How To Find A Good Pair Of Binoculars For Bird Watching
Bird watching is a hobby where the most important tool is a good pair of binoculars. It is not always possible to see birds up close as they will naturally fly away. A good pair of binoculars is excellent for viewing birds that are flying around as well as birds nesting in trees or even busy pecking away at some distance. Amateur bird watchers will find that they must have an excellent pair of binoculars to be able to see birds in their natural habitat.
The first most important thing to know about your binoculars is its magnification power.
So how does one buy binoculars? Well, the first thing is to ensure that the lens is a good quality one where there is no image distortion and no changes in the original colors. Don’t forget bird watching means you must have patience and keen eyesight - good binoculars will help you boost your keen eyesight to give you a visual treat. Birds love to do the one activity best known to them and that is to fly, so view their flying performances up close.
Binoculars are not cheap but the price is dependant on the brand you buy, the lens installed and the overall size. Generally a good sized pair of binoculars would be in the price range of $500 to $1000. Keep in mind some important pointers when buying binoculars.
The first most important thing to know about your binoculars is its magnification power. The greater the magnification the clearer you will see your birds. Ideally the minimum magnification for bird watching binoculars is 7x35. if you can buy better quality binoculars, then you could consider a magnification of 8x to 10x as these would give you a clear and bigger image of the bird.
Next to remember is the size of the lens. The bigger the lens, the more light comes in and with more light your overall viewing will be brighter, clearer and sharper. High magnification binoculars are generally heavy in weight so look for those made with lightweight but strong material with the required magnification you want.
Move the barrels of the binoculars around and this will tell you how flexible the binoculars are. Too tight barrels are susceptible to breakage and a stiff barrels mean your viewing pleasure is greatly reduced.
Focus is another important aspect of buying good binoculars. Avoid testing your binoculars inside the shop as the lighting is dim and you will not be able to judge the various features of binoculars where there is not enough light as compared to outdoors. Now binoculars with good focus means you can focus quickly and very easily. Check for image distortion too and if you see one then avoid buying those.
The exit pupil is very important. The exit pupil is the diameter on the image pupil and it is important that the exit pupil is bigger than your own pupils or else you will get a dark image. For the brightest image your basic exit pupil should measure about 4 mm or more.