Now and then, a customer will ask my advice as to whether to get a
spotting scope or a
binocular, first or whether to get a
telescope or a binocular, first. It's a rare occasion when I don't suggest a binocular, first. Why? A
binocular will invariably be the easiest to use and will, therefore, be your most used optic. A binocular will teach you all the basics of optics and, perhaps most importantly, a binocular can be used for a wider range of applications than any other optical instrument. There are
astronomy binoculars, there are
marine binoculars,
hunting binoculars,
birding binoculars and
observation binoculars, to name just a handful of binocular types, but, when all is said and done, you can use a waterproof 8x42 binocular for just about any application. Do you have your binocular, yet?