Long Eye Relief Binoculars for Bird Watching

Bird Watchers who have to wear eyeglasses, will know what a pain it can be to use binoculars, having to remove them every time you bring the binoculars up to your eyes is not only annoying, but can cost you those vital moments which make the difference between identifying the bird or not. This does not however have to be the case:

Long Eye Relief Binoculars

Binoculars eye relief is how far back from the eyepiece your eye can be and still see the whole field of view, wearing glasses means that your eyes will have to be further back and so you need a pair of binoculars with a Long Eye Relief (follow the link for a full overview of why eye relief is so important).

Luckily for those who enjoy birding and have to wear eyeglasses, there are some really fantastic binoculars that are specifically designed for bird watching and that come with really good eye relief.

Bushnell 8x42 NatureView Binoculars
These NatureView binoculars from Bushnell are specifically designed with the birder in mind and for those that have to wear glasses they have an excellent eye relief of 17mm, which should be more than enough for most people. Follow the link to read my full review of them, but the main highlights include excellent quality multi-coated optics, a tough non-slip rubber armor to absorb shock and they are fully waterproof and fog proof. Overall they are excellent value for money birding binoculars.

Minox 8x42 BV Binoculars
With 18mm of eye relief, these value for money birding binoculars from Minox are ideal for those eyeglass wearers (and those who don't) who are looking for the highest quality, but at a more affordable price in their bird watching binoculars. Like the Bushnell's above, they are fully fog proof and water proof and come with a tough exterior that not only protects them but provides a comfortable non slip grip. Where they also really excel is in their field of view, with an impressive 389 ft wide at 1000 yards, compared 330 of the Bushnell above and 342 of the Steiner's below.

Steiner 8x42 Merlin Binoculars
With 19mm of eye relief, these Steiner Merlin binoculars have the longest eye relief of the three birding binoculars featured here. What is more, they have soft, angled eye cups that keep distracting light out of your eyes on bright, sunny days that can fold back should you wish to reduce the length of the eye relief. One thing to point out is that unlike the other two which are fully waterproof, these are only water resistant, but this should be fine so long as you look after them when it begins to rain.

Further Reading:

• Long Eye Relief Binoculars
• Bushnell 8x42 NatureView Binoculars
• Minox 8x42 BV Binoculars
• Steiner 8x42 Merlin Binoculars

New Binoculars from MINOX

One of the lesser known German makers of binoculars, MINOX has announced the release of a new line of binoculars, with what must be one of the most user unfriendly names for binoculars in the business, The MINOX APO HG 8.5x43 BR asph. and the MINOX APO HG 10x43 BR asph binoculars!

Ok, so lets get our heads around the names and work out just what MINOX binoculars are offering:

The two binoculars in the range are an 8.5x43 and a 10x43: 8.5x magnification and 10x magnifications with the diameter of the Objective lens letting the light into the binoculars of 43mm in both. If you need more information on what these numbers mean check out the Binoculars Glossary

The binoculars weigh only 23.3 ounces and are focused via a single knob for ease of use and the body of the binocular is made from magnesium with a rubber coating to add drop protection.

So what Does the APO HG bit stand for?
working in co-operation with MINOX Binoculars were a company called SCHOTT AG who are glass engineers, based in the city of Mainz. They designed the required glass composition for the APO technology. The high quality ED glass (N-PK 52 A) awards the new HG binoculars apochromatic properties that are said to provide an exceptional optical performance. The APO HG optical system is said to offer natural colour rendition, high contrast and also minimizes glare. The Aspherical lenses inside the eyepieces are said to guarantee consistent sharpness from the centre right into the edges.

The MINOX APO-HG binoculars also have SCHOTT fluoride ED-glass lens elements and so the apochromatically-corrected binoculars are said to offer a brilliant colour fringe free image. The new type of MINOTEC multi-coating on the lenses helps to repel dust, water and soiling from the external glass surfaces and can be simply wiped off.

The MINOX APO HG binoculars come in a wooden box and have a leather case included and are set to a retail price of US $1799 for the 8.5x43 MINOX APO HG and US $1849 for the 10x43 MINOX APO HG.

Where to Buy Minox Binoculars:

USA Shoppers:
Minox Binoculars on Amazon.com
All the popular size binoculars from Minox are available on Amazon.com, including the popular Minox 10x42's and 8x42's and often sell minox Binoculars at the best price.

Minox on Binoculars.com
Binoculars.com also seem to have the full range of Minox Optics, including Minox Monoculars and Minox Spotting Scopes.


UK Shoppers:
Minox Binoculars on Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk seem to have almost the full range from Minox Binocular, including the popular Minox 10x42's and 8x42's excellent as a bird binocular.

You can also read my full and detailed review on MINOX binoculars here