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

Over time this technology has been incorporated into consumer optics, but even though over time it has got cheaper, quality night vision devices can still be very expensive. As for how well you night vision binoculars, monoculars or other device works, will depend on it’s “Generation”. As the technology of night vision equipment evolved, with the performance generally increasing it has lead to several “generations” of night vision equipment. Most commercially available nightvision equipment is rated according to it’s ‘Generation’. The Generation (Gen) is extremely important to take note of when comparing devices as they indicate the level of technology used in the unit.

For more information on the Generations of night vision as well as how each of them works, take a look at my in-depth guide to Night Vision Binoculars, Monoculars, Goggles & Scopes

Who Makes the Night Vision Equipment?
Take a look at ATN Night Vision Devices, who make the biggest line of night vision equipment in the world. Their range includes optics in the fields of Binoculars, Daytime Scopes, Night Vision, Thermal Imaging, Laser Rangefinders and Laser Sights. Bushnell Optics also make some decent cheaper night vision goggles and monoculars.

Does ruby coating night vision work?
Mostly No. All the ruby coatings do is filter out a spectrum of light and by doing this, it gives the image a slight greenish color. Since many true night-vision optics have a greenish glow, some manufacturers try to make this claim. Mostly, the ruby coatings are used to mask the use of inferior optics. To slightly improve low-light viewing without buying expensive night-vision optics, use larger front objectives since they have a greater light-gathering ability.

If ruby coatings don’t work, are all other coatings a scam?
No. Lens Coatings are very useful and help improve contrast and clarity.

Sure magnification is important, but remember the stronger the zoom, the more chance you will have of image shake, making it difficult to clearly see what ever you are looking at without the use of a rest or tripod.

A stronger zoom also often reduces the field of view (FOV) that you get when you look through the binoculars.

For example the Minox 8x42 BV Binoculars have a FOV of 389ft at 1000 yards, whilst their 10x version, the Minox 10x42 BV Binoculars has a FOV of 342ft at 1000 yards.

What is The Field of View? (FOV)
Put simply, Field of view it is how wide the image is that you can see at a certain distance (usually measured at 1000 yards). For a detailed explanation take a look at Field of View on the glossary page, but this is often reduced the stronger you magnification.

So why is FOV important for Birdwatching?
The wider your field of view, the more you can see at one time when you are looking through your binoculars, with fast moving and small objects (like many birds) this is important as it will help you to quickly locate it before it moves away. This can often mean the difference between being able to identify the bird or not.

It is for this reason and a few others that many professional birdwatchers tend to choose binoculars with a lower magnification and a wider field of view, rather than the other way round. 8x magnification binoculars tend to be the most popular, although if you are often going to be looking at birds at far distances, water birds on a lake for example, you may also think of using 10x magnification, just keep in mind the field of view.

8x Binoculars with a wide field of view:

• Steiner 8×42 Merlin Binoculars: 342ft at 1000 yards
• Leica 8×42 Ultravid HD Binoculars: 389ft at 1000 yards
• Zeiss 8×42 Victory FL Binoculars: 405ft at 1000 yards

10x Binoculars with wide field of views:

• Leica 10×42 Ultravid HD Binoculars: 336ft at 1000 yards
• Zeiss 10×42 Victory FL Binoculars: 330ft at 1000 yards

For all the features that you should look out when choosing birding binoculars, read my article on Birdwatching Binoculars.

Photo: The photo at the start of this post is of an African Fish Eagle that I took whilst on holiday in Zimbabwe.

This week, I have added a new section on the site where it makes it simpler for you to compare binoculars side-by-side, which I think really works.

Most “Compare Binoculars” pages that I have seen on the web are nothing more than price comparisons, great for when you know exactly which pair of binoculars you want, not so great if you don’t.

Lets say you are after a pair of binoculars for birdwatching, having to go and check the eye relief, short focus distance, field of view, weight, dimensions and many other important details of every binocular that you are interested in can take some time. This new feature enables you to look at all these details at once.

I think this can really help you in deciding which binoculars are right for you and I would love to get any feedback or suggestions.

>> Take a look at the main Binocular Comparison page now.