch list |
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