February 8, 2010 | Posted by Best Binocular Reviews
A question this week comes from someone who is lucky enough to be going to see a space shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral and would like to know what would be the best binoculars to take with:
Question
Fantatsic website, very informative but I’m quite new to binoculars and I’m after some for a very specific reason – the launch of a Space Shuttle. I guess what I’m looking for needs to be small, light and sturdy. Hope you can help
Answer
As I write this article, the Space shuttle Endeavour is due to blast off today to deliver parts, including a ‘window’ that will give astronauts a 360-degree view to the International Space Station. I unfortunately have never been to a rocket or shuttle launch and so the advice I below in not from first hand experience, but instead from research and by the basic principals of would it is you need the binoculars to do.
Large Magnification?
Obviously the main reason you need binoculars to view the launch is to see something far away (and getting further away all the time) . This is true for why you would want binoculars for any use, but with a shuttle launch I do feel that a reasonably large magnification would be useful, although from what I have read, if you are going to the viewing area, the launch is quite impressive even without binoculars.
This is not to say that the biggest magnification means the best binoculars, there are some down sides to large magnification. The main ones are reduced field of view, reduced depth of view and image shake.
I think that a limited field of view does not really apply to a shuttle launch as you should easily be able to lock onto your target and keep it in your view quite easily. Image shake could be a problem as most really powerful binoculars like astronomical binoculars, would be used with the aid of a tripod, to keep the image still. In your question you mentioned that you guess what you need are binoculars that are small and light, by this I imagine that you would not want to carry around a tripod as well!
So at this point, I would say that you should be looking for a pair of binoculars with a magnification of no more than 12x or if you have the budget an pair of Image Stabilization Binoculars, like the fantastic range of Canon Stabilized Binoculars that use a microprocessor to instantly adjust refraction angle of the incoming light and keep the image still. The advantage of these is that they are sill relatively small and light and you can get magnifications of up to 18x and still not have to use a tripod. On the down side, the largest version, the Canon 18×50 Image Stabilization binoculars has a fairly hefty price tag.
Time of launch
Today’s launch (STS-130) is said to be the very last opportunity ever to see a space shuttle blast off at night and out of the 129 previous shuttle launches, only 29 have occurred in complete darkness as well as seven Shuttle launches that occurred during twilight, four at dawn and three at dusk.
So for the purpose of this question, I will assume that most shuttle launches will occur during good weather and during the daylight or at least shortly after sunrise or before sunset. Why is this important? Well an important characteristic of any binocular is the amount of light it takes in and then passes this onto your eyes. This is made even more important when you will be using your binoculars when light conditions are poor or even more important at night time. The major factors that determine how much light is transferred to your eyes is the quality of the lenses, prisms, their coatings and the size of the objective lenses, which is why you will find most Binoculars for Astronomy have very large objective lenses. But I don,t think that this is that important for the shuttle launch and to keep the weight and size down, the smaller the objective lens the better.
Other than that, features like being waterproof and tough do not really apply but may be of interest should you wish to start using your binoculars for other purposes.
So what are the Best Binoculars for Space Shuttle Launches?
As you did not mention a budget, I will list a few options of binoculars that I have reviewed based on what I think are ideal in different price ranges and categories:
Steiner 12×30 Wildlife Pro Binoculars
Pros: Excellent quality, Compact, Lightweight with a powerful 12x magnification and with a price range of between $300 and $400, I feel that they are good value for money.
Cons: Have a small field of view, not that important for the launch, but may be a consideration for future uses.
Canon 12×36 IS II Image Stabilized Binoculars
Pros: Excellent quality, Image stabilisation that will improve the steadiness of your viewing, reasonable field of view compared to the Steiner 12×30’s. Can also get larger magnifications should you wish: Read more on Canon Stabilized Binoculars.
Cons: Requires batteries, heavier and bulkier than the Steiner 12×30’s and cost more at around $500 to $600.
Bushnell 10×42 NatureView Binoculars
Pros: At about $120 – £150 these are excellent value for money all purpose binoculars.
Cons: Reduced 10x magnification, but should be adequate.
Nikon 10×25 Ecobins Binoculars
Pros: Very Compact and light, decent 10x magnification and cheap (under $100)
Cons: Not the best quality, small field of view compared to most other 10x binoculars
Kowa 10.5×44 Genesis XD Binoculars
Pros: Highest quality binoculars, slightly increased 10.5x magnification and objective lens size of 44mm than standard 10×42 binoculars
Cons: Not cheap and a little more bulky that standard 10×42 binoculars.
Photo Credit: Shuttle Endeavour Blastoff by
jurvetson
Categories: Buyers Guides | 
Tags: Cape Canaveral, Shuttle, Shuttle Launch, Space | 
No Comments »
January 31, 2010 | Posted by Best Binocular Reviews
Below is question that I received about the best binoculars for different uses, I thought my answer may be useful to others and so have posted it:
Question
OK, I hunt. I watch birds. I go to football games. About the only thing I would anticipate NOT using Binoculars for is a safari.
I am very confused by the array of Binoculars by use. Why wouldn’t a safari binocular be good for hunting and vice versa? I would also expect that a birding binocular should be a good hunting binocular as well.
I guess what I am looking for is somebody to sort out all the confusion for me, and the advice I have heard to spend the most you can afford on optics seems equally pointless upon reading some reviews on some of the products available from some of the lesser brands, i.e., Nikon Monarch. or even Cabellas.
My Answer
There is no reason why a good pair of Safari or Birding Binoculars would not be good as hunting binoculars as well – it is just that each discipline or specific use have their own unique requirements and so the “ultimate” safari binocular will have a few unique needs that a hunting or birding binocular may not have. This is not to say that the best birding binocular won’t also be good for hunting or vise-versa, it just probably wont be the best at it’s secondary use.
So for example the best hunting binocular would probably have all the same characteristics as the best safari binocular. Except for that fact that the best binoculars for safaris must also be compact enough to easily carry in your luggage on holiday with you, so this would eliminate some of the larger hunting binoculars, but not the compact ones.
Like wise a good hunting or safari binocular would be fine for birdwatching, but the ultimate birding binoculars would have a wide field of view, which is not necessarily that important for hunting or taking on safari (this depends on what you are hunting of course).
Some specialist binoculars for hunting also come with rangefinders, like the Carl ZEISS rangefinder binoculars which obviously would not be of use when looking at birds, this is not to say that that binocular would be a useless bird watching binocular, just not ideal.
If you are going to use your binoculars for a variety of purposes, there are many excellent binoculars that I would call good all rounders.
Buy the best you can afford
As for spending the most you can afford, I think this is generally good advice, depending on how often you plan on using the binoculars.
More expensive binoculars will not only have a better build quality, but will have better quality lenses, prisms and coatings. There is nothing wrong with a good pair of binoculars in the $100 to $200 range, something like the Bushnell 10×42 NatureView’s and they will be fine for most people, but if you compare them side by side with a real quality and expensive pair of binoculars like the Swarovski 10×42 EL Binoculars, that have the same size objective lenses and magnification you will notice the difference, in the clarity and brightness of the image produced.
What ever you do don’t go for very cheap binoculars, most of which are little more than toys.
Categories: Buyers Guides | Tags: hunting binoculars, q&a | No Comments »
January 27, 2010 | Posted by Best Binocular Reviews
I recently received the following question regarding which pair of binoculars would be best to take to the Glacier National Park and thought my answer may be of use to others:
Question
I am going to Glacier National Park this summer with my inlaws, and I would like to get a decent pair of binoculars (<$100). I have found two options and have no idea which is better? Can you help? Which one would be better in a National Park?
Option 1: Bushnell Falcon Wide Angle 10×50 Binoculars
Option 2: Bass Pro has the Redhead Pursuit Binoculars 10×42
My Answer
I have not reviewed either binoculars that you mentioned, so I cannot comment on each individually, but I can just give you some thoughts on their general characteristics.
Firstly what I would say is that you are comparing a pair of binoculars for sale at $34 (The Bushnell Falcon Wide Angle 10×50 Binoculars), with one that is worth $100 (Redhead 10×42 Pursuit Binoculars) – and comparing a roof prism design with a porro prism.
So apart from the magnification, they are very different binoculars.
The Bushnell Falcon Wide Angle Binoculars are of a porro prism design, which in general have a wider and greater depth of view than roof prisms, the advert says that their field of view is 300.0, but does not give any more details and so I am guessing it is 300ft at 1000 yards. Which to be honest is not very wide at all, there are many 10x roof prism binoculars with a wider field of view.
The 50mm diameter objective lenses on the Bushnell binoculars should in theory let in more light than the 42mm ones on the Redhead Pursuit Binoculars and as such the image should be brighter. I would be cautious assuming this though as it also depends on the quality of the prisims and lenses and their coatings.
The Bushnell Falcon Wide Angle 10×50 binoculars will be bigger and probably heavier than the 10×42’s because of the larger objective lens and because they are of the more bulky porro prism design.
Whilst I have never used or seen a pair of Redhead Pursuit Binoculars before, so can’t vouch for their quality, I do like the fact that they use BaK4 high-index prisms – which is what you want in a good pair of binoculars. They are also have “fully multi-coated lenses” as apposed to the Bushnell’s that only have “fully coated lenses”.
The fact that the Redhead Binoculars are also fully sealed and nitrogen-filled that makes them 100% waterproof as well as fog proof is good, in two ways, the obvious advantage of them not fogging up or letting moisture in, but also this is expensive to do and does show that these are probably better quality than the Bushnell Falcon Wide Angle Binoculars
So on the whole, I would say that the Redhead Pursuit Binoculars are probably better quality and will as such perform better. (This is also reflected in their more expensive price).
Alternatives
Another pair of binoculars I would consider would be the better quality Bushnell 10×42 Nature View binoculars, that are available in both porro and roof prism designs and still at around $100.
Bushnell 10×42 Nature View Binoculars on Amazon
You can also read my full review of the Roof Prism 10×42 Bushnell Nature Views here: Bushnell 10×42 NatureView Binoculars
I hope this helps and please let me know which you decide to get and how you find them when you get them as I would love to get your views.
Categories: Bushnell Binoculars | Tags: Bushnell Binoculars, Redhead Binoculars, Redhead Pursuit Binoculars | No Comments »
January 14, 2010 | Posted by Best Binocular Reviews
In my last post, I highlighted an offer where you can get $200 Off Swaroviski EL Binoculars, but what happens if you are on a tight budget and only have $200/£200 to spend on a pair of binoculars? What are the best cheap binoculars?
Cheap Binoculars
I don’t recommend getting the very cheapest binoculars: the quality of the optics and their construction is so poor that in many cases they are almost unusable. By the very cheapest, I am taking about binoculars that cost less than $40/£30, so unless you only plan on using them once and then throwing them away, don’t get them.
Having said that there are some very good mid priced and cheap binoculars: by mid priced I mean binoculars between $130 – $300 and by cheap I mean binoculars under $130/£130. This is relatively speaking as many people may argue that this amount of money means that they are not cheap, but if you compare this price to the very best binoculars that cost almost $2000, they are a tenth of the price.
Value for Money
The difference in quality between a pair of binoculars at this price and the very best binoculars is far less than the difference in quality you get from the very cheapest binoculars to a good pair of mid priced or even cheap binoculars under $200 and in my opinion at this price range, you can get some really good value for money. So what are the best cheap binoculars?
Best Full Size Binoculars under $200 / £200
Harder to find good full size binoculars in this price range, than compacts, but there are a few gems that I feel make excellent value for money:
Primarily designed for birding and wildlife viewing, but they also make fantastic general all purpose binoculars. They come with quality BaK-4 roof prisms, as well as Multi-coated optics. One of the features that really stands out on the Bushnell Nature View series are the fact that they are fully fog and waterproof and are encased in a rugged, non-slip rubber armor, that will not only absorb small shocks that are bound to occur in day to day use, but are really comfortable and well balanced, making them great for observing a subject for long periods of time. An added feature that shows Bushnell’s attention to detail is the fact that they can be adapted to fit onto a tripod, using the standard ¼-inch threading.
If you are looking for full size binoculars specifically for bird watching, you may also like to consider the Bushnell 8×42 NatureView Binoculars that whilst are slightly less powerful, they have a wider field of view.
These are designed for the extreme outdoor enthusiast and they use some of the finest quality components to produce an overall excellent quality binocular. They come with high index Bak-4 roof prisms, meaning that they are made from superior optical glass that produces clearer and sharper images. The quality of the optics in any pair of binoculars is a key indicator to it’s overall quality. Cheaper binoculars will use Bk-7 prisms which are adequate, but far inferior to Bak-4 prisms, which offer better light transmission and sharpness to the edges of the image.
The lenses on these are also fully multi-coated, the word “fully” is important here as many cheaper binoculars will advertise that their lenses are “Multi-Coated” which means that at least some surfaces (usually only the first and the last) have multiple layers of anti-reflection coatings. These are Fully Multi-Coated meaning that every air to glass surface has multiple layers of antireflection coatings that will assist in the transmission of light to make the image that you look at sharp and clear.
These Magellan’s have a recommended retail price of around $300, but in reality you can find them on most websites including Amazon for under $200, making them excellent value for money. As with the Bushnell’s above, these are also available with an 8x magnification that may suit you better if you are looking for birding binoculars: Read my review on the Olympus 8×42 Magellan Binoculars.
Best Compact Binoculars under $200 / £200
There are many compact binoculars in this price range, but which are the best that I have so far reviewed?
Steiner in general offer some of the best value for money binoculars on the market and in my opinion these 10×26 Steiner Safari Pro binoculars from Steiner offer an incredible quality to value ratio and are for me the best in their class. If you are looking for a compact, tough good value pair of binoculars ideal to travel with, these should towards the very top, if not the top of your shopping list.
Whilst it is probably true to say that Safari Pro’s don’t use Steiner’s ultimate quality optics, you must remember that these are a fraction of the cost of top end binoculars and yet these still offer you a very impressive bright and sharp image. Steiner say that their optics also block haze and filter UV light, which protect your eyes making them comfortable to look through as well as to bring you sharp images.
Categories: Cheap Binoculars | Tags: Binoculars Cheap Deals Sales, Cheap Binoculars | No Comments »
December 19, 2009 | Posted by Best Binocular Reviews
Most often in life you get what you pay for and in a pair of Swarovski EL binoculars, you are getting the best of the best. They do not come cheap however, but that is not to say you can’t grab yourself a good deal.
At the moment Eagle optics are offering $200 off their already reduced prices on all Swarovski Binoculars. On top of this you can get even further reductions on ex demo (shop display) models and refurbished binoculars, whilst stocks last.
Click Here
to take take a look the $200 off deals on Swarovski EL’s on Eagle Optics.
Is this a real offer or just marketing?
Amazon generally have the best prices and they to currently have most of the Swarovski range on sale, so how do they compare?
Swarovski EL 10×42 WB Binoculars List Price: $2187.78
So both have the 10×42 EL’s on at the same price, which is a very healthy saving of $438.78 (20%) off the list price. If you are looking for further reductions, Eagle optics are also offering Ex-demo and factory refurbished models for a jaw dropping $1549.00, saving you 29%
Swarovski EL 8.5×42 WB Binoculars List Price: $2110.00
So some real good savings from Eagle optics here: $411.00 (19%) off the list price on all Swarovski EL 8.5×42 binoculars and a massive saving of $610.01 of ex-demo and factory refurbished models.
The 8×32 and 10×32 Swarovski binoculars are also listed for sale on both Eagle Optics and Amazon at the sale price.
So these really are good deals and i would be really surprised if you could find them cheaper elsewhere. If you are interested in the ex-demo models, I would hurry as i am sure that they don’t have unlimited stocks of these and at these prices, I am sure they will fly out of the door.
Click Here to take take a look the $200 off deals on Swarovski EL’s on Eagle Optics.
Further Reading
Categories: Binocular Discounts, Swarovski Binoculars | Tags: Binoculars Cheap Deals Sales, Discount Binoculars, Swarovski Binoculars | 1 Comment »
December 4, 2009 | Posted by Best Binocular Reviews
I was sent in an email asking where you would go to get your Bausch and Lomb binoculars repaired?
For those that don’t know, Bausch & Lomb are one of America’s oldest continually operating companies. They started as an optical shop in n Rochester, New York way back in 1853 with John Jacob Bausch a German immigrant. A little later on, Bausch needed more money to keep the business going and so he borrowed $60 from his friend, Henry Lomb. Thus the partnership was formed and became known as Bausch & Lomb.
An innovative company from the start, producing binoculars by 1893 and by 1903 Bausch and Lomb had already issued patents for microscopes, binoculars and even a camera shutter based on the eye’s reaction to light.
With the outbreak of World War II, Bausch & Lomb once again expanded its production capacities, making mirrors for searchlights and signal lights, gunsights, range finders, lenses for aerial mapping cameras, as well as microscopes and binoculars for the armed forces.
Bausch and Lomb then sold their binoculars company to Bushnell, who manufactured binoculars for many years under the Bausch & Lomb brand name. Even after becoming an independent company in the early 1990’s they continued to do so. Now all Bausch & Lomb Binoculars carry the Bushnell brand name.
Occasionally you may find B&L binoculars for sale, often on online auction sites like ebay and Amazon. Bausch & Lomb Binoculars on Amazon
To find more information on the model, you can compare them to current Bushnell models.
Bausch and Lomb Binoculars Repairs
If you have any Bausch Lomb binoculars that need a service or repairs, you are advised to contact Bushnell directly.
Categories: Bushnell Binoculars | Tags: Bausch & Lomb, Bausch and Lomb, Bausch and Lomb Binoculars, Bushnell Binoculars | No Comments »
November 27, 2009 | Posted by Best Binocular Reviews
I had the opportunity the other day to have a quick look at the Pentax UCF x II range of compact binoculars. Whilst I did not have enough time to conduct a full review of them, my initial impressions of them were good for binoculars in this class.
Pentax UCF x II Binoculars
The are 4 magnifications within the range, all with a compact 25mm objective lens and using the porro prism design:
- 8×25 UCF X II
- 10×25 UCF X II
- 12×25 UCF X II
- 16×25 UCF X II
Price
Whilst they all have a list price of between $120 and $140 (£50 and £120), they can usually be found at a much cheaper cost and Amazon in the US and UK are currently offering them at pretty hefty discount, from about $80 (£70):
US Shoppers:
Pentax UCF x II Binoculars on Amazon.com
UK Shoppers:
Pentax UCF x II Binoculars on Amazon.co.uk
For me this price range puts them in the category of Low Cost Binoculars ($50 – $130) and that is why I feel that they are impressive as in this range their stats are pretty good:
Described by the manufacturer as durable and rugged, they do have a solid feel to them and are said to have a once piece construction to improve sturdiness and strength. Whilst I have seen far tougher optics, these should withstand most day to day knocks and bumps with no problems. The black rubber armor has a nice feel to it and will also help in protecting them. Their lightweight and compactness, makes them convenient to carry anywhere.
Fully Multi Coated Lenses
The UCF X II’s also have Fully multi-coated optics that improving light transmission for high contrast images with no glare or flare and will remove harmful ultraviolet rays. ”Fully Multi-Coated” means that all air to glass surfaces have received multiple layers of antireflection coatings, and this is what you want in your binoculars as opposed to just “Multi Coated”
BAK4 Prisms
High-quality BaK4 prisms that transmit more light at the edges to enhance illumination. Again this is what you want as BAK 4 Prisims are produced with superior optical glass and are much better than the cheaper BK 7 prisms.
Techical Specifications:
Pentax 8×25 UCF X II Binoculars
- Field of View at 1000m: 108m / 324ft @ 1000 yards (Angle of view 6.5°)
- Exit pupil: 3.1 mm
- Eye Relief 15 mm
- Dimensions Depth 115 mm
- Dimensions Width 110 mm
- Dimensions Height 56 mm
Pentax 10×25 UCF X II Binoculars
- Field of View at 1000m: 87m / 261ft @ 1000 yards (Angle of view 5°)
- Exit pupil: 2.5 mm
- Eye Relief: 15 mm
- Depth: 115 mm
- Width: 110 mm
- Height: 56 mm
For Compact binoculars at this price range, the stats that jump out for me are the 15mm of eye relief, that should be enough for most eyeglass wearers and an impressive field of view that beats most other compact binoculars that I have reviewed.
So to sum up, if you are looking for a cheap, compact pair of binoculars, you could do far worse than a pair of Pentax UCF X II’s
Categories: Compact Binoculars, Pentax Binoculars | Tags: Compact Binoculars, Pentax, Pentax Binoculars, Porro Prism Binoculars | No Comments »
November 26, 2009 | Posted by Best Binocular Reviews
Another common question I get asked is: If I wear eyeglasses, do I need to buy special binoculars? Unfortunately the answer is not just clear cut and I will try and explain as best I can:
It often depends on why you wear glasses. If you wear glasses to correct far or near sightedness, you may not need to wear glasses when using your binoculars, this is because the focusing mechanism will allow for adjustment, thus correcting your vision. If however you wear glasses for other reasons, like Astigmatism you will need to wear your prescription glasses when you use the binoculars, or you will sacrifice valuable image sharpness.
The other problem is even if you don’t need to wear your glasses whilst using binoculars, is what to do with them when you are looking through them. Many people remove their glasses, put them down or wear them around the neck with a safety cord. This sounds simple enough, but doing it all the time can get really annoying and then there is always the risk of forgetting where you put your glasses, loosing them or missing that once in a lifetime sighting whilst you were swapping over.
The solution: Binoculars with Long Eye Relief.
What is eye relief?
Eye relief is the optimum distance distance between the ocular lens and your eyes when using the binoculars. If you wear eyeglasses, you should pay extra attention to this measurement because your eyeglasses increase the distance between the ocular lenses and the eye.
Any pair of binoculars that has an eye relief of greater than 10mm is considered larger then standard, but in my opinion to be considered to have long eye relief you should be looking for a binocular that has more than 16mm. In most cases an eye relief of 14 to 15mm is enough for most people who wear eyeglasses to be comfortable. Ideally though you should look for binoculars that have an eye relief of 16, 17 or even 18mm.
For More Information:
Categories: Buyers Guides | Tags: Eye Relief, Eyeglasses, Long Eye Relief | No Comments »
November 12, 2009 | Posted by Best Binocular Reviews
I recently had the following email question on digital camera binoculars:
‘Hello,
I stumbled upon your site, and I have a question. I’m interested in buying a binocular camera I found on the sharper image website. It’s binoculars with a digital camera for taking photos. The magnification is 10×25. I was wondering how strong that is. Would that be stronger or a better option than just a digital camera with a good zoom? While this binocular camera is a great deal at $70, cost isn’t a huge concern. I’m just worried about buying something that will turn out to be worthless or pointless. I want to buy it, but only if the magnification is superior to a digital camera’s zoom. I’m referring to a quality digital camera, not a professional grade with any detachable parts, but not a bottom level camera. I hope this isn’t too confusing for you, and any help you could give me would be much appreciated!’
As it is a fairly common question, I thought it may be useful to post my answer on the site:
The camera in most binocular/camera combinations does not use the lens on the binocular and so the zoom will not match the binocular. The quality of the image produced by the camera will probably also not match that of a stand alone digital camera at the same price, so in my opinion, you are much better off getting a separate camera with a zoom and a decent pair of binoculars.
If you are looking for a very good super zoom camera at a reasonable price, I would highly recommend the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 (FZ35):
USA: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 (FZ35) on Amazon.com
UK: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 (FZ35) on Amazon.co.uk
It comes with an 18x zoom and if that is not enough you can easily get a tele-converter lens for it that increases it by 1.7x – I have the older version (Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28) and have nothing but good things to say about it.
Good Quality Good Value Binoculars
There are also plenty of good quality binoculars that are reasonably priced – Bushnell and Steiner binoculars in my opinion offer probably the best quality and value for money binoculars.
So until some better quality camera binocular combinations are produced and whilst it will be more expensive buying a pair of binoculars and digital camera separately, I personally feel that it is the far better option.
Categories: Buyers Guides, Camera Binoculars | Tags: Camera Binoculars, Digital Camera Binoculars | No Comments »
October 30, 2009 | Posted by Best Binocular Reviews
Someone sent me an email the other day asking if zoom binoculars work or are they nothing more than a gimmick?
Before answering that, it is important that you understand exactly what “Zoom Binoculars” are: A definition would say that they have a continuously variable magnification that allows you to view an object or area at a magnification of 10x for example and zoom in at a higher power magnification, to get a close up view. For a far more detailed explanation and how they work take a look at this article on Zoom Binoculars.
To answer the question I would say that zoom binoculars do work, but you cannot compare them to the quality of a high end binocular. On the ones that I have tested the images tend to be a little fuzzy in comparison to high end fixed magnification binoculars and they often have a smaller field of view. This means that they may not be ideal for uses like birdwatching. On the flip side some people feel that the ability to be able to scan for something using the low power magnification and then zoom in to observe the close-up detail outweighs the downsides.
It must be mentioned that of all the manufacturers that make binoculars, none of the real high end quality brands like Steiner, Kowa, Swarovski and Zeiss make Zoom binoculars. Could this because they don’t want to risk their brand on something that is a little gimmicky or is it because they are not progressive enough? Of the companies that do make Zoom binoculars, the best are Nikon, Bushnell, Olympus and Celestron.
If you are interested in getting a pair I would suggest trying them out in a high street store or borrowing a someone’s first and make up your own mind. If you can’t do this, at least purchase them from an internet retailer like Amazon that have a no quibbles returns policy.
USA
Zoom Binoculars on Amazon.com
UK
Zoom Binoculars on Amazon.co.uk
Categories: Buyers Guides, Zoom Binoculars | Tags: Binocular Buyers Guide, Buyers Guide, Zoom Binoculars | No Comments »
