Best binocular

It’s funny how some folks get so attached to their binocular and I’m not talking about using the binocular strap, here. Ha! Ha! I mean, for example, that I have met some birders that were using some pretty awful examples of a birding binocular, in terms of the binoculars appropriateness as a birding binocular.

For instance, I once knew a guy who carried an 11x80 giant binocular around his neck, even on all day birding outings and, no, he was not a big guy. When some of us took pity on him and offered to let him use a smaller, backup binocular we had with us, he politely declined, saying he was so used to using that giant astronomical binocular for his birding that it just wouldn’t be the same without it. For the open country birding we were doing, that binocular did work and he was a good birder, but no way would he part with that binocular and he wore that beast around his neck for hours at a time.

In a similar fashion, I knew an outstanding birder who used a Steiner 7x50 Military marine binocular. Now the Steiner 7x50 Military Marine is a fine binocular and a classic marine binocular, but it is not a part the excellent Steiner Birding binocular line, simply because individual eyepiece focus feature of the Steiner Military-Marine makes it impractical for close-in birding and that was the type of birding we used to do, quite often, when this gentleman would join our group. Again, rather than accept our offer to let him use a spare binocular, he just accepted the fact that his binocular was too slow to focus when the action was up close and allowed us to identify the birds for him. No way would he part with that 7x50.

Anyway, all this demonstrates that people do get stuck on one binocular or another, even when the particular binocular model may not be the best binocular for the job. It also demonstrates that any binocular will work for any application, at least to some extent. The binocular in your hand may be far from the best choice, but it will work to some degree. Give it a try.