There are many confusing aspects to choosing the right binoculars or spotting scope for bird watching. Your particular needs and desires, like you yourself, are unique and may not be the same as any other bird enthusiast. This guide, however, contains useful information and good advice for ANY bird watcher.
A good rule of thumb to remember when selecting binoculars is; for the average bird watcher and for average distances, 6x to 8x with an objective lens of 30mm to 42mm is just about ideal. This range of magnification ratios provides enough "umph" to reach out and see a great deal of detail, at average distances, while the 30mm to 40mm objective lens provides adequate brightness and field of view.
Home vs. away
One thing to remember is that if you only watch birds in your backyard or around your neighborhood, the birds that live in and frequent those areas are used to the presence of people. In those areas where people live and the distances between you and the birds are relatively short, you can comfortably use a pair of 6x to 8x binoculars with very good results.
If, however, you travel to or frequent areas away from the town or city you live, where the native wildlife is NOT used to presence of people, you'll need higher magnification binoculars. Why?
Because birds and other wildlife in remote or secluded areas simply won't allow you to get as close to them as the birds in your neighborhood. They are, and rightfully so, afraid of people. So, don't be too surprised if when you visit a remote bird habitat, your 6x binoculars don't provide enough magnification to truly see our wild feathered friends up close and personal.
If you prefer to watch and study birds in wild habitats, a pair of 10x to 12x binoculars or a higher power spotting scope mounted to a tripod will provide the best results.
Magnification
A bit about the numbers— when a manufacturer lists a pair of binoculars with a 10x magnification ratio, they are referring to the degree of magnification those binoculars provide. If a 1-to-1 ratio is 1x and provides ZERO magnification, then 10x puts you 10-times closer to your subject (the bird).
The larger the objective lens (the end furthest from your eyes), the more light gathering capability (how bright your subject appears) and the greater the field of view. A pair of binocular with 50mm objective lens will gather twice as much light as a pair with a 25mm objective lens (the quality of the optics being the same). It will also provide twice the field of view.
Field of view
The field of view is generally rated as the extreme left to right distance viewable at minimum magnification. For example, a typical pair of 8x40 binoculars (8x magnification and 40mm objective lens) provides approximately a 300 foot field of view while focused at a distance of 1000 yards.
Obviously, a small bird that is 1000 yards away will be extremely difficult to see at 8x magnification and in this case, a high-powered spotting scope will yield the best results.
Quality vs. price
All of us are careful about what we spend our money on. With binoculars and spotting scopes, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. The higher the quality of the optics (the glass lenses) used in binoculars and spotting scopes, the more expensive they will be and the brighter and sharper your subjects (birds) will appear.
A good analogy with binoculars and spotting scopes is camera lenses. Sure, you can buy an inexpensive (less than $100) lens for your camera and it WILL allow you to take pictures. When you compare the results of those pictures to a camera equipped with one of the top-of-the-line ($1000 and up) Nikon, Contax, or Canon lenses though, the difference is obvious and extreme. As they say — you get what you pay for.
Variable magnification
The ultimate in optical flexibility, magnification, and field of view is a pair of variable magnification (6x-20x, for example) binoculars or spotting scope. Not only can you use them in your backyard at their lowest magnification, but when you travel to remote areas to view birds in their natural habitat, you can keep a safe distance from them, NOT spook them into flying away, yet still have the ability to zoom in on your subjects for greater detailed observations (using the highest magnification setting).
Scopes
Fixed and variable magnification spotting scopes represent the epitome of excellence for field observation of birds. Sure, they are a great deal more expensive than binoculars and yes, you absolutely need a tripod to mount them to. They will, however, provide you with THE best images possible. Period. The down-side is that they are heavier, they require a tripod, and it takes more time to set one up. Moving a spotting scope from place to place is also more difficult and more time consuming.
If your needs or desires are not that grandiose, a good, reasonably priced pair of binoculars will suit you just fine.
In a nutshell
Remember these three basic guidelines;
- the higher the quality of the optics used, the more expensive they will be and the brighter and more detailed your subjects will appear
- the higher the magnification, the closer your subjects will appear
- the larger the diameter of the objective lenses, the more light gathering ability and the larger your field of view
Happy bird-watching from the Feathered Friends Boutique!
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