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

I sense a change coming in my birdwatching. My intuition, not just the calendar, tells me spring is in the air. Of course, so does the fact that there has been just a bit less activity at the bird feeders; I am going a day or so longer between refills and have been seeing fewer overall numbers of birds in the binoculars. No, the mix of bird species hasn’t changed, not yet, but I suspect my birding binoculars will be picking up some new species any day, now. Okay, I am hoping my birding binoculars will be picking up some new species any day, now. After so many months of winter bird watching, I really am anxious for a change.

It has been a great winter for feeding the birds, though. Given that this has been my first north country winter, it has been different than any other winter in my some thirty years of feeding birds. I should have been keeping accurate records, but so much of what I did this winter was getting setup that I didn’t feel confident that I would establish of good baseline. Next year, though, this gal is definitely going to join Project FeederWatch and supply some useful information on bird numbers. The mix of birds I get through my birding binoculars, up here in the north country, is quite different than what I have seen in the birding binoculars anywhere else. That much I have learned this winter. For sure, how many folks can say that they have never urban birds, such as a House Sparrow, Starling or even a House Finch at their bird feeders?

All my friends on keep talking about Robins and flowers and spring just bursting forth all around them. Of course, they also live several hundred miles south of me, so, while they are celebrating spring, I am still surrounded by winter.

My birdwatching, for instance, is still very much in winter mode. I keep seeing the same winter birds in the binoculars and the spotting scope that I have seen since basically last November. Oh, yeah, I am ready for a change, but I suspect that, when bird migration hits, up here, it will come fast and also be over fast. Better have those birding binoculars ready to go! That’s the way of things in the north country, where growing seasons are short. If you are a bird and want to get a family raised and on its way south, come fall, there is no time to waste when you migrate north in the spring.

As a birder, I would like to expand my spring bird watching opportunities, though, so I am planning some birding expeditions for next spring. Why not? Bill and I are retired, so nothing keeping us tied down. I’ll just throw the birding binoculars and birding spotting scope and tripods in the car and away we go. In fact, it might be nice to follow spring north across the country, seeing birds in the binoculars as we travel across the country. Why not make spring bird watching last?

"If spring never comes, I can survive as long as I have this," I told myself earlier this week as I was skiing across our lake on fresh snow. There I was, the only human anywhere in sight, skiing across a beautiful north country lake and the only tracks visible in the snow as I skied along were from deer and coyotes. I had the lake to myself and I was in heaven.

I’ve grown so accustomed to winter, up here, that it is now hard for me to remember what this country looks like without snow. I’ve sat in my kitchen, looking through the birding binoculars to keep an eye on the birds at the feeder at least a million times since the snow started falling last November. I just can’t visualize doing my birdwatching, now, against a backdrop of anything but heavy snow. Will I still be able to see birds in the binoculars when things turn back to green?

Yes, of course I will and, yes, of course, I look forward to spring and the return of warm temperatures and migrating birds. In fact, I and am already making plans on taking the binoculars, spotting scope and tripod down to the dock for long, enjoyable hours of birding when the ice leaves on our lake.

I do love our north country winters, though. I’m in no hurry to see my snow disappear.

As much as I love my north woods and all the forests that make it the north woods, I have to say that those trees do limit my “observing window” when it comes time to use my astronomy binoculars or setup & use a telescope and, believe me, our yard is more open than most in our neck of the woods.

That may be one reason I have been using my binoculars more than telescopes for astronomy, as of late. You see, I have to frequently hunt down holes in the forest canopy that surrounds our yard in order to spot certain objects on a given night. That kind of portability is much easier to accomplish with my astronomy binoculars than my telescopes, especially if I choose to handhold the binoculars, as I usually do, rather than mount them on astronomy binocular tripods. Even my small APO refractor telescope is a tank compared to my handy Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe.

Later this spring, however, we will be cutting down trees that have been allowed to grow too close to the house for safety by previous owners. Some are dead and ready to topple over, in fact. That may open up my observing window for telescopes a bit more. We’ll see. (That’s the idea, of course.)

As someone who has been an active in birdwatching for over forty years, one question I refuse to answer is, “What is your favorite bird?” Impossible! I can’t even narrow it down to a favorite bird in specific bird groups, such as my favorite duck, my favorite sparrow and so on. Asking me to pick a favorite when it comes to birds is fighting words!

In fact, asking me to pick a favorite or “best” anything gets my hackles up. I don’t have a that kind of personality. I could pick a dozen premium birding binoculars or birding spotting scopes, for instance, that would make me deliriously happy and, make no mistake, I am extremely fussy about binoculars and spotting scopes. Fact is, fierce market competition when it comes to birding optics insures that there will never really be a best birding binocular or best birding spotting scope; there will only be a group of best quality birding binoculars or birding spotting scopes to consider. After that, it becomes a matter of personal and very subjective preferences as to which model you choose from each group and, of course, who decides which binoculars and which spotting scopes belong in these top of the line groups? You do, of course. Come to think of it, it would be downright boring if there really was a single best birding binocular or best birding spotting scope.

Excluding specialty binoculars, such as marine binoculars or image-stabilized binoculars, a new model binocular needs to be accepted in two communities to be a marketing success. It needs to be accepted in both the birdwatching community and the hunting community. It’s not that hunters and birders buy all the binoculars sold each year, though they account for a significant percentage of the sales, of course, but hunters and birders are definitely the two user groups that are most apt to discuss binoculars and pass the word, good or bad, amongst themselves. Thus, binocular manufacturers strive to have an active presence in both communities.

As far as actual features for birding binoculars or hunting binoculars, though, it really doesn’t take that much to make a binocular suitable for either birding or hunting. In fact, from a binocular design point of view, it is quite easy to make a binocular that is suitable for both birding and hunting. For a birding binocular, you need to make sure you have a short minimum or close focusing distance, because much birding is done at very close range. For hunting, you need to make sure the binocular is waterproof because hunters are the user group most likely to use binoculars in foul weather. Beyond that, for a good hunting binocular or birding binocular, you want the usual goodies found on a quality binoculars, such as good optics, smooth focusing, nice handling and so on.

Don’t let all the media advertising and hype centered on birding and hunting throw you, then, if you are shopping for a binocular for an application other than birding or hunting. In fact, if a binocular is well accepted in the birding or hunting crowd, odds are it is a very good binocular, since birders and hunters are both very demanding when it comes to binocular quality and performance.

Eleven inches of snow since yesterday afternoon and more expected throughout the day, today. Ah, just another March day in northern Wisconsin. No wonder this area is known as the Klondike of Wisconsin.

As I sit here, watching birds at the feeders through my binoculars, I can’t help but smile, though. My birds seem to take the snow all in stride and work the bird feeders with their usual gusto and determination. Just another day at the office for them. Same for me and my winter birdwatching. Guess I will be waxing the skis, this afternoon, too. Life is good in the north country. Spring will come soon enough.

My friends in southern Wisconsin like to tease me with almost daily reports of the spring bird migration and what they are seeing in their birding binoculars and spotting scopes. Their snow has been gone for several weeks, now, and I suspect they feel a little sorry for me. I remind them, of course, that we have a different attitude toward snow, up here in the north country and that my binoculars and birding spotting scope still get plenty of use. Spring will come soon enough along with migrating birds.

Any hopes I have had, recently, for spotting early migrating birds in my birding binoculars or birding spotting scope will have to be postponed due to a major winter storm headed our way. I am not surprised, however, given that the official first day of spring really has little to do with the weather this far north. Still, I am a little anxious to grab the binoculars and do some serious spring birding.

Spring is the season for serious birders as far as adding a lot of different bird species to our birding lists. We look forward to spring much as people who fish look forward to opening day of fishing season. True, after forty years of birdwatching, there aren’t too many birds I haven’t seen, but it’s all about seeing birds on the move for me, not just adding new birds to a list. There is nothing quite like seeing over one hundred species of birds in one day through the binoculars and this is rarely possible in any season other than spring. The question, for me, is whether it can be done in my local neighborhood. I am new to the area and therefore need to establish some kind of baseline on local birding.

Probably not this week, though. Here comes the snow.

Spring cleaning? That may be a bit optimistic, given that we are under a winter storm watch, this week, but I do have some birdwatching spring cleaning to do. No, my birding binoculars and birding spotting scope are in no need of cleaning, but my bird feeders sure are. Now that the snow has begun to melt under the feeders, all the waste that has accumulated over the winter, out of reach under heavy accumulated ice and snow, is now being exposed by thawing temperatures. It needs to be removed and removed, now. Warmer weather means that there is a chance of bacteria and disease in the rotting waste and that is the last thing you want around feeding birds.

I also need to expand my bird feeding operation to include two pole systems, instead of one. In my eagerness to attract more birds, I have added more hangers and feeders than my single pole can hold, safely, and all those feeders in such close proximity to each other leads to too much crowding and fighting at the feeders to access food. No sinking poles in frozen ground, of course, so I still have to wait a bit before that phase of my bird feeding operation takes place.

Hmmm? If two poles are good, then how about three poles?

When I look at high-end birding binoculars or high-end hunting binoculars (often one and the same, designed that way to capture both markets), I am constantly amazed at how high the prices have gone, followed only by my surprise that people will pay such prices. Of course, I could show may age and say something like there was a day when people thought that $2000 plus for binoculars was lunacy, blah, blah, blah, but I won’t. After all, it’s not like binocular manufacturers are trying to gouge the consumer and binoculars, even high end binoculars, cost what they cost to make. When you pull out all the stops as to performance and quality to compete for the unofficial title of world’s best binocular, you don’t sweat costs, you just make the binoculars. When you factor in all the expertise and engineering required, plus a margin to make it worth your while, you get your $2000 binoculars.

Although most binocular users will never even have an opportunity to touch a $2000 binocular, such as a Swarovski EL, a Leica Ultravid HD, a Zeiss Victory FL or a Nikon EDG, let alone own one, all binocular owners benefit from the technology and optical advances that go into making these “best quality” binoculars. Where do you think binocular advances such as phase-coated roof prisms, full multi-coating, locking diopter settings, waterproofing to the nth degree, aspherical lens technology first appeared in the binocular world? That’s right , at the very top and then, after the forces of manufacturing scale, these advances worked themselves slowly down into lesser priced binoculars. In fact, you can now find all of these advancements in what we regard as low-priced or even budget binoculars. It all starts at the top, though.

If you have open water on the rivers and lakes in your area and you enjoy birdwatching, now is the time to grab your binoculars and see migrating waterfowl. Later in the spring, when the weather warms enough for insect activity, is the best time for migrating songbirds, but by then the big push on waterfowl has passed. Up here, in the north country, we are still iced in, but the ice is typically gone for most of the country by mid-March.

The beauty of spring waterfowl birding is that most of the birds are in their breeding plumage, meaning their colorful and spectacular best when seen through birding binoculars or spotting scopes and, yes, if you have a spotting scope and a window mount, this is the time to use them.

As bird groups go, waterfowl are rather easy to identify as well as being large and colorful, so they are perfect for the beginner birder to develop their skills and add more species to a newly started bird list. You don’t even need to be able to identify ducks and geese, however, to enjoy this spring spectacle. Even after forty years of birding, I still schedule a few days each spring out at the marsh or lake to watch one of Nature’s greatest shows. It is very addictive, I assure you.

Binoculars, as consumer products go, have a remarkably long lifespan. Even an inexpensive or mid-priced binocular is likely to out last one of those new, improved, everything even better digital cameras, computers, DVD players and all the other marvels of our digital age. An expensive binocular will easily outlast your car or the furniture in your house. Still, as durable as binoculars are, some binoculars die a premature death at the hands of their owners.

The number one repair issue in the binocular world is misaligned prisms. In the worst case, this can produce double images in your binocular. In a mild case, misalignment of the prisms produces eye fatigue and strain. If for some reason, it is becoming uncomfortable to use your binoculars, no matter how carefully you adjust the diopter or the focusing, you may have an alignment issue of the milder type. Prism misalignment is more likely to occur in cheap binoculars than in expensive binoculars, but I've seen examples in even the most expensive birding binoculars or hunting binoculars.

The good news is that this is also the easiest repair to avoid. Simply make it a habit of always using the binocular strap that comes with every binocular so those binoculars are always around your neck where they belong. Most cases of misalignment are caused by either dropping your binoculars or inadvertently banging them against something, thereby shaking the prisms loose. Use that binocular strap and you greatly reduce the odds of your binoculars dying before their time.

In this digital, computerized everything kind of world, binoculars may almost seem to be an anachronism. Sure, there have been binocular design improvements over the long history of binoculars, but the basic design really hasn’t changed much in the last 100-150 years. You still get two binocular objectives, binocular eyepieces and a way to focus for different distances. What could be simpler?

Not that manufacturers haven’t tried to load binoculars with high tech add-ons. In the past, we’ve seen binoculars with motorized focusing and we’ve seen binoculars with digital compasses. These innovations never really made a place for themselves in the binocular market. Image-stabilized binoculars and digital binoculars – binoculars with small, built-in inexpensive cameras have fared better, but they are essentially niche binoculars and represent only a relatively small percentage of binocular sales, today.

Technology’s impact on binoculars has mostly been a matter of improvement in materials and refinement of optical systems via computerized optical design and performance. Still, if you were to hand your great grandmother or grandfather one of today’s most refined birding binoculars, hunting binoculars or compact binoculars, they would likely be able to use them, instantly, no instructions needed.

Birding (or birdwatching) is such an accessible pastime that it is sometimes hard for me to understand why there aren’t more bird watchers out there with binoculars around their necks, spotting birds. Of all the many outdoor activities I pursue, birding is the least dependent on the weather or the season. True, some types of weather are best for seeing a lot of birds, just as some seasons are best for seeing a lot of birds, but there is no reason why you can’t pick up your birding binoculars or look through a birding spotting scope 365 days a year. How many outdoor activities can make that claim?

Where are all the bird watchers, then? I can think of half a dozen ways to explain the fact that I so seldom see other birders when I am out on the trail, but I suspect the biggest reason is that a lot of folks just plain don’t notice the birds around them, especially in this ever more urban world with its ever more frantic pace. Birds? What birds? Who has time to look at birds?

To me, these are the very people who should take time to watch birds. People who can’t or won’t take the time to notice the wildlife that is literally in their back yards – and birds are present in even the most urban yards – are the very people we environmental types need to reach if we expect popular support for environmental causes and I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to increase environmental awareness than to spend a few moments with binoculars to better see the bird life around us. That’s why I have made a habit of sharing my binoculars when I meet strangers. “Hey, ever seen an oriole up close? Here, take a look though these at that bird high up in the tree.”

What do you do when a waxing crescent moon is up in the sky and you want to do some astronomy with your binoculars? Why, you enjoy the moon, of course. Last night, after supper, I stepped out on our deck with my astronomy binoculars and started scanning the skies for some of my favorite binocular targets. When I arrived at the constellation Perseus, I momentarily wondered where that great binocular open cluster, the Pleiades, had disappeared. Of course, it was still where it has always been, but it was now hidden in the glow of the moon. When I turned my Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe on the moon, sure enough, I could see the Pleiades in the same field. Yes, the crescent moon and a gorgeous open star cluster all in the same field of view in the binoculars. It was a binocular exclusive, too, since most telescopes cannot duplicate the 5.1 degree field of my binoculars.

How often do these conjunctions (two objects appear near each other in the sky) with the moon occur for the binocular astronomer? While not rare, they don’t happen every night, especially not conjunctions of the moon with breathtaking objects such as the Pleiades. As always, it is a mistake to ignore the moon when doing astronomy with binoculars.

The sun is finally out after several days of clouds and snow and I can hardly put the binoculars down or turn off the digital cameras. Is there anything as beautiful and invigorating as a sunny day after a snow? The birds at my birdfeeders must agree. Not a perch is empty as Goldfinches, Pine Siskins, Chickadees, Nuthatches and several species of Woodpeckers are trying to get at the food. Meanwhile, I just sit back, drink my coffee at my kitchen table and watch the show. Ah, if only birdwatching was always so easy!

Most of the time, of course, it takes a bit more effort to see that many species in the birding binoculars and there are times when it takes much, much more work to see specific types of birds. Marsh birds are a good example. On more than one occasion , I have had to wade though long stretches of muck and mud and slimy water with birding spotting scope and tripod over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of hard to find marsh birds and all with no guarantee that I will find a single bird when I reach my destination. I have driven for an entire day, out on the prairie, with the hopes of seeing one rare sparrow or maybe even get lucky enough to photograph a Prairie Falcon.

In other words, I am more than happy to let the birds come to me, but I am not afraid to go looking for them, either.

Most astronomy binoculars, today, are made in China. Why? To keep the cost down, of course. Many of us, though, have been taught from an early age that cheaper automatically means inferior. You get what you pay for, right? Spend more on binoculars and you see more, right?

Ah, if the binocular world was only that simple. Yes, absolutely, there are advantages to spending more on your astronomy binoculars, but that doesn’t automatically translate into seeing more objects when you take your binoculars out under the night sky. In fact, if you were to take made-in-China dedicated astronomy binoculars in the Celestron binoculars line or the Oberwerk binoculars line (two very popular made in China brands) and compare them to my beloved and very expensive made-in-Japan, Nikon Astroluxe 10x70, you might be surprised to discover there are very few objects, if any, that would be only and exclusively visible in the Nikon, even though my Nikon costs as much as ten times more than a comparable Celestron binocular or Oberwerk binocular. Granted, my Nikon Astroluxe produces slightly sharper images, slightly brighter images and so on, but the difference, for me, is mostly aesthetic and, of course, I am willing to pay what it takes to get such quality images. I could, however, see the very same objects and much the same detail in those objects in the made-in-China Celestron astronomy binoculars or Oberwerk astronomy binoculars at a small fraction of the price. I know, because I have used and tested samples from both Celestron and Oberwerk right alongside my expensive Nikons.

For sure, my Nikon Astroluxe is made to the very highest mechanical standards, as are many of the Fujinon binoculars I have tested and, in that arena, no made in China binocular I have seen compares. Again, however, I am willing to pay what it takes to get that kind of build quality and I have arrived at a point in my life where I can afford to do it.

On the other hand, I have always encouraged others to try astronomy with binoculars and I would hate to think there is a beginner out there who thinks he or she must spend a fortune for suitable astronomy binoculars, especially with so many good, affordable astronomy binoculars from Celestron, Oberwerk and others.

What’s the deal with camo binoculars? I get general questions like this, from time to time, on camouflage binoculars and do my best to help.

The most common question involving camouflage binoculars is why do they usually cost more than the same model binocular in basic black. After all, it shouldn’t cost anymore just to change the color on a binocular, right? Why do I have to pay an extra $40 for the camo version? Actually, it does cost more, in the case of camouflage. Camo patterns are trademark protected and licensed. That means if you want to manufacture a binocular in a particular camouflage pattern, you have to pay a fee to the folks that hold the trademark on the pattern, much like you can expect to pay a fee to reproduce copyrighted materials. Of course, that cost is passed on to the consumer when it comes time to buy binoculars, hence the higher price tag for the camo version.

Who would want a camouflage binoculars, anyway? Camouflage is very popular with hunters and it also sees some use in tactical/military binoculars. Some hunters are adamant about the need for total camouflage, right down to camouflage hunting binoculars, gloves and so on while other hunters see no need to take camo quite that far and are quite content with basic black, green and so on for a binocular color. As far as binocular manufacturers are concerned, though, the only thing that counts is that some folks want and will pay extra for camo binoculars, therefore they will produce camo binoculars.

Is there a downside to camouflage binoculars, other than the higher price? I have heard several stories from customers who set camo binoculars down on the forest floor in the fall or winter to take care of business and then could not locate them, again. This, of course, is probably rare, but something to think about when buying binoculars for hunting. If nothing else, it is a good excuse to use the binocular strap and keep that binocular around your neck.

More snow, today, more snow, tomorrow and more snow the next day. In other words, just your average winter week in the north country. That’s mostly good news, though. For me, it means more birdwatching as the birds seek haven at our bird feeders. In fact, it’s been hard to but the binoculars, down, this morning. More snow, also means more skiing, of course, and after a long absence of fresh snow, this new snow especially welcome.

More snow in the forecast does not mean more time with astronomy binoculars, obviously, but I did manage to get some time under the stars over the weekend, before the snow arrived, at least enough to satisfy my astronomy bug. Nothing special in the way of objects seen to report, but that first clear night after a long dry spell usually finds me rushing from one famous object to the next to quench my thirst. I need a couple of dark nights, at least, before I get more specific about challenging myself and my binoculars on those tough objects. That will have to wait, of course, so this week will be more about my birding binoculars than astronomy binoculars. Who's complaining?

One of the most touted advantage of roof prism binoculars over porro prism binoculars is the better handling as a result of the roof prism binocular slimmer profile. That is, indeed, a solid reason to go roof prism when you buy binoculars, but it is not the only advantage of roof prism binoculars. One of the often overlooked advantages of roof prism binoculars is the way they focus and some of the side benefits that result.

In center focus porro prism binoculars – the traditional body style with offset barrels - focusing is achieved by moving the eyepieces in our out as needed and most often this focusing is external, meaning the mechanism is exposed and visible. You can actually see the eyepieces and the bridge the supporting bridge move up and down as you focus. This system has two serious disadvantages.

One, it is hard to waterproof. It can be done and there are external focus binoculars models that are waterproof, but the effectiveness of the waterproofing is never quite as good as a roof prism waterproof binocular and as long as the mechanism remains exposed, it is also liable to pick up dirt and other foreign substances.

Second, smooth and effortless focusing is harder to achieve with external focusing, porro prism binoculars because you are moving two large and bulky eyepieces with a bridge that often flexes and that tends to make the eyepieces stick in the barrels that support them. This can also mean a shorter lifespan compared to an internal focusing binocular. In other words, if you are finicky about smooth and effortless focusing and concerned about durability, you are more likely to get what you want in a roof prism binocular.

In a typical roof prism binocular, the eyepieces don’t move. The objective or front lenses move within the barrels of the body where they are better supported, hence less of a tendency to twist and also better protected against the elements. Those long roof prism barrels also provide more room to travel and that makes for a binocular with better close focus, an important feature in birding binoculars. To complete the waterproofing process, all that is required is a cover lens placed at the end of the barrel.

If you have a typical roof prism binocular, turn it upside down and focus and then peer inside the barrels beyond the front cover lens. You will probably see lenses moving inside the barrel. It's fun to see how your binocular actually works.

The Sharp-Shinned hawk I spotted at the feeders, last week, appears to be back, so I suspect this little raptor has created a neighborhood route of likely spots to ambush the small birds which are its prey. I was, as usual, sitting at my kitchen table, writing on the computer, when I noticed the hawk perched atop my feeder pole, next tot the decorative silhouette of a song bird that came with the feeder pole. I first took a look at the bird in my compact binoculars, which are as much a part of my kitchen décor as any appliance and, from what I could see in the little Nikon 10x25 Premier LX, it appeared to be the same bird.

A second, later, my “get a pic” warning bell went off in my head, so I grabbed one of our digital cameras out of the camera cabinet in one hand and my tripod with spotting scope in the other hand and managed to get it all set up at the correct window.

No, I'm not thrilled to see any songbirds at my feeder fall prey to this handsome bird and, so far, I've seen no evidence of kills, but I also know the hawk can only be a hawk and it must eat, same as any other bird.

Customer loyalty to a particular brand of binoculars is a strong force in the binocular world and, of course, that is hardly news to binocular manufacturers, so they typically work hard to keep their customers. Yes, there will always be instances of unhappy customers in the binocular world, but, in my many years of selling binoculars, I can say that very few markets enjoy such a high customer satisfaction rate as the binocular market. Indeed, most binocular manufacturers work hard to identify their customers via a questionnaire to be filled out when it comes time to register your new binocular.

Why are some customers so loyal to one brand or another when it comes time to buy binoculars? In some instances, it is name identification, thanks to a brand working hard within a particular sporting community. Thus, Swarovski binoculars, Leica binoculars, Swift binoculars, Zeiss binoculars, Steiner binoculars, Nikon binoculars, Burris binoculars, Vortex binoculars, Brunton binoculars and Leupold binoculars and many others are old established names when it comes to birding binoculars or hunting binoculars. For many of us, past experience with a brand is a big factor. People have been using Bushnell binoculars almost as long as there have been binoculars and for good reason. Who has not used Bushnell binoculars? Want some superb, truly high grade binoculars at affordable prices? Try Meopta binoculars, Minox binoculars, Pentax binoculars and Alpen binoculars to name just a few. Maybe value is more your thing; you want the most binocular for your limited budget, so you buy Barska binoculars, Tasco binoculars, Carson binoculars or Celestron binoculars. Or perhaps you are in the market for image stabilized binoculars. You definitely need to see Fujinon binoculars and Canon binoculars.

Okay, you get the point. It is hard not to find a brand of binocular you like, these days, and all those brands mean that the binocular market is very healthy, indeed.

I have learned the hard way that it pays to inform folks as to your intent when you carry binoculars around your neck. Most of the incidents have concerned my birdwatching activities, but the have been some incidents involving my use of astronomy binoculars.

I once moved into a suburban neighborhood that a delight for bird watching and, naturally, I spent many hours on my back porch or in the garden with my birding binoculars around my neck. Now and then, I even set up my birding spotting scope, since there was a vacant lot next to our yard. Little did I know that several of the older folks in the neighborhood were convinced I was spying on them or other neighbors, hoping to get a peek at what, I really don’t know, but they were convinced that I was up to no good, at least. It wasn’t until I attended a neighborhood coffee that I had a chance to explain that I was a bird watcher. After that I constantly received calls from these same neighbors to come over and identify birds for them, which, of course I gladly did, even though I knew full well that was just an excuse for some of the seniors to have some company.

More than once in my life I have lived in urban areas, so that meant I often got in the car with my astronomy binoculars and headed for rural areas, often parking my car along the side of secluded country roads, far from the interference of city lights, for the sake of my astronomy. On two occasions, I neglected to inform folks who lived along those country roads as to my business, so, after seeing me return on several nights, they reported me to the sheriff. The deputies that arrived soon after were more than polite when I explained and showed them my binoculars and a little concerned, too, that I was out there by myself.

Be a good neighbor when you carry binoculars. Let folks know what you are doing.