The article aims to give the reader advice on choosing an affordable pair of binoculars ideal for viewing wildlife with.

Which Binoculars they Recommend?
They say that “After checking out several binoculars, we found a couple that have crystal-clear optics at a reasonable price.” and below are their two recommendations:

Brunton Echo 8×25 Binoculars and these are their reasons why:

At the top of the list stands Brunton’s Echo Compact series. The Seattle times writer says that they recommend the 8-power version (8×25) since 10-power compacts can be difficult to hold steady (the extra magnification also magnifies any vibration/hand shake, creating an unstable image). – Which is true, but unless you really have unsteady hands you should easily be able to hold a 10x compact steady enough to be able to look through them and get a good stable view. For me the main reason for choosing an 8x binocular over one that has a more powerful magnification would be their wider field of view. That is not to say that 10x and even more powerful optics don’y have their uses.

They also say that the “Echo 8×25 glasses proved remarkably comfortable in the hand, and the lenses were sharp through the field of vision — we noticed just a hint of fuzziness at the extreme edge of the field of view. The light transmission was very good, presenting a bright view, even at dusk and dawn when wildlife is most active. We used these while watching young bighorns scamper in the twilight above Umtanum Canyon in Central Washington, and to spy on ospreys hunting trout in the Yakima River Canyon.” This is great, I am really glad to see that they took into account a binoculars light transmission, especially for wildlife when as they say a lot of your observation will take place late afternoon or early morning when a lot of wildlife is most active. So some great advice here – I then just wonder why they did not also consider larger mid-sized or even full sized binoculars? There are plenty of these that are affordable on the market and their larger objective lenses have the potential to let in more light and therefore, have the potential to produce brighter images than a compact.

The article then goes on to say that “The Echos even earned praise from our hardest-to-please binocular tester: Donna has a small face, and frequently finds she can’t bring binocular barrels close together enough to allow easy viewing. The Echos, though, fit her well, while also working wonderfully for our bigheaded, wide-eyed lead tester (yours truly).”

The Brunton Echo 8x25s weigh 38 ounces and sell for $120. Click here to Buy & Compare Prices for Brunton Echo Binoculars

Pentax Papilio 8.5X21 binoculars
Their second recommendation are the Pentax Papilio 8.5×21 binoculars:

“For a smaller, lighter pair, we recommend the Pentax Papilio 8.5×21 binoculars. These compact optics fit comfortably in the hand, adjust to fit a wide variety of faces (including Donna’s) and weigh a mere 10 ounces. The optics are sharp and clear — not as bright as the Bruntons, but nearly as sharp. What’s most remarkable about the new Papilios, though, is the focusing range. These binoculars have a close-focus distance of just 19.5 inches, meaning you can zoom in on that bee sitting on the flower right in front of you. You can examine the patterns of pollen on its legs, and count the hairs on its back as it flies over to sting you! No other binoculars we’ve found — or even heard of — offer this ability to act almost as a microscope on your wilderness adventures.”

This is very true and that is why I highly recommend these, if you plan on spending a lot of your time viewing the smaller wildlife out there like butterflies. View my article on Butterfly Binoculars, where I also take a look at these Pentax Papilio Binoculars.

The Pentax Papilio 8.5×21 binoculars sell for $149 Click here to Buy & Compare Prices for Pentax Papilio Binoculars

Best Binocular Reviews Recommendations

With so many binoculars out there, I am always interested in how they get to such a small short list of choices. Sure, if you are looking for cheap compact binoculars, the Brunton Echo Compacts and the Pentax Papilio 8.5×21 binoculars are not bad choices, but there are so many others out there, that in my opinion are as good or even better.

So which affordable binoculars, ideal for wildlife observation would I recommend?

Well If you are specifically looking for compact binoculars, that cost under $130/£130 take a look at this list of binoculars that I have reviewed: Low Cost Compact Binoculars.

For a larger selection and a better pair of optics, take a look at these Mid Priced (still under $300/£300) Compact Binoculars.

But what I would really recommend is getting a pair of mid-sized binoculars – these are still compact enought to easily carry about with you, yet offer far better light gathering potential:

Mid Priced, Mid-Sized Binoculars

More Information

About The author: Dan Nelson is a Freelance writer and a regular contributor to Backpacker magazine, and an author of outdoor guides with The Mountaineers Books.

Click here to view the original article on the Seattle Times.

I say this because they are available at a large discounted price in both the UK and USA. (If you are in the UK it is well worth taking a look at the 9X25 version in particular, which is currently available at better than half price)

Warehouse express currently have the Nikon 9×25 Travelite V CF Binoculars on offer for £69.00 which is better than half price (RRP £150.99):
Nikon Travelite V Binoculars on Warehouse Express

At the time of writing, all the Travelite V series binoculars from Nikon are available at discounted prices on Amazon.com. For example the 8X25mm V Binoculars have list price of $128.95, but are currently available for $79.96:
Nikon Travelite V Binoculars on Amazon.com

The Travelite V Series

Available in 5 different models, all with compact 25mm objective lenses and ranging in magnification from 8 to 12x. All come in a porro prism design and with a host of quality features that you would normally only expect to find on far more expensive optics. Including an ergonomic body made from light and durable carbon fibre with a tough rubber armor coating and aspherical lenses that minimise distortion and provide sharp images up to the periphery.

Further Information

• About Nikon Binoculars
• About Nikon Travelite V Binoculars

This weeks question come from someone looking for some tough, inexpensive binoculars with plenty of eye-relief that are ideal for travelling with:

Question

I would love some assistance in selecting a compact binocular. I’m going to be spending some time in the jungles of Central America. I also do a fair amount of hiking and backpacking in the US. This will be mostly for spotting wildlife, birds, identifying characteristics of trees, etc. I might be riding on a riverboat in the jungles looking for birds and monkeys, hiking a ridgeline in the rockies, or whatever.

I’d like something rugged and waterproof. While I realize the most compact binoculars will be double-hinged with roof prisms, those won’t be dealbreakers.

I’m not too concerned with minimum focus distance.

I wear glasses and eye relief is important. I am leaning towards 10×25, but I’m wondering if 8×25 might be better for quicker target acquisition. I do not have much recent experience with either. Larger FOV would be nice, especially while on a river boat, tracking a bird, or trying to acquire a target, but getting closer is also really nice.

I have looked at two binoculars you recommended.
The Steiner Safari Pro 10X26. I like the durability, the looks, the eyecups. I think I think I have to eliminate it due to 11mm eye relief and the fact that it is not waterproof.

The Nikon 10X25 EcoBins. I was actually thinking the Prostaff 10X25s might be better. While a little more expensive, the FOV (field of view) is 330 ft as opposed to the 226 of the EcoBins. I was concerned because of the few reviews out there, I saw two that mentioned they were fragile. One had a piece fall off and the other reported that it was easy to run into alignment problems. They don’t have the widest field of view out there, but these seem OK. Currently the Prostaff 10X25s are where I am leaning.

The Pentax UCF WP. I do not know much about these. I don’t know if they’re any good. They look a little larger in size. Waterproof, Eye Relief looks good. FOV is in the middle at 261 ft.

Eschenbach 10×28 Farlux B Silver. Your review makes them very tempting. They seem to meet every criteria. They don’t post eye relief specs, but you mentioned it was fine. My concern with these is the price. They’re just too expensive.
When I’m out having fun in the field, I want to spend time thinking about fun, not breaking my gear. I don’t want to be worrying about breaking an expensive camera or expensive pair of binos. I’d be crushed if I spent $400 on these babies and then broke them. The $100 Nikons seem like a more reasonable amount to “worry” about. Plus I guess they have a lifetime no-fault warranty.

Are there any other binoculars I should consider? Should I expand my list?
Any recommendations on the ones I’ve got on my list? I’ll eagerly listen to any advice to give me.

Answer

You seem to have a really good Idea of what you want which is a great start.

Water & Fogproofing
Whilst I have not yet been lucky enough to visit any part of Central America, I am pretty sure that because you will be spending some time in a jungle environment, it may be wet and most probably humid, so I would definitly ensure that the binocular that is both water and fogproof.

Field of View
As for field of view, there is no doubt that a wider field of view makes it easier to scan a terrain and spot objects, especially faster moving small ones like birds. I also feel that if you are in an area with lots of close, thick vegetation like a jungle, the extra bit of zoom that a 10x magnification would give you would not be that important and so yes, in this environment and for your intended uses, I would opt for an 8x over a 10x binocular.

8x binoculars are also often a little brighter than a 10x (8X32 binoculars have an Exit Pupil of 4mm, whilst 10X32 binoculars have an Exit Pupil of 3.2mm), which will help in poorer light conditions like what you may find under the thick canopy of the jungle.

Which Binoculars?
I am a big fan of Steiner binoculars as in general they are tough, well made and don’t cost the earth, but I don’t wear glasses, so eye relief for me is not an issue, so I can see why you are eliminating them from your short-list.

The Eschenbach 10×28′s that I tested were excellent and the image quality was very impressive and I would highly recommend them, but as you say I also understand your need not to worry about breaking or loosing an expensive pair of optics.

If I had to choose between the Pentax UCF WP’s and the Nikon Prostaff 10X25s, I’d probably go for the Nikon – I haven’t actually tested them, but the Nikon’s that I have looked at in the past are generally pretty good considering the amount they cost.

You did not mention if you live in the UK, but I am guessing that because you quote all the prices in dollars, that you don’t. If you do you may also consider the Barr & Stroud 10×25 Sahara Binoculars. The have a FOV (field of view) of 314ft, 14mm of eyerelief and a nice tough body. For the money (under £60) they were really good, but only currently available in the UK as far as I know.

Vortex binoculars may be another brand that you should have a look at, they produce a huge range of binoculars, with many in the lower price brackets. Whilst I have not actually reviewed them yet, the Vortex Crossfire 10×32 or 8×32 Binoculars look to have most of the features that you are looking for and are available for around $100.

Question

I have recently relocated to a coastal resort where the scenery is constantly changing and we are lucky enough to have local marine life like our resident seal. I would love to purchase a pair of binoculars so that I may enjoy it more. I only have a small budget and have seen a pair of Nikon Action VII 10×40 Binoculars, that seem ideal for a novice like myself. Would you recommend these for a first time buyer who has absolutely no idea what features to look for?

Answer

I have just had a look at their stats and these are a few of the things I have noticed:

Things I like about the Nikon Action VII 10×40 Binoculars

• I like the fact that thy have aspherical eyepiece lenses that decrease distortion when compared to normal eyepieces.
• I like your choice of a powerful 10x magnification for wide open areas like places with coastal views.
• The price is pretty good

What I don’t like about the Nikon 10×40 Action VII Binoculars
I am a little concerned about how well they will perform in poor light conditions as they have slightly smaller than usual objective lens diameters – The Nikon Action VII 10×40 has 40mm’s whilst most full size binoculars usually have 42mm ones. What this means is that a 10×40 binocular has an Exit Pupil of 4.0 and a Twilight Factor of 20, for comparison a more standard 10×42 binocular is 4.2 and 20.5, which is only slightly different, but would mean that a 10×42 should perform slightly better in low light conditions. This is not an issue if you don’t really plan on using them when the light is very bad and it does have the advantage of making the binocular slightly smaller and lighter.

If you are worried, maybe consider the Nikon Action 10×50 Binoculars, which have a similar price tag, larger 50mm objective lenses, exit pupil of 5.0 and a twilight factor of 22.4 – making them pretty good in low light conditions. They also have a wider field of view and more eye relief – which is only really important if you wear glasses. On the down side, the 10×50′s will be bigger and heavier than to 10×40′s.

They have Multilayer-coated lenses, which is not bad, but could be better – I would have liked to seen them being fully multi-coated, rather than just multi coated which implies that most, but not all air to glass surfaces have been coated.

Conclusion
I would say that your choice of a porro prism binocular rather than a roof prism one at this price point is a good one – generally cheap porro prism binoculars are a little better as they are technically easier for the manufacturer to get right.

Overall, I would say that for their money about £76.69 (on amazon.co.uk) / $63.39 (on amazon.com) they are a pretty sold binocular and should work well enough for you.

Possible Alternatives
I am not sure where you live, but if it is in the UK, you may wish to consider the Barr & Stroud 10×42 Sierra (not yet available in the US) that I recently tested, the cost a little more about £91 (on amazon.co.uk) but I think for the amount make really good value.

I also already mentioned the Nikon Action 10×50 (view on amazon.co.uk / view on amazon.com), which is a good idea if you want better performance in poorer light conditions, but are not too worried about size.

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:

Bushnell 10×42 NatureView Binoculars

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.

Olympus 10×42 Magellan Binoculars

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 10×26 Safari Pro Binoculars

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.