BinocularsBlog – Advice on Digital, Waterproof, & Compact Binoculars for Bird Watching, Sports, Astronomy, Night Vision, & more!

New Year's resolution for a binocular addict? For me, it's largely a matter of resisting the temptation to buy another binocular, but for other binocular addicts it may be the need to finally indulge in that "last" premium binocular of their dreams. Seems the quest for the ultimate binocular never ends. For those new to the premium binocular arena, I give you fair warning: once you have used the best there is in terms of a binocular, you will never settle for anything less. There is no going back. On the other hand, everyone should have the chance to use a high grade binocular once in their lives.

As a photographer of many years, I am always conscious of framing when looking at a subject and I guess this follows through when looking at objects with my astronomy binoculars. Obviously, wide open star clusters, such as the Hyades and Melotte 111 (Coma Berenices), look better in my Nikon 7x50, but smaller clusters like the Pleiades are more appealing in my 10x70 binocular. The trick is to get the entire cluster framed within the field of view, but not have too much background space around them if you want the best "Wow!" factor. For globular clusters, then, I much prefer the view in 20x80 binoculars or even the big guys, the 25x100 jumbo binoculars. All of this, of course, give me an excuse to keep shopping for more binoculars. Ha!

Had a wonderful view of the full moon on Christmas Eve and put my Nikon 10x70 binoculars to work for a short time. The view through the binoculars was nearly perfect, thanks to a slight bit of urban haze which acted as a moon filter to cut down the glare (urban astronomy isn't all bad, I guess). With a moon map, Christmas carols playing in the background and a hot cup of cocoa, made for a very enjoyable Christmas Eve. Nothing like moon glow on fallen snow to put you in the Christmas spirit.

The storm that blew in this weekend, now seems to have blown on by, so with a bit of luck, the sky my clear, tonight and I will receive the priceless gift of a jewel box full of stars for Christmas. I am referring to that grandest of winter open star clusters, the Pleiades in Taurus. In fact, through a binocular, the arrangement of stars in the Pleiades actually reminds of a jewel studded jewel box with the lid open. No diamonds ever shone as bright as this family of stars. I don't care what bincoular you have, you will love the view. Merry Christmas!

Spotted a Broad-winged Hawk last Saturday as I was riding my bicycle (in the snow) near one of our forest preserves. Really wasn't expecting to see one this late in the year, but in this day and age of global warming, nothing surprises me anymore about bird migration. That's one of the reasons I have been religious about carrying compact binoculars or, at least, a monocular, wherever I go. This time I was fortunate to have my Zeiss Victory 8x20 and, as always, it did a nice spur-of-the-moment job. Never know what I will see next, but I will be ready.

Tried finding Comet 17P/Holmes a couple nights, ago, with my Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe binocular, but failed to see it. Not really surprised, though, as I was dealing with a quarter moon and the last time I saw it with no moon in the sky, it had been a very difficult object. I will miss the comet, of course, but the beautiful thing about binocular astronomy, or any kind of astronomy for that matter, is that there is always plenty to see. My neighbors are well aware of this fact - they often see me standing outside in the bitter cold air with nothing more than my bathrobe and binocular, taking a quick peek at the sky before I go to bed. Binocular astronomy is the little bit of madness in my life that keeps me sane.

A compact binocular makes a great stocking stuffer! In fact, a compact binocular, such as the Zeiss Victory 8x20, is a great binocular, no matter where you stow it. I carry one in my purse on a regular basis and it often accompanies me on the bike trail. Remember, the idea with any compact is to have a binocular at hand. A binocular in the hand is worth more than a whole truck full of binoculars left at home. In fact, over the years, I have recorded more rare bird sightings with compact binoculars than my full size binoculars simply because I had a compact binocular when a rare bird made an unexpected appearance.

I'm not a political animal by nature, but, like many people, I am concerned with all the products we use that are made in China. I have serious issues with China's environmental policies, not to mention their human rights and labor abuses. Still, "made in China" is an inescapable fact of life for most Americans. Optics, in general, and binoculars, in particular, are hardly an exception.

Issues aside, I'd like to make two points as far as binoculars that carry the "made in China" tag. First, as far as optics go, "made in China" is not necessarily a sign of a cheap binocular. On the contrary, some excellent binoculars are being made in China by Nikon, Pentax and many other of the big names in binoculars. As always, price, not country of origin, is a reliable guideline for binocular quality. The second point, and probably the most important, is that a great many people would be unable to afford a decent binocular if not for "made in China". Labor costs, even in Japan, make it necessary to much of the world's binocular production to China.

In the end, I doubt whether a mass boycott of Chinese made products is realistic, but I do think that consumer countries, especially the U.S., should and must apply more pressure on China to clean up their act. If China wishes to outgrow the stigma of "made in China" on their products, China will have to do more than address the quality of their products.

The comet lives! The clouds parted for a woefully short time last evening, but long enough for me to grab the Nikon Prostar and look for Comet 17P/Holms, yet again. I am pleased to report that the comet is still visible from my heavily light polluted patio, but, to be honest, I would have a hard time convincing a jury of non-astronomers that there was anything there at all. I am down to averted vision, moving the binocular back and forth and using every other trick in the observer's book to see it. Still, Comet 17P/Holms has become something of an old friend. Clear evenings just won't be the same when it is gone. I think my astronomy binoculars will miss the comet, too. If nothing else, the comet has proven to be a great example of an object better seen with a binocular than a telescope, especially these last weeks as the comet has faded. Even birding binoculars, such as the excellent Zeiss Victory 10x42, have proven to be useful on this comet.

I've always believed that everyone should own a binocular. If I was running for office, my platform would be "a binocular in every home". Yes, it's true. There are some people out there who do not own a binocular. This is almost, well… unpatriotic. Not sure if George Washington had a binocular when he crossed the Delaware, but I bet he would have if I had been there to sell him one. I do know for a fact that George Patton carried a binocular. Jimmy Carter was and is an avid birder and if Joanie is elected to the White House, everyone will be out on the White House lawn, birding. I predict Congress will be the better for it. Vote for Joanie.

You need to choose a binocular for a gift, but you are overwhelmed with all the choices and you have no idea what all the numbers mean. You'd like to take the time to learn more about binoculars, but you have too many people on the shopping list to read up on binoculars. Hey, Christmas is only a couple weeks, away!

Relax, Joanie is here. If you want a binocular that can be used for ANY binocular application, no matter what, there is a good news. An 8x42 (or 8x40) model that is advertised as waterproof is the universal, do-everything binocular and a safe choice for anyone who has a binocular on their wish list. You don't have to spend a fortune, either to get something useable. The 8x42 Bushnell Excursion, for instance, is a great value. Still too much? Try the Bushnell Legend 8x42. Still too much? Try the Celestron Outland LX 8x40.

Of course, if you want to learn more about binoculars, you can always read my article, How to Understand Binoculars when you have more time.

No astronomy this weekend or, for that matter, most of the week (groan) due to snow and freezing drizzle. Will it ever clear? The clear, cold skies of winter, though are worth the wait, though, if you have a binocular or telescope. It's my favorite time of the year for my favorite binocular targets, open clusters. Most of these can be captured with a handheld 7x or 10x astronomy binocular, so need for giant binoculars or a tripod. Just dress warm, strap that binocular around your neck and head out. Might help to keep some coffee or hot chocolate waiting back in the kitchen.

As much as I hate to see it (actually, not see it), Comet 17P/Holmes is fading fast and, with the unpredictable Chicago weather, who knows when, or even, if, I will be able to see it again. Last night, the comet was a real challenge to see from my light polluted patio, though I could still detect an ever so faint wisp of cloud that was the comet in my Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe binocular. Still, I had to work to find it, even in that excellent astronomy binocular and I doubt it would have been visible at all in a telescope. So, in case I don't get to see you, again, farewell Comet 17P/Holmes. You may not have been the flashiest comet, but you were certainly one of the most dynamic and intriguing comets I have seen.

Yes, Virginia, you can use an ordinary 8x42 binocular for astronomy." Really, I am surprised how many otherwise knowledgeable astronomers overlook this. In astronomy binoculars, big jumbo giant binoculars may be the current the rage, but it has not always been so. Before the advent of giant binoculars, the venerable 7x50, was "the" standard astronomy binocular and a 7x50 or similar size binocular still has its place in binocular astronomy (no one size binocular can do it all in binocular astronomy). So, if you already own a typical birding binocular, like an 8x40 or 8x42, do yourself a favor and turn it to the night sky to do some astronomy. You'll like what you see.

It's no secret that I am passionate about binocular astronomy , even though I have owned just about every kind of telescope there is for an amateur astronomer to won. Given that, I often recommend a binocular as a "first telescope", especially for youngsters. Telescopes can be intimidating and a challenge to use for young people and there is always a risk the new telescope will end up in the closet after a few trips to the backyard. A binocular, however, is not only easier to use (and capable of a lot of astronomy), but if you get it in a reasonable size, such as an 8x40, it can be used for many other applications. For this reason, there is much less risk of a binocular collecting dust after a week or so of use.

The open star cluster called the "Beehive", other wise known as Praesepe or M44, is visible to the naked eye from a dark sky site. This open cluster in Cancer was considered a means to forecasting weather by the ancients. If the Beehive was clearly visible, weather was predicted to be good; when poorly seen, weather was predicted to be less than ideal. Of course, this was in the days before light pollution, so if applied to the skies at my location, it means we are always going to have very bleak weather, at least if you are only using your eyes. In the light polluted Chicago area suburbs, you definitely need a binocular to see the Beehive. That's why, at about 5AM, this morning, as I dressed for work, I took a minute to put the Beehive in my Nikon 7x50 Prostar binocular but any mid-sized or full size binocular will do - really quite a lovely sight in any binocular. In my 7x59, for instance, the stars Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis nicely framed the cluster above and below. Seeing it this way, Joanie's forecast is for nice weather, today.