# Binoculars for birding enthusiasts **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642 "2008-06-21T00:06:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/1 "2008-06-21T00:06:58Z")
I’m an amateur birder; where I live, there are egrets, herons, hawks, vultures, seagulls, pelicans, as well as the common jays, red birds, crows, chickadees, woodpeckers, etc. At present, I have Bushnell binoculars, 8 X 21, 378 ft at 1000 yds. I’ve no idea what that means, but it doesn’t seem to do the job when I’m trying to see a hawk or whatever in nearby trees. Is there a standard brand and strength that birders use? Recommendations, please. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/2 "2008-06-21T02:41:19Z")
You need better light-gathering capacity. I would say you need 8 x 40 minimum. That’s what I have, and they do pretty well. [Here](http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/gear/binoculars/) is a site with good info. > [@](#): > > On the upper surface of your binoculars you’ll find two numbers, for example 7X35 or 10X40. The first number is the magnification power of the binoculars; 7X (pronounced “seven ex” or “seven power”) means the binoculars make subjects appear seven times closer than without magnification. The second number is the diameter of the binoculars’ objective lenses in millimeters, and is related to the binoculars’ brightness. > > Some birders prefer binoculars as powerful as 10X, especially for viewing hawks, waterfowl, and shorebirds, which are likely to seen at a distance in relatively open areas. > > For general birding though, most bird watchers prefer 7X or 8X binoculars, for a couple of reasons: > > The more powerful your binoculars, the harder they are to hold steady for comfortable viewing. “Hand shake” gets worse in binoculars over 8X. > > Lower power binoculars tend to have better light-gathering ability and a wider angle of view than more powerful models. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/3 "2008-06-21T03:25:38Z")
I’m a falconer without a lot of free cash on hand. I nabbed a pair of Nikon Action 7x35 Ultra Wide View binoculars for about $55 which have been absolutely perfect for my needs and far better than anything else I tested in my low budget range. My falconry sponsor has a pair of high-end Swarovski hunting and birding binoculars that make me happy in the pants. At around $2k, they’re a smidge out of budget for me. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/4 "2008-06-21T03:34:58Z")
The general rule of thumb is that ideally you want the second number to be at least 5 times larger than the magnification in order to have adequate light-gathering ability. Therefore, you want binoculars of at least 7x35, 8x40, or 10x50. I use Bausch and Lomb 10x42s, 285 ft at 1000 yds. As I mentioned, 10x50 would be better, but for 10x getting that level of light gathering gets quite expensive. The “285 ft at 1000 yds” indicates the “field of view”, that is, how much of a scene you can see at a given distance. The field of view goes down with increasing magnification. As has been said, 7x or 8x are preferred by many birders for several reasons. 1. Lower magnifications are easier to hold steady. 2. Lower magnifications have a wider field of view, so it’s easier to locate a bird with the binoculars, especially one that is moving. 3. It’s cheaper to get better light gathering ability at lower magnifications. I’m pretty practiced in holding binocs steady and finding birds, so that having 10x are worth it to me for being able to identify the occasional distant bird. If most of your birding is at close to medium distances, I would go with 7x35s or 8x40s. Only use 10x if you often need to identify birds at great distances. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/5 "2008-06-21T03:38:42Z")
My Bushnell binocs read 7-15x35. What does that mean? I’ve always wondered about this too. It also has 300 ft. at 1000 yds at 7x. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/6 "2008-06-21T11:26:20Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] As has been said, 7x or 8x are preferred by many birders for several reasons. 1. Lower magnifications are easier to hold steady. [/QUOTE] What about image stabilization binoculars? I saw some made by Canon - they are fairly pricey at $350 or so. They seemed good when I looked through them when in the store, but I wonder how effective they are in the field. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/7 "2008-06-21T13:53:16Z")
[QUOTE=FloatyGimpy] My Bushnell binocs read 7-15x35. What does that mean? I’ve always wondered about this too. It also has 300 ft. at 1000 yds at 7x. [/QUOTE] The 7-15 could be zoom capability. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/8 "2008-06-21T17:37:44Z")
You get what you pay for most times. My Nikon _Action_ 10 X 50 6.9 degree are the best bang for the buck for all around general use and critter watching… Look at clarity, crispness and lack of distortion at the edge of view. Gives an indicator about that particular binoc. Can vary among identical units of the same brand. Check as many as you can for the best of the batch. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/9 "2008-06-21T17:57:27Z")
[QUOTE=amarone] What about image stabilization binoculars? I saw some made by Canon - they are fairly pricey at $350 or so. They seemed good when I looked through them when in the store, but I wonder how effective they are in the field. [/QUOTE] They’re a little bulky and heavy relative to direct compeititors and they’re battery-driven, which is a minor logistics problem as they don’t seem to go all day. Most also are on the low light-gathering side ( one of the Canon models is an exception ). They don’t seem to be a dominant choice, but under certain conditions ( on a boat, very shaky hands ) seem to be very useful. I’m actually back in the market myself ( my damn 8.5 x 44 Swift Audubons have disappeared ) and might pick up this well-received “Stokes” ( license-made by Vortex, a division of Eagle Optics ) 10x42 that EO currently has at a hefty discount: [http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=4093](http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=4093) I’d actually slightly prefer the 8x42 ( I go back in forth on my magnification preferences ), but those aren’t discounted and I don’t know that I can walk away from a $200 savings ;). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/10 "2008-06-21T18:07:22Z")
Sportsman’s Guide and Sierra Trading Post have some nice wide-field high grade Binocs in stock at exclent prices. Try Leopold and Steiner. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/11 "2008-06-21T22:17:47Z")
[QUOTE=Can Handle the Truth] The 7-15 could be zoom capability. [/QUOTE] I didn’t even think of that. :smack: Of course that’s what it is. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/binoculars-for-birding-enthusiasts/453642/12 "2008-06-23T18:29:54Z")
Thank you all for the helpful info and recommendations.