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Choosing Birding Binoculars"Choosing birding binoculars is an important decision"
In our house, binoculars have two purposes. My husband wants good binoculars for sporting events. Whereas, I couldn’t care less about seeing a pulling guard make the perfect block for a running back. I, instead, want to be able to determine whether the Woodpecker on my Elm tree is a Downy or a Hairy. Your purchase decision will be made easier and the results will be better, if you do the research yourself. Of course, you can ask friends and family about their experiences with birding binoculars. And, without a doubt, every storeowner and clerk will have an opinion. But in the end, your bird watching binoculars should reflect your needs!  Price? Most of us cannot realistically say that price is not important. Consequently, one of the most important decisions when shopping for birding binoculars is “How much do I want to spend?” Start out with a realistic price range, for example between $30.00 to $250.00 will enable you to buy an adequate pair. After some exploration you will be able to zero in on what you want to spend, to buy the best binoculars for your specific needs. Magnification? Have you ever wondered what those numbers, (7x40), mean. Well, it is really quite simple. The first number in the example offered, (7), refers to the magnification of the image being viewed. So that Downy Woodpecker will be magnified 7 times. The second number (40) in our example is the diameter of the lenses in centimeters. This is the size of the “window” so to speak that allows light in to the binoculars. Size, Weight and Durability Size, weight and durability may not be important for determining factors if you are going to limit your bird watching needs to the back deck or patio. But, if you are an avid canoeist or hiker then the physical size of the binoculars is important. As well, the durability of your binoculars becomes a key component to the purchase decision-making process. Eye Relief I have a friend who for many years, simply refused to use binoculars when we were birding. Her reason was simple. She wore glasses and had never been able to comfortably use binoculars. There is a solution. When you are purchasing binoculars consider the “Eye Relief” given by each model. This factor is the amount of distance that binoculars can be held from the eye or eyeglasses and work effectively. Many manufacturers offer binoculars with fold down rubber cups. The cups fit around the lenses of eyeglasses to block light from the peripheral vision which causes a great deal of visual difficulty for eyeglass wearers. It is also very helpful for eyeglass wearers to use binoculars with a 16-20mm of eye relief built right in. This will give the user a full field of vision. Near Focus Usually when one considers using binoculars the primary concern is, how far away they can reveal an object or image. But, equally important is, can the binoculars be used to see more clearly an object that is close to you. If you are going to use your birding binoculars in the close confines of your backyard garden this is a very important consideration. There are a lot of considerations to be explored when purchasing birding binoculars for your wild bird watching pleasure. But with a little time and thought the results will be very rewarding! If you would like more information about birding in North America and around the world, try this link I have provided to
Bird Studies Canada
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