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

Managed to add a female Cerulean Warbler to my 2009 birding list, just in time. The winds blew in Sunday night, to the tune of 50mph out of the northwest and I have a feeling that will be the beginning of the end for my fall warblers, this year. Not that I am complaining; I had a very good warbler year and that Cerulean was magnificent in my my Leica BL 10x25 binocular and, of course, we have a lot of birding yet to do in 2009. The big push on waterfowl has yet to come and the winter sparrows are on their way. I am slo having a blast as I draw up my plans to add bird feeders to the backyard in my new home. Given that there is plenty of brush and trees and that the backyard is only a couple hundred feet from a Forest Preserve, I better budget a lot for birdseed. Let the fun, begin!

I love compact binoculars, but I realize that many people do not. Compact binoculars offer the most in portability, but they do have their limitations in terms of performance and ease of use. If you are one of those folks that do not get along with compact binoculars, you might try what I call a "nearly compact binocular" size of 8x28, such as the Bushnell Excursion 8x28. That 28mm objective lens is a good step up from the 20mm objective in the typical 8x20 compact binocular. Want something a bit larger, still, but in a binocular that can keep that size down a bit? Try an 8x32, such as the Bushnell Excursion 8x32. A "32" binocular is one of my favorite binocular sizes and always a safe bet when you want the performance a full size bino in a more portable size. I have been using a variety of 8x32 binoculars, such as the excellent Nikon Premier 8x32 SE for many years as my full size birding binocular and have never felt that I was sacrificing much in the way of performance.

Had a nice gal ask me, the other day, if she could observe with an astronomy binocular though her picture window, just like she does when watching birds at the birdfeeder with her birding binocular.
Good question and I can answer yes, or at least, sometimes yes. When the temp is below zero, turning off the lights in the house and placing the astronomy binocular up against the window is surely a temptation. Does it work, though? Again, sometimes. As long as the front lenses on the binocular are parallel to the window panes, you get minimum distortion and viewing is not too bad, assuming you have decent quality window glass. This would be much the same as when viewing through the window at a bird feeder. I've done this many times. The problem arises when we start to raise the binocular objectives away from that horizontal to the window and begin to view through the window, upwards at an angle. This produces noticeable distortion and the greater the angle away from that horizontal position, the greater the distortion. Since most objects we want to see in astronomy are going to require us to tilt the binocular up, there is a limit to how well we can do from inside the comfort of our own home, though the window. In practice, I have gotten up to about 45 degrees from ground level, but that's pushing it for some objects. For those objects high in the sky (where we really want them for the best view), we have to put on a coat and step outside. Brrr!Stay warm.

Serious birders and bird watchers typically use high quality and expensive birding binoculars. I do, that's for sure. There are some types of birding, though, that do not require really expensive binoculars and, in fact, you may not want to use expensive binoculars for watching birds at a backyard birdfeeder. Why? For a bird feeder binocular, for lack of a better description, it is more important to have that binocular hanging within reach at all times, just in case that new mystery bird decided to pay you a visit. There will be times when you need to get that bird watching binocular in your hand, fast, and you don't want to be fumbling with a case. That means your bird feeder binocular may get exposed to dust and dirt and all sorts of things you find in a kitchen, so no need to go deluxe on this type of birding binocular. Your bird feeder binocular can also serve as a back up binocular or a loaner binocular when you have guests. Some good choice, here include the Bushnell Legend Porro or the Swift 8x40 Reliant.

My astronomy binocular and I take back all our complaints about the poor weather we have been having in the Chicago area this year when it comes to astronomy. Last week was great! I love Indian summer and so does my Nikon 10x70 astronomy binocular. Last week we had a wonderful dose of Indian summer. Clear skies, cool temps, dry air - what more can an astronomer want? My astronomy binoculars got a great workout and I had a blast putting the Nikon 10x70 on a tripod to split double stars in Cygnus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda and so on and, since I was in the neighborhood, anyway, I centered the Double Cluster in the binocular, locked the tripod down, and just sat in my chair with a huge smile on my face and a cup of hot coffee in my hands. Doesn't get much better than that with an astronomy binocular.

Fall birding is quite different than spring birding. This may seem a strange statement to people who are not involved in birding or bird watching, since many assume that a bird is a bird, no matter what the season. Far from it. Bird plumage - their color and pattern of feathers - commonly varies by the season. Birds in spring are typically in full breeding plumage; birds in fall are typically acquiring their winter plumage and identification is further complicated with immature birds who often have plumages all their own. This, of course, makes things more interesting and keeps field guide authors and publishers in business. As for me, I love being out in the woods and fields in fall, with my binocular or spotting scope. Birding in the fall tends to be leisurely paced than spring because the migration is spread out over a longer time frame and the need to get your timing just right to catch birds in migration is not quite as critical. Lastly, I enjoy the added challenges of identifying birds in the fall, but then I have always liked puzzles, whether on paper or in feathers.

Was out biking to work in the pre-dawn darkness and rolling out of the parking lot, when I turned east. Wow! I had to stop and catch my breath. The crescent moon and Venus made a spectacular pair low in the sky! You could catch them both in the field of view of a typical 8x42 binocular - I know, because as soon as I arrived, here at work, I grabbed our Carson XM HD 8x42 and put it to work. Although the view was fading fast in the growing light, it was worth a look in the Carson binocular. As I have so often, I still had to smile at the optics in that Carson XM HD. We've had our Carson XM HD 8x42 binocular on the shelf for three years, now, and use it as a checkout binocular for our employees when they need a binocular and everyone always falls in love with it. That's a lot of binocular for the price from some very nice folks.

This time of year, I get asked about the difference between an 8x42 binocular and an 8x50 binocular for hunting. Most hunters, of course, are out right at first light or last light, when animals are most active, and they want a binocular that offers the best image brightness. So is the larger lens of an 8x50 binocular really that much better? After all, that 8x50 binocular will be heavier and bulkier, not to mention more expensive, all else equal. In my experience, out in the field where it counts, under the darkest conditions, my vote is no. I've seen very little difference in image brightness between an 8x42 binocular and an 8x50 binocular, when comparing binoculars of the same brand and series. Of course, I am way past forty, now, and my eyes can't use all the light delivered by an 8x50. Still, even in my younger years, I did not notice enough of a difference to justify the 8x50, but that's me. With binoculars, there is a lot of psychology involved. If you think something works better, you have more faith in the product and you are more likely to use it and trust it. That's reason enough to buy an 8x50 binocular.

I won't be living in the Chicago area, forever, so I have been thinking of what to buy in the way of another telescope or binocular when I leave. I really have no use for a large telescope in my area, now, due to the awful light pollution, which limits me to observing the moon and planets and only the brightest deep-sky objects. I would love to get another large telescope or maybe even a truly giant binocular, such as a Kowa Highlander, but that will have to wait until I have a place worthy of an instrument of that size. I just hate to invest in something I can't use to the max. I have a local friend who bought an 18" telescope and she rarely uses it. That is a waste, in my book, since she has no plans to move. Of course, if she can afford an 18" telescope, she might be able to afford to buy a home in the country to better use it.

Bushnell binoculars have been around .. well, almost forever. The Bushnell name, in some circles, is incorrectly associated only with cheap binoculars. Yes, Bushnell does make cheap binoculars; the Bushnell philosophy has always been to offer a product at every price point. However, this same philosophy also provides us with some premium binoculars, such as the Bushnell Elite, either in the open bridge Bushnell Elite or the more conventional Bushnell E2. Is there another binocular out there with as distinguished a pedigree as the Bushnell Elite binocular? I was selling binoculars when the first Elites hit the market and that first Elite established, once and for all, that a Japanese binocular could indeed compete with the high end European binoculars. The current Bushnell Elites hold true to that tradition and are excellent values in a binocular for birding, hunting or all around use.

Fall is a great time to observe that all time favorite galaxy, M31, Andromeda, in an astronomy binocular. You can use M31 as a very informal target to rate your observing site. Did you know that you can actually see M31 without a binocular or any optical device - in other words with your unaided eye? You can IF and only IF you have a very dark sky with no light pollution and IF you know just where to look. I have seen M31 many times without a binocular, from my observing sites far out on the western prairies. If you have such a place to observe, now, I envy you. From a mildly light polluted sky, M31 in an astronomy binocular is still a great sight and will stretch quite a way across the typical 4 degree field of a 20x80. If you live under badly light -polluted skies, like I do, you should still be able to M31 as a small, less than impressive smudge. Where you observe makes all the difference with this deep-sky object for binoculars.

Okay, you're headed out into the mountains on that big hunt and you want the most performance, especially for low light work, but you want to keep your binocular as small and light as possible. Going to a 42mm or larger size binocular gets you all the performance you need, but those are always going to be fairly heavy. Compact binoculars are great for carrying, but not a good choice for glassing those ridges for long hours and not the best binocular for really low light. What's the answer for a binocular that can do both? Traditionally, an 8x30 or 8x32 binocular is the perfect blend of portability and performance in a mountain binocular and one of my favorite binocular sizes for all around binocular use, anyway. After that, it just a matter of how much you want to spend. Just remember, the difference between a cheap 8x32 binocular and the premium 8x32 binocular, is the headache you won't have after a long day of scanning with the premium binocular. If you go cheap on your binocular, don't forget to pack plenty of aspirin.

It is a well known fact in my writings about binoculars, that I am not a fan of zoom binoculars. Okay, what about the Leica Duovid? The Leica Duovid is not a zoom binocular, not by design and not in terms of performance. Whereas all zoom binoculars are notoriously poor in terms of optics and durability, the Leica Duovid, as you would expect from any Leica binocular, is a top notch product in every way. The Leica Duovid is a switch power binocular. The Leica Duovid requires you to actually turn each eyepiece to the correct magnification. This is a bit slower and less convenient than a zoom binocular, but it avoids all the nasty pitfalls of the zoom binocular design. In a zoom binocular, the zoom mechanism actually tries to move both eyepieces at once and no zoom binocular ever made or designed can manage this effectively or reliably. Going the Leica Duovid route gets you a much sturdier and a much optically better system. Of course, as with all Leica binoculars, this kind of build quality does not come cheap. Hey, it's a Leica.

One of the more pleasant aspects of birding and bird watching is social. If you like to watch and identify birds, you are not alone. The oft quoted 2001 survey by the Fish and Wildlife Service put the number of birders in the US at 51.3 million. That's an impressive number of birders and bird watchers, regardless of how you calculate the numbers or interpret the results. Why is birding and bird watching so popular? I like to think I've done a pretty good job of listing the reasons in my article at 10 Reasons to Start Birdwatching Today. Take a minute to read this and you will begin to see why birding and bird watching are so popular. In truth, if you have any interest in birds for any reason, there is no reason not to start birding or bird watching, right now.

Have you checked Cornell Lab of Ornithology's great site on birding and bird watching? It's called All About Birds and it contains some great information on bird watching as well as an excllent online bird field guide. OpticsPlanet is a proud sponsor of this great resource.

When I think back to some of the Leupold binoculars I have owned, over the years, my first reaction is one of disbelief. Have I been selling binoculars THAT long? This would have been back in the late 80s and if you were snooping around binoculars, back then, you may remember some of these great Leupold binoculars. One of my favorites was a green armored compact 7x actually made for Leupold by Leitz. It actually said, Made in Portugal, on the binocular. It was superb quality, as you would expect with that kind of pedigree and it was unusual in that it had individual eyepiece focus. This compact Leupold binocular preceded the first Gold Ring compact binoculars, which were also individual eyepiece focus. All current Gold Ring binoculars, such as the Leupold Gold Ring HD started with that one. My next Leupold was also individual eyepiece focus. It was a 9x36 Wind River. In those days, Leupold simply marketed them as Wind River, not Leupold Wind River and not the more recent Leupold Green Ring. That 9x36 was simply a 9x36 Wind River. No matter what it was labeled, it was an excellent porro prism binocular, made in Japan. Of course, both of these old Leupolds are long gone, but Leupold moved forward from there and now offers a much more extensive and very popular line of binoculars to suit every budget. One thing that has not changed, though, is that great Leupold value for the dollar and that great Leupold customer service.