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

As much as I dearly love my compact binoculars, I know quite well they have faults and shortcomings. All compact binoculars have shortcomings, thanks to their diminutive optical systems. Yes, there is an optical penalty to pay for that small size and weight that makes compact binoculars such a joy to carry.

However, much of this is exaggerated. Are small binoculars as bright as large binoculars? No, not on paper, but for all but the most extreme low light applications, compact binoculars are bright enough. Yet this lack of image brightness in compact binoculars is the shortcoming most likely to be raised by some so-called binocular experts, probably because the math involved is the easiest to explain to the uninformed. Lack of image brightness is only rarely a reason not to buy compact binoculars.

With my compact binoculars, I am more aware of a decrease in resolution (the ability to show two closely spaced objects as separate objects), compared to my larger binoculars. Resolution, after all, is directly related to objective size. However, my compact binoculars offer all the resolution I need, even for detail daytime work such as birdwatching. I have never failed to identify a bird because my compact binoculars lacked resolution. This lack of resolution is something I notice much more for astronomy and that's one big reason why we astronomers go larger on our astronomy binoculars.

Eye fatigue that comes with using compact binoculars is perhaps the most valid criticism of compact binoculars. The pupils of your eyes must be lined up precisely with the small beams of light – exit pupils – leaving the eyepieces of compact binoculars. If your eyes are off even a bit, strain can develop. Over long observing sessions this can take a toll. Experience in handling compact binoculars can help, here, but even for an experienced user of compact binoculars like me, I find mid-sized and full size binoculars a better choice for all day, continuous observing.

Still, I do just fine with compact binoculars for most uses. They’re not quite the optical nightmare some would have you believe anymore than they are the perfect solution for every application as others might claim. Compact binoculars are, however, ALWAYS better than no binocular.

It’s true. You get more in terms of optics with your binocular dollar if you choose a porro prism binocular. Roof prism binoculars may be slimmer, nicer handling and offer more durability, but it does cost more to make a roof prism binocular to the same optical standards as a porro prism. If you are on a budget, then, and you want the most for your optical dollar, it makes sense to buy binoculars with a porro prism design. Porros may be a bit old school, but they are anything but outdated. If you gotta go cheap binoculars, porro prisms are the only way to go in my book.

In fact, it’s a little shocking just how optically good some porro prism binoculars under $100 can be. Check out the Nikon Action 8x40, the Celestron Nature 10x50 or the Bushnell Legacy WP 8x42, for instance. It’s not all roses under $100 for a binocular – lower quality control, less in the way of durability and lifespan – but you definitely do not have to settle for lousy optics.

Haven’t had a good, stiff north wind to kick bird migration up a notch for over a week, now, so no new birds seen in the binoculars this week. It’s a temporary birdwatching lull, to be sure, but, as usual, I’m a lit too eager. Winter winds will be here soon enough. Besides, what we do have for birds in the area has kept me and my birding binoculars plenty busy.

Still, I find myself thumbing back and forth through the pages of my bird field guides in anticipation of birds yet to arrive and hopefully be seen in the binoculars and spotting scope, soon. Each page and each bird illustration and each bird description brings back memories of past bird migrations. That’s a lot of memories, given that I have been bird watching for well over forty years and have watched birds from one coast to the other in this country and many points in between.

In terms of variety of birds to be seen in the binoculars, our current home in northern Wisconsin is down the list a ways compared to other places I have lived, but what the north country lacks in diversity for bird life, it rewards with breathtaking surroundings (my "backyard" in the pic, above) and a handful of specialty birds throughout the seasons of the year.

I still can’t wait to see some new fall birds, though, in my binoculars.

As north country lakes go, there are the large lakes that are popular with tourists, power boaters, jet skiers, water skiers, swimmers, resorts and the like. These are important lakes for a north country economy that needs and depends on tourists. These lakes are also prime real estate for those who want a home on a lake. Waters are clean and clear with either rocky or sandy bottoms. The north country is famous for these lakes. We don't live on one of these lakes.

On the other hand, for every one of these better known lakes, there are dozens and dozens of lesser known lakes better suited for wildlife watching, birdwatching, canoeing and kayaking. They’re quiet lakes for those who want a little seclusion. We live on one of these lakes.

Our lake is too shallow and weedy for power boats and it is also filled with old logs from back in the days when it and our creek were used to float logs down to the Wisconsin River. It just begs, though, to be explored in a canoe or kayak. In the summer, much of our lake is covered with water lilies and arrowheads to the extent that, by August, it is sometimes hard to see the water on parts of the lake. Ours is a also bog lake with dark tea colored water thanks to all the Tamaracks along its shore. All in all, as waterfront property goes, it is considered to be undesirable.

That’s why I fell in love with it as soon as I first laid eyes on it. We don’t have the lake to ourselves – we share it with six other homes – but none of the other homes are visible from our dock. All you see from our dock is lake and pines and tamaracks and wildlife and more wildlife.

This morning, for instance, we watched otters through my spotting scope which is setup on a tripod looking out our living room window. Yesterday, while walking our dog, I watched a Bald Eagle soaring low over the lake in my birding binoculars. At night as I do astronomy with both binoculars and telescopes, I am serenaded by coyotes, owls and an amazing chorus of frog songs. Not a day goes by when we don’t have deer in the yard and, yes, we’ve had bears, too, because this is prime bear country.

I am in heaven.

About the pic: my husband looks good in a kayak, don't you think?

I own … heck, I darn near collect premium compact binoculars. I have my pick of top grade compacts from Swarovski binoculars, Leica binoculars, Zeiss binoculars, B&L binoculars and Nikon binoculars any time I need a compact binocular. Which is my favorite?

I refuse to answer that question because I can’t. Each one of my compact binoculars is unique and I choose based on the task at hand. My Swarovski Crystal Pocket binocular is my show off binocular that I carry to the opera and sporting events. My Leica Ultravid 10x25 BL is my et birdwatching binocular and gets the nod for my serious birding outings. I like the Zeiss Victory 8x20 for bicycling and hiking trips because the single hinge design stays put and does not loose its adjustment.

Then there is my Nikon Premier LX 10x25. It is my workhorse, do everything, go everywhere premium compact binocular. It's the one I grab whenever I head out the door for whatever comes to mind. It’s actually the cheapest of my premium roof prism compact binoculars, but it’s the one I use the most, probably because the Premier LX is the most forgiving of my compact binoculars when it comes to eye placement on the eyepieces and that is critical for using compact binoculars effectively and comfortably. As for optics? My Nikon Premier LX 10x25 may be the least expensive of my premium roof prism compact binoculars, but it holds its own with the those European brands, thank-you very much. I wouldn’t own and use it if it didn’t.

I don’t know the actual percentages, but I do know that a significantly large number of people that use binoculars use them while wearing glasses or eyewear such as sunglasses. Binocular manufacturers know this, too, and have done something about it, but this hasn’t always been the case.

There was a time, some fifteen or twenty years past, when you had your work cut out for you if you needed to wear glasses when using binoculars. First, the binocular spec that eyeglass wearers need to know, namely eye relief, was only sporadically listed for binoculars. You might find it for some models of binoculars in a binocular line, but not others. Some manufacturers didn’t even list eye relief as a spec at all.

Even worse, binoculars with enough eye relief to use with glasses were in the minority, twenty years, ago. When it came time to buy binoculars, your selection was limited. Popular birding binoculars, hunting binoculars, compact binoculars and so on all too often lacked the minimum 15 mm of eye relief to be good choices for eyeglass wearers. As a result, many of us who were cursed with wearing glasses, just settled for the reduced binocular field of view that comes with binoculars short on eye relief.

The binocular world has changed and changed for the better if your wear eyeglasses. Today, the vast majority of binoculars list eye relief and a most binoculars have plenty of eye relief, too. Things have never been better in the binocular world for us eyeglass wearers.

When does the portability of compact binoculars become more of a factor than the loss of performance that comes with compact binoculars due to their smaller optical systems?

There is, of course, no hard and fast rule as to when you should opt for compact binoculars instead of full size binoculars, but, in general, if you find yourself tempted to leave full size birding binoculars or hunting binoculars at home or in camp because of their size and weight, then you may want to at least think about compact binoculars as a backup for such occasions. Any binocular, after all, is better than no binocular and you might find that compact binoculars are often all you need.

For instance, I use compact binoculars for most of my birdwatching these days. Yes, mid-size and full size birding binoculars offer a bit nicer view of the birds I so enjoy watching, but as far as identifying birds go, I have enough experience identifying birds to more than make up the little bit of performance I lose by carrying small binoculars. Then, too, by opting for high grade compact binoculars, I don’t feel at all deprived with the quality of what I see. For sure, none of my birding guests has ever complained when I offered to let them use my Nikon Premier LX 10x25, my Swarovski Pocket 8x20, my Zeiss Victory 8x20 or Custom Compact 7x26 on our birding walks. (No one touches my Leica 10x25 BL but me, though. I only share up to a point).

Keep in mind that compact binoculars are not for everyone, though - some people just don’t get along with them at all. On the other hand, more and more people are using smaller binoculars these days. You may wish to give compact binoculars a try next time you head out the door. They’re small enough you’ll hardly know they are there.

What can you add to binoculars to make them better?

In all truth, no one has yet to add something to binoculars that you could classify as an absolute, must have, essential feature that every binocular in use should have, though it’s not from binocular manufacturers lack of trying.

Digital binoculars, which incorporate a cheap digital camera built-in or, more correctly, built on an inexpensive binocular frame have met with limited success. These camera binoculars allow you to take a picture of whatever you see in the binocular, but nothing you couldn’t do better with even inexpensive digital cameras, these days and, often, with the same optical magnification. To date, no camera or binocular manufacturer has shown an interest in making high grade digital binoculars.

Binoculars with a compass have long been used in marine binoculars and are actually quite useful when you want to record the compass heading of an object sighted on the water. They are somewhat outdated as navigation aids, thanks to the widespread use of GPS units.

Image stabilization is a very useful binocular add on and of all the things you can add to binoculars, it is by far the most effective and useful. Image stabilized binoculars really do work and work, well. These binoculars will be heavier and bulkier to accommodate the image stabilization mechanism and they are also a bit less durable than conventional binoculars and they are often considerably more expensive than conventional binoculars, but when you need a bit of help to steady a binocular, image stabilization is the way to go.

Binoculars with radios, binoculars with motor focus? Forget it. It’s been tried and scrapped more than once. Basically, binocular gimmicks.

Our lawn, this week, has been covered by flocks of Juncos and the numbers are building. Oh, yes, winter is coming and the birds and I both know it. Despite the fact that I have seen who knows how many thousands of Juncos in my forty plus years of birdwatching, I still love to see them in binoculars. They are a handsome bird in an understated way – no flashy colors, but their markings are eye-catching all the same.

I also watch flocks of Juncos in the birding binoculars for a less aesthetic reason. Other birds, particularly other species of sparrows, tend to travel with Juncos. This week, for instance, I spotted my first White-throated Sparrow of the fall while casually scanning a flock of Juncos with my Nikon Monarch 3 10x42. It was a single immature bird, but it seemed quite content to be with the Juncos. Just a matter of time before I see a White-crowned Sparrow or two or maybe a Fox Sparrow or Lincoln’s Sparrow. It’s early yet, but I know they are coming.

Time to grab the binoculars and take another look at those Juncos.

One of the reasons that I generally prefer to wear my glasses when looking through binoculars is steadiness. Planting the binocular eyecups, gently, but firmly, right on the lenses of my prescription eyeglasses, makes for a steady hold. That little bit of extra bracing really makes a difference in steadiness, and, no, I have never scratched my glasses doing this. Just a matter of choosing binoculars with rubber or plastic eyecups that don’t allow the lenses in the eyecups to touch the lenses on my eyeglasses.

On the other hand, I much prefer to wear my contacts when out in the field, especially when things turn a bit wet and/or frosty - darn glasses are about useless when they’re wet or fogged over! So, over the years, I’ve developed a handhold on my birding binoculars and my compact binoculars that gives me almost as much steadiness as the eyeglasses method of bracing. I simply curl the index finger of my left hand around the left eyecup on the binocular, as in the pic, above, then brace that index finer against my eye socket. It gives me a very steady hold, not quite as good as what I get when using my eyeglasses as a brace, but far better than the usual holding the binoculars in your hands without the benefit of a brace. You can, of course, pin the eyecups of the binocular directly against the sockets of your eyes, but ouch! That is less than comfortable. Your index finger is a much better cushion.

What do you get in October when strong north winds blow? If you are into birdwatching, you know that strong north winds will trigger fall bird migration and that is exactly what we had, this last weekend. New birds are everywhere and it’s been hard to put down the birding binoculars.

I’ve always considered the arrival of Juncos as the onset of the late fall bird migration. I’d been watching for them, last week and, sure enough, after a day and night of darn near gale force north winds, Friday, the yard was filled with these members of the Sparrow family on Saturday morning. I’ll now have Juncos coming and going in the yard until May, so time to throw some bird feed out on the lawn since these birds much prefer to feed on the ground.

October has always been a moth for me to see Song Sparrows migrating, as well, and, not surprisingly, there was also a Song Sparrow mixed in with the Juncos.

Meanwhile, out on the lake, had our first fall flock of Ring-necked Ducks arrive. While often associated with large lakes and reservoirs, the Ring-necked Duck also likes small wooded lakes and that describes our lake, perfectly. That white stripe that runs up the shoulder on the males, by the way, is visible at great distances in a spotting scope.

Keep those birds, coming!

How do you improve on the world’s best selling $300 class roof prism binocular, one that has been the benchmark in this category some twenty years running? Should you even try?

That’s exactly what Nikon has done with their latest version of the venerable Nikon Monarch 10x42, namely the Nikon Monarch 3 10x42 and, make no mistake, this is a new Monarch that goes right to the heart of the binocular, namely the optical system. It is not simply a re-badged Nikon Monarch binocular with a few cosmetic changes.

First thing you’ll notice on the new Monarch 3 binoculars is a bit more weight than the old Nikon Monarch 10x42 (7295). At 24.7 ounces, the new Monarch 3 is still a lightweight as 10x42 binoculars go, but that’s a bit more than 3 ounces heavier than the old Monarch. The Monarch 3 is also a bit longer binocular at 6.1 “ compared to the old Monarchs 5.6”. Like I said, this really is a new Nikon Monarch binocular.

Despite these changes, I rate the handling on the new Monarch 3 as excellent and I do mean excellent. Those 24.7 ounces balance beautifully in the hand and that added weight makes this Monarch a steadier glass to hold than the old Monarch 10x42, . Overall, I found the Monarch 3 binocular hard to put down and the excellent feel and balance was just one of the reasons. It’s as nice a handling 10x42 binocular as I have ever used and I have owned the best.

I am one very fussy birder about the way a binocular focuses, but the Monarch 3 10x42 that I have could not possibly focus better. Focusing was smooth throughout its range, no high or low spots. The center focus wheel is right under the tip of my index finger where it belongs and, best of all, requires only one finger’s effort to move. That's the way good birding binoculars should focus.

Excellent handling and balance with ease of focusing makes this Nikon binocular one that can be operated effectively with one hand. If you are a birder like me who often balances a tripod and spotting scope over the shoulder with one hand and works a binocular with the other, this is important. I expect hunters will find this equally useful.

While we’re on focusing, you birders out there should take notice of the Monarch’s close focus capability. Close focus on the Monarch 3 is listed at 9.7 feet, but, as always, this feature varies from one sample to the next and from one person’s eyes to the next. On my Monarch 3, I can read a spot on the floor that measures 82 inches (not quite 7 feet) from my front toe, according to the tape. That’s all the close focus any birder could ask for in a birding binocular. You may not get this, but even at 9.7 feet, as advertised, the Monarch 3 has all the close focus a birder could need.

Even better, my Monarch 3 can focus from this very close 82 inches all the way out to infinity in just one and a quarter turn of the focusing wheel! That’s about as fast as it gets in the binocular focusing department, folks.

As for the other goodies, you get the same wide webbed nylon binocular strap with no padding, but it is certainly adequate for the Monarch’s 24.7 ounces. I had no problem at all carrying for several hours at a time.

For those of you who use objective lens covers (I don’t, but some folks like them) you’ll be pleased to know that Nikon dumped those earlier flimsy, never stay in place objective covers on previous Monarchs and replaced them with beefy tethered lens covers that pop into the objective housings like they mean it (see the pic). Nikon must have had their fill of complaints about the old ones and these new objective covers should put an end to that.

Most of the changes I see with the new Monarch 3 are in the optics. This an optically different binocular than the old Monarch, no doubt about it.

For instance, eye relief on the Monarch 3 10x42 has been increased to 17.4 mm over the old Monarch’s eye relief of 15.5mm. That may not seem like much, but that15.5mm on the old Monarch was a bit tight for some eyeglass wearers, including me. When using the Monarch 3 with my glasses, I can now see right out to the edge of the field stops and a bit beyond. in other words, I can see the entire field of view plus. That’s definitely above average for a 10x42 roof prism in the eye relief department.

Nikon is making a point of advertising image brightness on the new Monarch 3 binoculars, via its silver coated roof prisms as opposed to the old Monarch’s dielectric coatings. It is rare to see silver coated prisms at this price, no doubt about it. That’s a feature you typically find on more expensive roof prism binoculars. Is the Monarch 3 actually brighter than the old Monarch, then? That’s not something that lends itself to casual testing and these old eyes are probably not the best instruments to test this, anyway, but I will say that you will be impressed with the image brightness in the new Monarch 3 10x42 from the very first look. It’s every bit as bright as any 10x42 I have tested, at any rate. Yes, this is a noticeably bright 10x42 binocular.

Contrast I also rated as excellent with full, rich colors, somewhat reminiscent of what I get with my far more expensive European birdwatching binoculars. Color correction I rated as very good, with only a barely noticeable tinge of color when on the perimeter of the moon (a severe test for any optic) and a also tinge of color when objects were moved to the extreme edge of the field. Clean as a whistle in 90% of the field, though. Can’t really ask for much more than this until you move into a binocular with ED or other special glass.

Speaking of edge of field performance, I am as fussy, here, as I am about focusing and, once again, the Monarch 3 impressed. This binocular is darn near as sharp at the edge of the field as my Nikon Premier binoculars and that is saying a lot. I have yet to see binoculars at this price with this kind of edge sharpness. As for distortion, forget it. Straight lines stay very close to perfectly straight when I scan back and forth with the Monarch 3. Flat field and sharp to the edge. What more could you want?

Resolution, sharpness? Again excellent and right there with much more expensive binoculars on the chart, but no one buys binoculars to test on a chart. Out in the field, where it counts, I was able to distinguish the white eye ring on female Wood Ducks out on the lake at a half mile distance, same as with my much more expensive Premier LX binoculars. That’s all you can ask for in birding binoculars.

Is the Nikon Monarch 3 perfect in terms of optics? No, but what binocular is? For instance, the new Monarch 3 seems just a touch fussier than the older Monarch about eye placement on the eyepieces, but not enough to have to fight the binocular. This is easily remedied by carefully adjusting the interpupillary distance adjustment (opening and closing the two halves of the binocular for the width between your eyes). The effort is worth it because of the wonderfully flat, crisp, sharp edge to edge view you get with a properly adjusted Monarch 3. Once I had my Monarch 3 properly adjusted for diopter (via the usual ring on the right eyepiece) and IPD, I experienced no eye strain whatsoever over several hours of continuous viewing, similar to what I have experienced with the much more expensive Nikon Premier LX and Nikon EDG binoculars. That’s outstanding for a binocular at this price.

Only other issue encountered was a small amount of glare at the very edge of the field in the Monarch when the angle of the sun was low to the horizon. Hardly worth mentioning, because this admittedly rare occurrence was easily eliminated by shading the objectives with one hand and at no time did the tiny bit of glare intrude all the way to the center of the field render the binocular useless. In this respect, the Monarch is no worse than the majority of binoculars I have tested and much better than others. I only report it in the interest of accuracy.

In my opinion Nikon hit a home run with the Monarch 3, a grand slam, in fact. This new Monarch does indeed raise the bar for a binocular in its price class and, in fact, it should give binoculars at two or three times the price a legitimate run for the money. Think of it as a poor man’s or poor woman’s Nikon Premier LX, if you will. It is that good. That benchmark performance Nikon has been advertising? This binocular lives up to its billing.

Let’s put it this way: I never thought I would test a binocular at this point that would be hard to put down. That’s a characteristic I’ve only experienced with very expensive premium binoculars. The Monarch 3 10x42 has changed that. The Monarch 3 is just plain hard for me to put down.

Most of my binoculars get called on to do a variety of jobs. My compact binoculars, for instance, go with me everywhere and, as a result, they have been used as birding binoculars, hiking binoculars, sport binoculars, theatre binoculars and, yes, in a pinch, even astronomy binoculars. That’s versatility for you.

My astronomy binoculars, though, are the exception. They really aren’t all that useful for anything other than astronomy, but I am comfortable with that because when the skies clear at night it is a treat to have binoculars designed to do exactly the job at hand. What’s more, I have had no qualms on spending as much on my astronomy binoculars as my birding binoculars, even though I don’t get as many opportunities to use the astronomy binoculars. Now, some folks would say that is impractical, but, of course, they are not likely to be astronomers, either. The lure of astronomy does funny things to people, but how sweet it is.

One of the great ironies in the birdwatching world is that the folks who least need great birding binoculars to identify birds are typically the very folks that carry great and often hugely expensive birding binoculars. Skill in identification of birds can overcome just about any shortcoming to be had in cheap binoculars, so why do you only rarely see expert birders with mediocre binoculars? They could save a ton of money and identify just as many birds with cheap binoculars, after all. Just ask one of these folks, though, to give up their Swarovski binoculars, Leica binoculars, Zeiss binoculars, Nikon EDG binoculars and so on and you’ll have a fight on your hands. Why?

It’s all about enjoyment of ownership and use that comes with putting a fine binocular in your hands. It’s all about the image quality that superb binoculars give you every time you take a look at a bird. It’s all about saying, “Wow!” when you see what great binocular optics can do. In other words, choosing to spend the big dollars it takes to own the best in birding binoculars has very little to do with identifying birds.

I’m one of those birders and I have the strained and shaky bank account to prove it. I’ve never had a lot of money, but it’s been many years since I’ve settled for anything but top quality, premium birding binoculars. I’ve always found a way to pay the price to own great binoculars to the point of skipping meals, selling my car (true) and borrowing money from relatives (also true).

Oh yeah, I am hooked on great birding binoculars, no doubt about it.

Traveled down to Milwaukee, over the weekend, to visit my daughter. Had our usual wonderful visit, but also had a wonderful trip through the hardwood forests of central and southern Wisconsin to get there. People tend to think north woods when they think of Wisconsin, but I have to say the hardwood forests of Wisconsin, sprinkled throughout with picturesque dairy farms, are equally spectacular.

As usual, timing is everything for fall color. When we left our north woods home on Friday, most of our hardwoods – birch, maple, oak – had already lost their leaves, but the hardwoods farther to the south were just hitting their peak color. Not surprising, since we live about 250 miles north of Milwaukee, now.

As for birdwatching, I did manage to pick up a few warblers in the Nikon binoculars, but was especially delighted to see large flocks of blackbirds, one flock being mostly Yellow-headed Blackbirds (been awhile since I last saw these). Now, if you live on the prairie or in farm country, seeing huge flocks of blackbirds is a daily or maybe even an hourly thing in the fall and probably no big deal, but when you live in the north woods, large flocks of blackbirds are a rather rare sight.

As we drove through farm country, also saw greater numbers of Red-tailed Hawks and a wider variety of duck species, as you might expect. Once again, different habitat means different birds in the binoculars.

Going on a trip? Don’t forget the binoculars.

The saying, “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” is often used to express the opinion that some type of product or another lacks quality, compared to the good old days, back when that product was made the way it was supposed to be and so on. There is some truth to this saying in regards to some types of optical equipment, say, for instance, digital cameras. Not that today’s digital cameras are bad, by any means, but even a basic beginner’s manual film SLR camera from the 70s was built with more durability and designed to last much longer than today’s digital offerings. Cameras have gotten ever more complicated over the years and can do ever more amazing things, but do they last as long as the old stuff? No. Just too much to wear out.

Binoculars, though, are better than ever, as far as I am concerned. Why? They make binoculars better than ever, largely due to better technology and materials. As for binocular durability and longevity, true, you still have to pay top dollar to get birding binoculars or hunting binoculars that will last a lifetime of hard use, but even low priced binoculars are at least as durable as low priced binoculars from twenty years past and probably more so.

In large part, this is because binoculars remain relatively simple optical tools by design. No need for the computer chips, sensors, motors, memory cards, software, menu options and so on that make digital cameras the complex beasts they are and make them more prone to failure. Buy binoculars of even minimal quality, give them reasonable care and you will have something that will last for many years.

My search for astronomy binoculars with more magnification continues, even as the bank account whimpers at the thought of spending the kind of money that my optical tastes require. Not just any astronomy binocular, thank-you, not after having been so darned spoiled with the likes of the Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe. Another astronomy binocular is in my future and it won't come cheap, I'm afraid.

Why more magnification, even though I know it will probably require using an astronomy binocular tripod to steady the binoculars? My current 10x Astroluxe covers me for all my handheld astronomy, even though I still need help at times to support its weight. What a spectacular 10x view it provides, yes, but 10x is still just 10x. Sometimes you just need a little more magnification to pick out small globular clusters and planetary nebulae from the starry background, not to mention splitting more double stars. More magnification would also reveal a bit more detail on the moon.

It’s not that I don’t have telescopes, both large and small and, yes, they are capable of showing more than binoculars, but viewing the wonders of the night sky with binoculars is a world all its own.

A girl needs more than one astronomy binocular, after all.

My fall color has, well, fallen, or nearly so. What a difference a few days can make! One day the trees are covered with beautifully colored leaves, a few days later, those same trees are bare. With the trees now rapidly losing their leaves, the landscape around our north woods home takes on a whole new look and it makes a very visual reminder that my winter birdwatching and bird feeding season will soon be upon me.

The next month or so before the lake freezes will bring migrating waterfowl. I’ve already seen a buildup of Wood Ducks and a few days, ago, I spotted my first Gadwalls on the lake with my Nikon binoculars, so there’s another bird for my lake bird list. Have also seen several Pied-billed Grebes in the birding spotting scope, on the other side of the lake. Just this morning, the trees in our yard have seemingly sprouted Yellow-rumped Warblers. They could have been here for days, of course, but now that the trees are bare, they are much more obvious. The migration has begun.

Winter is also the busy season for birds at the feeder, no doubt about it. That means more action not only for my binoculars, but also more digiscoping for bird pics via my spotting scope and digital cameras. This year, I’ll be adding another pole at the feeder station to spread out the feeders and reduce some of the squabbling and crowding.

Lots to do. First thing is to head down to the lake with the birding binoculars and check for new arrivals. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.

Is it just me or has there been a trend among binocular users to go to ever smaller binoculars? Are large binoculars going out of style? Hard to say because no one, at least to my knowledge, is tracking this, but I have been getting a higher proportion of questions about smaller binoculars these last couple of years. A good number of these questions concern compact binoculars, of course, but an equally large number of these questions are about mid-size binoculars in the 30-36mm range.

Are 30-36mm binoculars optically as good standard 42mm binoculars, all else equal? All else equal is seldom found when comparing binoculars, but if you compare the same model of binocular, one in, say a 32mm and the other in the standard 42mm, there are differences. A 42mm binocular of equal quality will have better resolution than its sibling 32mm binocular, but is there enough of a difference to matter out in the field?

In my experience, no, there is only rarely enough of a difference to matter, again assuming we are talking about a quality 32 or, especially, a 36mm binocular. Scaling down in size and weight by going to a 32mm or 36mm, however, can make a difference when you are in a situation where every ounce counts.

I went to 32mm birding binoculars, years ago, for my all day birdwatching outings and have never missed that little extra performance you get on paper with a 42mm binocular. In other words, I can’t honestly say that going smaller in a binocular has cost me a single bird identification, but oh what a pleasure it is to carry a smaller binocular around your neck all day.

That’s me, though. The only way to know if going smaller on a binocular is the right move for you is to give it a try and, apparently, a lot of folks are doing just that.

Two nights of astronomy with the telescopes and binoculars, up late, enjoying awesome clear northern night skies and, well, we were tired. last night, then, my guests and I decided to take a pass on astronomy and catch up on our sleep.

That was the plan, but after everyone went to bed, I hesitated. Tired or not, it wouldn’t hurt to just step out on the deck and take a peek at the stars, right? Sure enough, I had a clear sky filled with stars and, sure enough, it was just too much of a temptation. I stepped back, inside, just long enough to grab my astronomy binoculars, then back out the door I went.

I didn’t spend more than a half hour with the binoculars, but it was enough to do a tour of some of my favorite objects in what I could see of the sky above the house. Andromeda was glorious, as always, in the Nikon Astroluxe 10x70, while the Dumbbell Nebula just floated eerily in space over in the constellation Vulpecula. In Cygnus, M39 was a brilliant fistful of stars and so it went.

Yes, I could have returned from the house carrying a telescope or at least part of a telescope and taken the time to setup & use a telescope, but I was tired, really tired from lack of sleep over the previous two nights. Not tired enough, though, to pass up a few precious minutes with the binoculars. Astronomy binoculars to the rescue, once again.

I went to sleep with a smile on my face.

If I had to pick one astronomical object that most makes people swoon when they see it for the first time though the astronomy binoculars, I would choose the open star cluster, the Pleiades. Otherwise known as the Seven Sisters, this gorgeous cluster of brilliant blue white diamonds in the night sky never fails to get a “Wow” from my guests when they see it in binoculars.

This weekend was no exception. Our very good friends from southern Wisconsin came up north for a visit and they could not have timed it better. Fall color was at its peak and we had several nights of perfect weather for the astronomy binoculars and telescopes. I provided the usual tour of great objects in the telescope eyepiece and binoculars, but it was the Pleiades that may have made the most impression and it was a view of the Pleiades in the Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe binoculars, rather than the telescope, that made the most impression. Even the relatively low power of 30x in the telescope was too much for the star cluster – just too much separation of the stars in the cluster for best effect. 10x in the binoculars separated the stars just enough for the best overall effect.

If you have an ordinary pair of 8x or 10x birding binoculars or hunting binoculars, try to find this cluster in the eastern sky around 10 in the evening and treat yourself to a stunning view in the binoculars.