Anyone who lives near a large lake, the ocean or who has a home in the hills with a great view, really should consider setting up an observation binocular on the patio or even in the living room. There is nothing like using two eyes for viewing comfort, after all. Some folks opt for
telescopes or
spotting scopes for scenery work, but nothing beats
long range observation binoculars for breathtaking, spectacular viewing. Using two eyes is always better than one, not only in terms of comfort, but also visual acuity. In other words, you can see a touch better when it comes to observing detail when using a binocular.
Observation binoculars or surveillance binoculars are typically too large and heavy to handhold and the magnifications are also too high to hold without some kind of support. This means a tripod, just as when using a spotting scope or telescope for the same work. Also, the bigger the binocular used, the bigger and the heavier the tripod needed.
When we think of observation binoculars, we typically think in terms of something like the very popular
Oberwerk 25/40x100, which also does a great job as an astronomy binocular.
These
Oberwerk observation binoculars, as well as many similar observation binoculars at the same price, are made in China, but optics are quite good for the price and more than adequate for this type of work. Highly recommended. Going to products made in Japan can get much, much more expensive, but if you are after the ultimate ion observation binocular the
Kowa Highlander or a Fujinon Binocular Telescope, such as the
Fujinon Binocular Telescope 25x150MT is the last word in this type of binocular and guaranteed to impress even the fussiest optics critic.