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

June is almost over and no sign of the new Nikon EDG binocular. We had been told that it would be sometime in June for this new super binocular to become available, give or take. I can tell you that the 7x42 Nikon EDG prototype I tried and the 10x42 EDG prototype that our own Steve Ledin tried were as good as any premium binocular I have ever had in my hands. My next binocular could very well be the Nikon 8x32 EDG. Will definitely blog when I can get my hot little hands on one. This is one binocular well worth the wait.

Approaching the dark of the moon and, for an astronomer, that's good news. Weather has kept my astronomy binocular indoors these last few weeks, so I anxiously watch the weather report and check my skies every time I get up at night. The Nikon 10x70 sits on the tripod, just waiting for some action. For me, it's less than a two minute drill to be out on the patio observing with my binocular. It's one of the things I most appreciate about binocular astronomy. No equipment hassles or set up time. Just grab the binocular and go.

Nocturnal birding? If you've never done this before, you are missing some great opportunities to add birds to your yearly or monthly bird list, if you keep such things. Even if you don't, it's a thrill to hear birds that you seldom, if ever, see by day. That's right; nocturnal birding is mostly by ear - no binocular needed. I always carry one, though. Now and then, especially on a moonlit night, you might get to see one of these night singers or callers in the binocular. As for locations, just check for the preferred habitat for the nocturnal bird you want to hear and head out after dark. In my area, we have dense woodlands, so will be seeking Whip-poor-wills and several species of owls.

Been tough getting an Indigo Bunting in my binocular, this year, even in places I used to see them. Not sure the reason, but I have been carrying my binocular more than usual this time of year, in the hopes that I can still add one to my birding year list. Seems to be one or two bird species every year that escape my list and this year it is the Indigo. Best chance to see this bird will now be later, during migration. Of course, I could ride my bicycle out into new areas and do some heavy scouting with the binocular, but that seems a long shot. Still, I believe in the old birding adage, "Same area, same birds."

Summertime, summertime! For birders, summer is something of a mixed blessing. Migration is over, for the most part, so in terms of variety, we're down to resident nesting birds. Some birders see that as a negative, but I see it as a positive. I have a couple of bluebird boxes and one spectacular martin house along my bike route, all well in range of my 8x compact binocular. Also have an Oriole nest in progress just down the street. Nothing beats a pleasant summer afternoon with a good binocular and watching these birds raise their young.

Had a customer ask if we had any Apogee right angle binoculars left to sell. Had to tell her, no, unfortunately, since Apogee is no longer in business and our remaining stock on Apogee binoculars is sold out. I can understand why she wants a right angle binocular, given the many years I've spent behind an astronomy binocular, but, in my opinion, a better solution is a parallelogram mount. Unfortunately, a good one is hard to find (we don't offer one). The ones I've used were custom made and a marvel to use. Kind of hard to go back to a conventional tripod after you've used one of these.

As we approach full moon, this week, I am reminded that many beginners with telescopes and binoculars tend to think full moon is the time to do some lunar astronomy. Full moon is actually the worst phase for astronomy, as most of the detail is lost in the glare. Moon filters do help, but serious lunar astronomers wait for a partially lit moon and observe at the edge of the shadow where the lighted and dark meet. This is the area of best contrast and most detail. Next week, not this week, will be a better week. I will have my astronomy binocular, mounted on a tripod, ready to go.

I will never vote for any presidential candidate: ... who uses zoom binoculars … who shops for a roof prism at a home improvement store … who gets the words astrology and astronomy mixed up … who picks up a binocular and uses it backwards … who thinks you are supposed to see two circles when looking through a binocular, just like in the movies … who thinks eye relief is a medicine ... who has ever been intentionally mean or hurtful to a binocular, even a zoom.

Am I being too picky, here?

Didn't have the opportunity to use my larger birding binoculars during this spring migration,given all my bicycling, but can't say I missed full size binoculars this spring. My compact binoculars did just fine and were a much better choice for birding from my bicycle. In fact, I can't think of a single instance where I felt one of my premium compact binocular let me down, even deep in the woods for warblers. I would still recommend a full-size binocular for beginning birders, but a good compact binocular, in the hands of an experienced birder, can be a serious birding tool.

Summer astronomy for me centers on the summer traingle, that trio of bright stars - Vega, Altair and Deneb. Fortunately, these stellar beauties are siutuated, perfectly, from my apartment patio on summer nights and I spend many evenings with the binocular enjoying all the open clusters and double stars in the area. If you are new to binocular astronomy, this is a great time to get out that binocular and put it to use. Sure, it helps to have an astronomy binocular, but any binocular, even a compact binocular, will show you a wealth of stars. Get out and take a look.

Can a compact binocular be too lightweight? Yes, I think so, at least as far as steadiness is concerned. Compact binoculars, due to their lighter weight, are generally harder to steady than mid-size and full size binoculars, as it is. A little heft in a compact binocular tends to steady it in the hand. One of the best in this regard is the Swarovski Pocket binocular. Though not at all heavy at 7.6 ounces for the 8x20, it does have the feel of something a bit heavier and more substantial. Probably one of the easiest to steady compact binoculars I have used, yet.

For me, one of the big plusses of birding is its practicality. No matter what your situation or your location, there is always some birding available and, as much as I tend to move about, this is comforting. Out in the wide open spaces of the west, we used to do most of our birding with vehicles, traveling from marsh to marsh and covering a lot of distance in a day. We typically used spotting scopes, as much, if not more than binoculars. Here in the east, I do all my birding from a bicycle and most of it is in forest cover, so a binocular is my primary birding tool. The two different approaches to birding could not be more different, but I am glad I am not paying for gasoline, these days. Bicycle birding is definitely healthier, too.

For a beginning birder, it can be frustrating trying to get a bird in the field of view of a birding binocular when it is hopping from branch to branch or working its way along the ground, in and out of bushes. Seems like you finally get the binocular lined up on the right branch and the bird is long gone. What to do? Practice, of course, is essential, but so is good technique. If you are reasonably sure you are on the right branch and the bird is no longer there, do not linger with the binocular; drop it slightly, just below the eyes and see if you can spot the bird, again. When you see the bird, raise the binocular and give it another try. Problem with searching with the binocular is that the bird can move only a short distance and disappear from the binocular field of view, entirely or, worse yet, the bird moves to another tree and you'll never know it. Keeping the bird in sight is priority one. Sooner or later you will get it in the binocular.

What binocular does a girl use who goes birding on a bicycle but still wants something tasteful enoguh to wear to church? What compact binocular is the most elegant choice for opera or concert? Why, a Swarovski Crystal binocular, of course. I couldn't help myself when I picked up the Swarovski Nabucco Crystal binocular. I always loved the standard Swarovski Pocket binocular, but when Swarovski added the glitter of fine Swarovski Crystal to the body and strap and added a beautiful silver leather hard case, it was too much. I took one home. By the way, it performs as well as it looks and the polymer covering that holds the crystals is anything but fragile. Will pose no issues for those worried about it's durability.

Clear sky last Wednesday night plus binocular equals Joanie under the stars. Had a great night on double stars, especially those in Lyra, where I managed to split everything available in a 10x binocular. The easy stuff - the binocular half of the famous double double, delta 1 and 2 - posed no challenge, but were lovely, just the same. The real fun started when I turned my tripod mounted Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe on the more challenging binocular doubles. I cleanly split Zeta, then moved on to Sheliak (Beta), which was a bit tougher due to the fainter companion. I then moved to the much fainter OS525, but still managed to split, despite the nasty light pollution. I finished up in Lyra with OSS181, which, being in the same field as Albireo, made for an interesting comparison with that celebrity status double. I then said good-bye for the evening with one of my favorites, Kuma in Draco. So much to see, so little sleep!