It was not that long ago that you really had to search quite hard, or possibly even make your own contraption in order to attach a camera to take photos or video through your binoculars (digibinning) or your spotting scope (digiscoping).

But with the growth in use of smart phones and the improvement in quality of their built in cameras, smartphone optics adapters have become more and more popular and there is now a wide range to choose from. However many only work with the iPhone and on only some scopes and binoculars.

Carson HookUpz Universal Adapter

Carson’s latest optical adapter, the HookUpz Universal IS-100 is designed to allow you to attach almost any smartphone to the eyepiece on a wide range of optical instruments including binoculars, telescopes, spotting scopes, night vision devices and even microscopes and thus allow you to take photos and/or videos of whatever it is that you are pointing them at.

Over the years I have reviewed a fair number of products from Carson Optics including their excellent 3D Series 10x42 binoculars, specialist bino carry cases like the BinoArmor Deluxe and their lens cleaning kits and something that has always stood out for me is that they are quite innovative company and don’t just follow the crowd.

Instead they often come up with a new concept as is the case with their BinoArmour or they take something that has been done, but refine and improve it to produce a better quality/performing product as is the case with their dry-cleaning compound in their lens cleaning kits.

So to see if they have managed to maintain this trend, I managed to get my hands on the Carson HookUpz Universal Smartphone Optics Adapter and below you can read my full review:

Packaging

It is not often that I take the time to create a section on and write about the packaging on a product, especially for what is essentially an accessory, but I feel that the packaging that comes with the Universal HookUpz is worth a mention. Right from the moment I opened the external courier packaging and came across the main Carson box I was impressed. This obviously does not change the performance of the unit itself, but does show Carson’s attention to detail and the importance that they place on it.

The external black sleeve has a nice silky sheen to it and the graphics look great, this then protects a really classy and protective internal white box that opens like a book and has the words "Designed by Carson in New York" tastefully placed on the front cover.

Carry Case

Upon opening this box you are then presented with the excellent quality semi-rigid carry case, which to me looks like it is made from a Neoprene type of material. It has the Carson logo imprinted on the front and a Zipper that runs almost the whole way around it giving you access to the interior.

Inside the case the IS-100 Universal is kept in place and protected even further by a dense foam like material that is cut to it’s exact shape and is similar to what photographers have to protect their cameras and lenses. Perhaps the amount of protection is a little over the top, but it looks fantastic and rather have too much than too little.

Externally there is also a large climbers type D-shaped Quick Release Snap Hook. Made from frosted aluminium, it is threaded through a loop on the top of the case and is perfect for attaching it to your belt, rucksack, binoculars case or even your tripod making it easy to carry about and more importantly keep close at hand at all times.

The Universal IS-100 Adapter

Whilst the main body of the adapter is mostly made from plastic, it looks for the most part to be well made as well as reasonably robust. The one slight concern I have in terms of strength is the lock or side clamp as Carson calls it, which is located on the horizontal grip arm. Whilst not flimsy, I did feel that I should not be overly rough with it to ensure that it did not break.

The adapter attaches to the eyepiece on your binocular, scope or other optics via the 4 spring loaded "optics clamps" that have a soft and grippy bright green silicone cover on them. Likewise, your phone is held in place with a couple of clamps that also have this silicone padding to them.

Inserting & Aligning your Phone

Before attaching the adapter to your optics, you first need to set it up to accommodate your phone. Fitting most phones to the adapter should be really straight forward and basically you just need to follow a couple of steps:

1. First you line up and lock the phone in place horizontally using the "right phone clamp", making sure that your camera is in-line with the Circular Camera Cutout on the adapter
2. Next you do the same for the vertical plane, locking it in place with the Bottom Phone Clamp

Rather than trying to describe these steps in detail, it will be much easier to understand if you take a look at this great instructional video below that Carson have created:

Exceptions
Whilst the Carson Universal Adapter will easily accept most phones, there will always be some exceptions. Phones with cameras is unusualy locations, really large or small ones like the one I used may require a little more playing around with to get it to fit correctly:

Carson advertise that the Universal fits all popular iPhone and Samsung smart phones, but it does not fit phablet type phones (ex. – Samsung Galaxy Note). It will also not work with rifle scopes or optics with really stubby eye-pieces, like some night vision devices.

Carson have also made a special sizing guide that you can use to test if your phone will fit before you buy it. Simply print it out and place your phone over it to see if yours is compatable: Carson Universal Sizing Guide.

The phone I used for the review was a Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, which has height and width dimensions of 12cm x 6.3cm. Whilst this narrow width was not a problem, height wise, the phone was just a little too short to properly fit into the cradle. As I said, for most standard sized phones this will not be a problem, but all I did was add a spacer, firstly I just used paper and then later progressed to some tin foil, but found some that I was still able to lodge it in there really well.

Small Phones with Side Mounted Power Buttons
As I said, the width was not a problem in terms of the adapter being able to hold it tightly, but being shorter than most phones and with Samsung having the on/off switch located on the side of the phone meant that the Right Phone Clamp would push this button, turning my phone off upon tightening it.

Once again and on my first few tests I just quickly created a buffer to stop this from happening. There would be many ways of doing this, but I just used a piece of paper and then the dust cap from the binoculars that I had already removed from them so I could attach them to the tripod. You can see both of these simple "modifications" I used in some of the photos on this page.

Whilst these both worked and I was able to take photos with the phone, the level of grip on the phone was reduced and so I had to be a little more careful than I would have liked.

Thus after my few tests, I decided to modify the Carson IS-100 Universal a little more permanently:

First I lined up the phone so that it was in the correct position and then marked where the button was coming into contact with the grip	Next, I unscrewed the clamp from the horizontal arm
Then I simply cut away the silicone where the button would be. Being silicone this is really easy to do with a sharp knife – like my trusty Swiss Army Knife!

Done! – it was really easy to do and as you can see from the clock on the phone took less than half an hour to do, more importantly it worked like a charm and now I was able to fully tighten the clamp and securely fix my phone to the adapter.

This also shows that even if your phone is a little out of the ordinary and does not fit, don’t panic as it is still possible to hatch a plan to make the adapter work for you.

Attaching the Adapter to your Optics

Once you have fixed and aligned your phone to the adapter, you simply open the claws of the Optics Clamp on the adapter by squeezing the spring loaded Curved Arm Optics Clamp Release and fit the four clamps over the eyepiece of your binocular/scope or what ever else you are using and then release.

Done!

The Universal is designed to fit any pair of optics with an eye-piece of between 20mm and 50mm in diameter and I found the spring loaded clamp locked onto my 41mm eyepiece tightly enough so that it would not move, yet not too tightly as to damage it or the rubber covering.

Which Binoculars & Scopes

Whilst the Carson Universal adapter will fit onto almost all scopes and binoculars, I think that it is worth quickly discussing which ones will work best.

Size
As with almost all photography, but especially when using powerful telephoto lenses (which is what you are effectively doing here), capturing and delivering as much light as possible to the camera is very important. Low light levels will not only result in dull images, but they are more lightly to be blurry as well as your camera may use a slower shutter speed to try and make up for this, thus even the tiniest movement will cause a blurry image.

So whilst you can use a small compact binocular, the results you get will most likely be compromised.

Standard full sized optics, like a pair of 8x42mm binoculars will be a good compromise between size, weight and light gathering ability, both for digibinning and for general use. However if you have larger binoculars like those used for astronomy with bigger objective lenses, then these are bound to work even better, especially if you plan to take photos in low light or even at night for astronomy.

Quality
As with simply buying binoculars or a scope to use with your eyes, better quality optics generally results in a higher light transmittance and an improved quality image being produced, which in turn will mean that your camera is presented with a better quality image to work with.

So if you do skimp and get the cheapest binocular you can, don’t be surprised if you are disappointed with the results! Obviously this is also true regarding the quality of pictures your phone’s camera can take.

Using the Carson Universal Optics Adapter

I found that once I had adjusted my phone to correctly fit the adapter, using it was really simple and not much more difficult that simply using the phone by itself.

The adapter was kept securely fastened to the eyepiece on my binoculars and did not move or come loose, even when using it in landscape mode where it is more off balance.

My overall impression is that the adapter is extremely well designed and works as well as many that are designed with a specific phone in mind. The advantage being that you don’t have to get a new adapter every time you upgrade your phone.

However there are a few recommendations, tips and tricks that I would like to pass on:

Tripod
Whilst not essential with lower powered (8x and lower) binoculars, I would highly recommend that if possible you have a stable base from which to take photos with. The best way of achieving this is of course by using a tripod. With high powered bins and almost all scopes, a tripod will be essential.

Spotting scopes are all designed to fit onto a tripod anyway and it is also really simple to attach most binoculars to one. This is usually achieved by simply unscrewing the dust cap on the front of the central hinge and then attaching a tripod adapter to this point, but there are other types of tripod adapters should your binoculars not have this.

For those who are interested and as you can see in many of the photos on this page, I used the same tripod that I currently use for all my photography and spotting scope reviews – the Vanguard ABEO Pro 283CGH Tripod and instead of using a standard pan handle or ball head, I prefer to use a pistol grip like the Vanguard GH-300T or GH-100 that is far more intuitive and thus makes it quicker to aim your optics.

Eye-Relief & The Lens Spacer
Carson Optics recommend that you twist in your eyecup or fold down the rubber ones depending on what type you have in order to place the camera lens as close to your optics eyepiece lens as possible.

This does make it much easier to get your camera to look down through your optics, but it also means that the dark ring around the edges is quite large and you have to use quite a lot of the digital zoom on your phone to counter this. This is fine, but using the digital zoom does reduce the quality of the photos that you will take, which you can see on my sample photos below.

To correct this problem, I found that with a little experimentation that it was better to try and get the camera closer to the correct eye-relief of the binocular, scope or whatever optic you are using.

This can be done by twisting the eyecup a little, or I found what worked even better was to simply click in the Lens Spacer that Carson includes with the Universal Optics adapter. I think they designed this spacer for Telescope eyepieces, but as I say works perfectly on the bins I tested the Universal with and mean that I could use far less digital zoom and thus get better quality images.

However keep in mind that by doing this, it also means that you have to be more careful and ensure that the phone is perfectly lined up with the eye piece as there is less room for error.

Sample Photos

The photos below were taken through a pair of Vanguard Endeavor ED II 8x42 Binoculars using my Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini phone.

	The photo on the left is of the chimney and areal of a nearby house. By positioning the camera better using the included spacer and thus getting the camera closer to the correct eye-relief of the binocular, I was able to use less digital zoom to get the full picture without any of the black rings on the edges. I still had to use some zoom, but think this one was only about 2x and as you can see the quality is far better than those where a higher digital zoom is used.
The two photos above were taken of a farm house located a fair distance from mine. On the left is how it looks without using any digital zoom on the camera, whilst the one on the right is zoomed in to between 3x and 4x. I wanted to show the difference in quality you get once you use the digital zoom on the camera. Obviously this has nothing to do with the adapter, but thought it would be of interest.
Once again the photo on the left was taken without using any of the digital zoom on the phone’s camera and the one on the right is pointing in the same direction with between 3x and 4x zoom applied

Strengths:

The main strength of the Universal is the fact that you can take almost any phone and attach it almost any optic – enough said there.

Quick to Put on & Take Off
Once you have set it all up correctly, removing and replacing if from your spotting scope or binoculars is quick and very simple.

This for me is very important, as had it been a pain to do or take too much time, then I probably would not use it unless I was planning to go out and specifically take photos. This ease of use means that you can just carry the adapter with you whenever you are out in the field and as long as you also have your phone (which most people will these days), if something crops up unexpectedly that you would like to record, you can. The convenience of it is a true strength.

The overall build quality of the Universal is very good and the quality of the carry case and other packaging is also very high and well above what I was expecting.

Room for Improvement:

You can please some of the people all of the time, or all of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time. I think in some ways this goes for the Carson HookUpz Universal IS-100 Optics Adapter.

I say this because whilst it’s real strength is it’s adaptability and the fact that it can fit almost any phone to almost any optic, it is also important to remember that there will always be exceptions. With some, like my smaller phone I was able to adapt and make it work, but I bet there will also be some where this is not possible. So whilst it is not really a weakness as such, I just think it is something to keep in mind.

I love the semirigid carry case that it comes in, but what would have made it even better is if they had designed it so that you could store the adapter in it with your phone still fixed onto it. Out in the field this would really be great as it would make the process of taking out the adapter and then taking photos even quicker and just think it would also be a great place to ensure that you phone is kept away from harm or being lost.

However, remember because the inside of the case is like those used by professional photographers and is made from dense foam cutouts, it is possible to cut out the shape of your phone into it as well and make this work. This is something which I think I will do and will add it to the review once done, but it would have just been nice if it didn’t have to.

For me it would also have been nice if Carson had supplied it with a few extra strips of the Silicone pads, that way for those like myself who have short phones, building up the Bottom Phone Clamp would have been easier – but this is really just being picky!

Carson Promo Video

Also In the Box

On the inside front cover of the white box, there is a quick reference guide which as you would expect gives some brief instructions with diagrams on how to use the IS-100 and I guess is for those of us who don’t like to read the full instructions immediately!

The full instruction booklet is pretty comprehensive and contains very clear instructions as well as diagrams on how to insert and align your phone, attach it to your optics, troubleshooting, useful tips, hints, specifications and customer service details.

Conclusion

I have no hesitation in highly recommending the Carson Universal Optics Adapter for both digiscoping and digibinning with your phone. Sure there are some that are designed for a specific phone that may be less bulky, indeed Carson make some themselves. But for me this little extra bulk was not really a problem at all and anyway the comfort in knowing I can still use this adapter when I upgrade my phone and not have to get a new adapter as well, more than makes up for this.

Where to Buy & Prices

In the US the Carson HookUpz Universal Smartphone Optics Adapter has a list price of $75, but is currently available for around $55. Take a look at the links below to current prices as well as to compare them with others:

Alternative Methods

Using your phone is only one way of taking photos through your optics. A big advantage of this method is convenience as most people will have their phone with them anyway. But on the down side the quality of photos most phones take does not match that of better cameras, but this is changing and they are getting better all the time.

So what other methods are there:

Digibinning
One option is to use an integrated digital camera binocular and whilst they may sound like an excellent idea, generally they are not! Due to a number of technical reasons, if you use anything other than the very expensive Sony DEV Digital Video binoculars you probably end up with something that is little more than a toy or at best a gimmick with either the quality of the view through the binocular compromised and/or the quality of the photos/video you take being a very low quality.

Some companies like Swarovski offer a camera adapter for a number of their binoculars, but even so this is restricted to their products and only if you have a compatible compact camera.

Digiscoping
Digiscoping (taking video/photos through a spotting scope with a camera) is far more successful and thus much more popular. This is mainly I think down to two reasons: Firstly, scopes are already quite large devices and thus attaching more bulk in terms of a camera is not really an issue. Secondly, because a scope has a large objective lens, they let in a lot of light, which enables you to take excellent quality photos through them, thus they are the choice for those seeking the best results possible.

The major downside to digiscoping is that it is not cheap and not something that you can casually do because not only do you need a good quality scope, but a quality camera, tripod and then the right adapters to connect them all together.

Further Reading

• Binocular Accessories
• About Carson Sport Optics & their binoculars

The post Carson Universal Smartphone Optics Adapter Review appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

I get asked about binoculars with built in cameras fairly frequently and so I thought that rather than replying to this question individually, my answer may be of use to others who are considering getting binoculars for a cruise holiday or those wondering about digital camera binoculars:

Answer

Firstly, thank you for writing in with your question.

The short answer is just to say that in my opinion and in most situations, almost all binoculars with built in cameras are a bad idea.

Why:

Whilst in theory being able to take a photo or even video of whatever you are looking at is an excellent concept. But for the most part, the reality is that they never live up to even your lowest expectations.

Most importantly, to my knowledge and apart from a few exceptions (see below), almost all digital camera binoculars do not actually take a photo of what you are looking at!

Sounds crazy but it is true. You see, because of the technical difficulty and the expense of making a camera work through the lenses of a binocular, camera binoculars are usually nothing more than just a very cheap camera with it’s own lens mounted on top of a very cheap pair of binoculars. You can see this clearly demonstrated in the main image at the top of this page.

Thus the binoculars may have a magnification of 8x or 10x, but the cameras usually just have a normal 35mm lens, that you can sometimes zoom in an out digitally.

For more information on digital camera binoculars and my thoughts on them, take a look at the following articles:

• Binoculars with Digital Camera – Are they a good option?
• Best Digital Camera Binoculars – Offers some advice as well as what camera to get, however was written a few years ago.
• Bushnell Instant Replay Binoculars with Digital Camera – A closer look at this specific model.
• Binoculars with Digital Camera: a Scam?

Exceptions?

Sony DEV Digital Video Binoculars
The only camera binoculars that I would consider using as a serious device would be the Sony DEV-3 or DEV-5.

Far from being just a toy or a gimmick, these binoculars are able to record HD video and still images and have a 10x optical zoom.

The camera also actually uses the same lenses as the ones you are looking through as binoculars, so you actually record what you you are seeing. Speaking of which they capture video in full HD 1920 x 1080 60p HD video as well as 3D AVCHD video, along with 7.1-megapixel JPG stills in the 4:3 format, or 5.3-megapixel stills in the 16:9 format).

I had a chance to use them at a bird fair a while back and I was really impressed, however and as you would probably expect, they do not come cheap either. Expect to pay around $1500 to $2000 for a set.

Alternatives

Digibinning is where you use either a standard camera, or even the one on your smartphone to take photos through one of the barrels on your binoculars. For an example, take a look at this review I wrote on the Carson Universal Smartphone Optics Adapter.

I have had some really great results digibinning and for many uses it is a much, much, MUCH better solution to taking photos with your binoculars!

However on a ship that is essentially a large moving platform, I feel that you will really struggle to keep the image still enough even with a tripod to get really good photos consistently and so for this reason I would not recommend it for this use.

Conclusion

Unless you are really serious and have a large budget to afford an instrument like the Sony above, you are far better off in my opinion getting yourself a separate camera and a separate pair of binoculars.

What Camera?
Whilst I am a keen amateur photographer, I am really not qualified to give you specific advice other than to say, that the camera on many modern mobile phones is as good as or better than the ones you get on binoculars with built in cameras and will take better pictures!

Thus even with a compact camera that has a good optical zoom, you will be far better off.

Which Binoculars:
As I mentioned, the binoculars that come with digital camera binoculars are usually also pretty low quality, so even with a fairly modest dedicated pair you will have a much better instrument in your hands.

For more information please read the following articles:

• Cruise Ship Binoculars – Guide to choosing the best binoculars for cruising
• Best Safari Binoculars – Also very useful as much of the advice is about choosing binoculars for traveling

The post Binoculars with Cameras for Cruising appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

Even though there is still quite a while to go before either Comet PANSTARRS or Comet Ison makes it to our inner solar system, the anticipation and excitement is already running quite high and I was recently asked this question from a reader:

Binoculars for PANSTARRS and ISON Comets

First discovered using a 0.4 metre telescope by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok on the 21st September 2012, Ison is as big as a mountain and should be visible in our skies towards the end of the year in November and December.

I have read stories on the web of how the ISON comet could become brighter than the full moon and some even using the term “comet of the century”. If this is true, it will even be visible during the day.

However before then, a second comet might become visible to the unaided eye when it is closest to the sun. Discovered in Hawaii in June 2011 by users of the Pan-STARRS telescope, the C/2011 L4 or PANSTARRS comet was at first only observable though some of the biggest telescopes.

But by the middle of 2012 many amateur astronomers began reporting that they had seen it through their telescopes and by October 2012, the coma surrounding PANSTARRS was seen to be large and estimated at about 120,000km (75,000 miles) wide. Therefore there are now hopes that in March 2013, the PANSTARRS comet could get as bright as Venus.

So for a moment, lets assume that PANSTARRS does get as bright as Venus and/or the ISON does turn out to be the comet of the century or failing that, even if they are just one of the “big ones”, they will still have tails that are tens of degrees long. This means you will be able to see them with the unaided eye and so in these circumstances even a low powered binocular designed for terrestrial use with it’s relatively small objective lenses would be useful.

Comet Binoculars in General

However before we get too excited there are many astronomers who are saying that it is much too soon to be making such extravagant predictions. This is because although a comet’s movement in the sky can be predicted, its brightness cannot.

So for example by the end of November 2013, ISON’s orbit will take it to a distance of about two million kilometers of the sun.

This may sound far, but in space this is actually extremely close and to put this into perspective, Mercury, which as you know is the closest planet to the sun in our solar system never gets closer to the sun than 46 million kilometers but the temperature on it’s surface gets to a staggering 427°C, which is hot enough to melt lead. So as you can see, a comet that is made mostly of ice (if it is) will not last very long, quickly turning into gas as it gets closer to the sun.

So for now let’s assume that like the vast majority of comets viewed from earth, both PANSTARRS and ISON seem fairly small in size (from earth) and thus probably of the order of the larger/largest deep-sky objects.

Initially and when the comet is still quite faint a telescope maybe a better choice. But as/if the tail lengthens and the comet gets brighter, a pair of binoculars work really well and remember that binoculars are ideal for all round astro use and not specifically for comets. A good set of bins that you can hold in your hands is something that every amateur astronomer should have as they are very helpful in learning the sky and pointing a telescope.

Thus the largest binocular that you can afford but still hold still will in many cases be the best binoculars for viewing comets with:

Hand Held 10x50 Binoculars for Astronomy & Comets

As you would for most other deep-sky observation, a good, all round astronomy binocular that is possible to use without a tripod would be something like a 10x50.

The 10x50 configuration gives you a good balance between cost, a decent amount of detail and penetration, but still with a reasonably wide field of view (FOV) of at least 6.5°. They also still have a reasonably large exit pupil of 5mm which assuming that they use good quality glass, prisms and coatings, should still provide you with a bright enough image for use in most situations.

Also worth keeping in mind is that at this size and weight, most people (but not all) should be able to hand hold the binocular and keep it still enough to maintain a steady view. The added benefit of hand holding vs a tripod setup is that it is not that practical for viewing positions with a tripod at, or close to being directly above you.

Image Stabilization
If you are concerned that you may not be able to keep the image steady in your hands and don’t want to use a tripod, you could consider getting something like the excellent Canon 10x30 IS. These canon image stabilizing binoculars do cost more, but they do keep the image almost completely still.

A good quality 10x50 with a wide FOV is still pretty good for scanning the sky searching for objects that you may not be sure of and with them you can view clusters and other brighter galaxies. For example you can view the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and M33 with a 10x50, even from a light polluted area.

What makes something like a 10x50 even more appealing is they also make great daytime, terrestrial binoculars and so you can get a lot of use out of them.

7x50 Binoculars?
Something I would like to mention here is that many people recommend getting a lower powered 50mm binocular for astronomy, something like 8x or even 7x. This has the effect of making the image easier to keep steady when hand held, widening your field of view to make scanning the sky that bit easier and they will also produce a larger exit pupil (a 7x50 has an exit pupil over 7mm) which thus have the potential of letting more light into your eyes so that you see a brighter image…sometimes! For more on the exit pupil and image brightness read my Complete Guide to the Exit Pupil or read the section on the Exit Pupil on my guide to Astronomical Binoculars.

But for my money and for viewing comets, I think the increased detail you get from a higher power like 10x, which I can still keep steady in my hands outweighs the benefits of a potentially slighter brighter image and a slightly wider FOV.

Which 10x50 Binoculars for Astronomy & Comets?
I know that a lot of people recommend binoculars like the Bushnell 10x50 Legacy, Pentax 10x50 XCF, Celestron UpClose 10x50 or the Nikon Action 10x50 binoculars as being the perfect lower cost solution to hand held astro binoculars.

All these are available for under $100 (£80) and yet they produce an image that good quality and bright enough to please most general users.

Giant Binoculars for Astronomy

However if you can afford them and if you want a more detailed but still bright view, bins with higher magnifications but with 70, 80 or even 100mm objectives will perform better in most areas.

But remember as well as the increased cost the other main downside to these giant binoculars for astronomy is their increased weight and size, which makes mounting them on a sturdy tripod or some other way to support them essential.

Which Giant Binoculars for Astronomy & Comets?
Here I recommend binoculars like the very popular Celestron Skymaster series, with the Celestron Echelon 20x70 Binoculars probably being the most popular general use model and which won my award as the Best Low Cost Astronomy/Long Distance Binocular in 2014.

But you could also consider the SkyMaster 15x70 , Skymaster 20x80 or even the Skymaster 25x100 Binoculars.

You could also consider the Zhumell Tachyon 25x100 Binoculars that won Binoculars.com’s Best Astronomy Binocular award in 2010 and 2011

For those who want the very best, take a look at the Fujinon 16x70 FMT-SX binoculars which are one of, if not THE most highly regarded astronomy binoculars available… at any price (approx. $685 / £1200).

Which Tripod for Astronomy & Comets?
If you do decide on a giant binocular, your next question will be which tripod. I have not used all out there, but read my review of the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT Tripod to see why I highly recommend it.

More Information

• Binoculars for Astronomy

The post Comet Binoculars – Choosing the Best Binoculars to view Comets with appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

Whilst 7x and 8x are probably the most commonly recommended magnifications on binoculars for birdwatching (especially for all-round general birding), it does not mean that other powers should be completely dismissed.

When I was working as a safari guide in South Africa, I used my 10x binoculars more than any other. Whilst it is true that I was mostly looking at (and for) much larger and sometimes scarier animals than birds, I found that in my particular circumstances they also made excellent birding binoculars. So much so that even if I want out specifically for birding, I would still usually take them with me.

In this article I will take a close look at binoculars with a 10x magnification and specifically at 10x42 binoculars and show you why for certain people and in certain circumstances they may actually be a better choice for bird watching:

8x40 vs 8x42 vs 10x42

So lets take a look at a few of the main advantages these two configurations have over each other, especially in relation to birdwatching. Below you will see just why 8x42 is a popular choice as general bird watching binoculars, but then we will also discover that in some situations and for some people these advantages may not be that important and so a 10x42 may just be a better option:

Field of View

The main reason that most people suggest using a lower power binocular over something like a 10x one is because in general 7x and 8x binoculars will have wider fields of view (FOV).

To illustrate this fact, take look at the FOV’s of the 8x and 10x versions of the same models of binoculars below:

	10x42	8x42
	Celestron Trailseeker 10x42	Celestron Trailseeker 8x42
FOV:	6.5° / 341ft @ 1,000 yards	8.1° / 426ft @ 1,000 yards
Eye Relief:	15mm	17mm
	10x42	8x42
	Vanguard 10x42 Spirit ED	Vanguard 8x42 Spirit ED
FOV:	6.0° / 315ft @ 1,000 yards	6.3° / 330ft @ 1,000 yards
Eye Relief:	16mm	19mm
	10x42	8x42
	Carson 10x42 3D Series	Carson 8x42 3D Series
FOV:	6.0° / 314ft @ 1,000 yards	6.3° / 330ft @ 1,000 yards
Eye Relief:	16mm	19.5mm
	10x42	8x42
	Hawke 10x42 Nature-Trek	Hawke 8x42 Nature-Trek
FOV:	5.8° / 304ft @ 1,000 yards	7.4° / 388ft @ 1,000 yards
Eye Relief:	13mm	18mm
	10x42	8x42
	Kowa 10x42 SV	Kowa 8x42 SV
FOV:	6.0° / 315ft @ 1,000 yards	6.3° / 330ft @ 1,000 yards
Eye Relief:	15.5mm	19.5mm
	10x42	8x42
	Vanguard 10x42 Endeavor ED	Vanguard 8x42 Endeavor ED
FOV:	6.5° / 342ft @ 1,000 yards	7.0° / 366ft @ 1,000 yards
Eye Relief:	16.5mm	19.0mm
	10x42	8x42
	Snypex 10x42 Knight ED	Snypex 8x42 Knight ED
FOV:	6.7° / 351ft @ 1,000 yards	7.5° / 393ft @ 1,000 yards
Eye Relief:	17.2mm	18.4mm

What is also important to note that some 10x binoculars with really wide FOV’s may actually have a view that is wider than an average 8x binocular.

So for example if you look at the 10x42 Celestron Trailseeker’s above, it has a 6.5° / 341ft @ 1,000 yards wide FOV, which actually beats many 8x42 bins out there.

Where a wide FOV is an advantage
A wide field of view helps when you need to scan over a large area looking for something, so for instance if you were looking for a deer or stag on the side of hill across the valley.

It also really helps when for example you spot a bird in the tree canopy and quickly raise your binoculars to your eyes. The wider the field of view, the more likely that the bird will be immediately in your view.

A wide FOV is also important when observing small and fast moving birds that don’t stay still, especially if they are well camouflaged, like in a forest or thick vegetation.

Where a wide FOV is not critical
A really wide field of view may not be that important if you are bird watching out in the open, like at the side of a lake, at the sea, on open fields or on marshes. Here the birds are often quite easy to locate and to follow.

A wide FOV is also less important when you are observing larger, slower or predictable moving birds – many water birds and raptors falling into this category.

So as you can see there are some areas of birding where it may not be essential to have a very wide field of view.

Eye-Relief

8x bins often have a greater amount of Eye-Relief than higher powered devices like 10x42’s. This is mostly important to those wearing eyeglasses because your eyes will be positioned farther away from the eyepieces because of your glasses. How far back your eyes can be and still see the whole picture is called eye relief. The calculation of eye relief is complex, though generally, the higher the magnification and the larger the intended field-of-view, the shorter the eye relief. So it’s usually a bit easier to find 8x binoculars with a wide field of view and have plenty of eye relief than it is to find 10x ones.

How much eye-relief you need will depend on your glasses, but most people advise about 16mm or more.

So if you once again scroll up the page and look at the table above comparing some of the 10x42 binoculars I have reviewed with some 8x42 versions you can see that the 8x versions do indeed have more eye-relief, but in many cases the 10x version may have enough for your needs. Indeed most good quality 10x42 binoculars come with between 15mm and 17mm of eye-relief and so you should still be able to find one to work for you should you wear glasses.

If you are at all worried however, I would suggest opting for the 8x version, or take a look at my page of Long Eye Relief Binoculars to help you find the right pair for your needs.

Image Brightness

Exit Pupils: 8x40 vs 8x42 x 10x42
All other things being equal (glass and optical coatings quality etc), 8x42 binoculars will in theory be able to produce a brighter image than an 8x40 binocular, which in turn may seem brighter than a 10x42mm one in certain light conditions:

• All 8x42 binoculars create a 5.25mm exit pupil (42mm/8 = 5.25mm)
• 8x40’s have a slightly smaller 5mm one (40mm/8 = 5mm)
• 10x42mm binoculars create an even smaller 4.2mm exit pupil

For those that don’t know, the exit pupil is the diameter of the column of light coming out of the eyepieces, a wider column means more light gets to your eyes and therefore in theory and in certain conditions (see below) may seem to generate a brighter image.

Daylight & Good Light Conditions

In daylight, your pupils contract to about 3mm, which is narrower than the exit pupil of the 8x40, 8x42 and 10x42mm binoculars and so much of the light coming out of the binoculars will fall outside the pupil and never actually enter your eyes at all and thus the image you look at won’t seem any any brighter in either binocular.

It must also be said that whilst an exit pupil that is larger than your eye’s pupil may not make the image seem brighter in these conditions, it can make the binocular slightly easier to use as it’s easier to position your eyes in line with the larger column of light – not only is this a nice feature, but can really help those who have shaky hands for example.

Twilight & Poor Light Conditions
It is when the light is poor and your pupils dilate, binoculars with a larger exit pupil (an all else being equal) will seem to produce a brighter image.

The average youthful pupil can dilates to about 7mm even in total darkness, but as you age, your eyes’ ability to dilate gradually diminishes, so the 5.25mm exit pupil produced by an 8x42 or even the 5mm one one an 8x40 may deliver almost all the light your eyes can use, even in fairly dim-light conditions.

So if the brightness of the image is critical to you because for example much of your birding is done in poor light conditions (either because of time of day or because you are in dark forests), you may be better off with an 8x42 or an 8x40…. Or you could still get a 10x binocular but go for one with larger objective lenses – Remember something like a 10x50 or even a 10x54 that produces a 5.6mm exit pupil will work. The obvious disadvantage to this option will be the larger objectives add to the weight and size of the device you have to carry about.

If however most of your birding is done during the day in reasonable light, a 10x42 may seem just as bright as an 8x42.

Twilight Factor

• 8x40 binoculars have a Twilight Factor of 17.9
• 8x42 binoculars have a Twilight Factor of 18.3
• 10x42 binoculars have a Twilight Factor of 20.5

Whilst both the 8x bins may produce a brighter image at twilight, the 10x42’s have a better Twilight Factor.

The Twilight factor is not a measure of brightness, but a rough guide to the amount of detail that can be resolved in low light. A larger twilight factor indicates that you may be able to see more detail in low light, or to put it another way, a larger twilight factor indicates a better resolution when viewing in the twilight or dim light.

It is calculated by first multiplying the magnification by the objective lens diameter and then finding the square root of the result.

Whilst this mathematical formula demonstrates how both the size of the objective lens and the magnification contribute to a binocular’s ability to show detail in dim light, you must remember that it does not take into account the quality of the lenses and prisms or their coatings and so it can only be used to estimate performance and should only be used as a rough guide to compare the performance of different configurations of binoculars in low light or poor light conditions.

The reason it only indicates resolution at twilight is because the actual factor that has the greatest impact on resolution or image detail, is dependent upon the amount of light available during the time of observation. During daylight hours, when your eye pupil size will be only about 2 to 3mm, magnification will be the principal factor in image resolution. At night, with the eye pupil dilated to 6 to 8mm, aperture size is the controlling factor. In twilight conditions both of these factors control resolution effectiveness and thus the twilight factor is the term that compares binocular performance under these conditions.

So assuming all other factors are exactly the same, we can see that an 10x42 binocular has the potential to provide you with a better image resolution in poorer light conditions than when compared to an 8x40 or 8x42 bin.

Image Stability

Higher magnifications do make it harder to hold the image that you are looking at still because any hand movement is magnified as much as the image is.

However for me personally the amount of difference in image stability between 8x and 10x binoculars is almost indiscernible. Once you start using 12x or higher magnifications then image stability really becomes an issue and so I would suggest that unless you have particularly unsteady or shaky hands this is not something to be too worried about when deciding between 8x42 and 10x42 binoculars.

If you are worried about stability and you still want to use 10x magnifications or higher, you have a couple of options: If you do a lot of birding in a hide or at home, you could attach your binoculars to a tripod with a tripod adapter or get binoculars with some sort of image stabilisation like one of the excellent Canon Stabilized Binoculars.

Better Image Detail

The 10x magnification gets you just that bit closer to the action, meaning that you can see birds with just that little bit more detail. The more powerful magnification is obviously especially important over longer distances, so if you are bird watching from a hide or observing birds that just won’t let you get very close like many birds of prey.

Conclusions

Going back to my personal experience when I was working as a safari guide, my area of operation consisted mainly of fairly wide open savannah pretty much like what you see in the photo of me observing Zebra on the right. In these surroundings, I was for the most part observing birds at relatively long distances. There were also a large amount of eagles, kites and other raptors in the reserve and so for me it made complete sense to sacrifice a little field of view and potential image brightness to get just that bit closer to the bird to help with identification.

Choose an 8x42 if:
The field of view, image stability, eye relief and low light performance are critical, I would suggest opting for an 8x42mm binocular.

Choose an 8x40 if:
If these factors are very important AND you want/require a smaller binocular that is easier to carry about and store, then an 8x40 will be the right choice for you.

Choose a 10x42 if:
However if you do the majority of your birding with binoculars in open areas, under good light and sometimes over longer distances then in my opinion you may just be better off choosing the 10x42 configuration.

Reviews: Ideal 10x42 Binoculars for Birding

Take a look at some of the best 10x42 Bird Watching Binoculars that I have Reviewed

Further Reading

• Best Value, Best-selling 10x42’s on Amazon
• Bird Watching Binoculars
• View & Compare all the 10x42 Binoculars I have Reviewed on BBR
• Different Binocular Configurations & Which to Choose
• Cheap 10x42 Binoculars for Birdwatching & Safaris

The post 10x42 Binoculars for Bird Watching? appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

Going on holiday, this question comes from someone looking to get some innexpensive / cheap travel binoculars for themselves as well as for their children:

Answer

Many thanks for the question, I will start by going over the main points to look for when selecting binoculars for your children:

Childrens Binoculars

Whilst I know you are off on holiday and so you are rightly looking for compact binoculars for travel, but even if you weren’t, it still makes perfect sense to get a pair that is both small and lightweight for your children as they will find it much easier to hold onto and keep steady.

It is also important to keep the magnification a little lower for your kids as not only will it make it easier for them to keep the view still, but it will also mean that the width of the view through them (field of view) will be wider, which makes it much easier to locate and follow whatever it is they want to observe.

For more on the important features to look out for, take a look at this page on choosing binoculars for children, that goes through it all in much more detail.

Recommendations

Others
If you are in the UK, take a look at the Opticron 8x25 Taiga – these very budget friendly compact porro prism binoculars that have an excellent performance to price ratio and a wide field of view.

Adults Travel Binoculars

I have written a number of article relating to travel and safari binoculars that includes loads of advice as well as recommendations, so rather than just repeating it all again, please take a look at the following pages that should help:

• Tough, Inexpensive, Compact Binoculars for Travel
• Cheap Compact Binoculars for Safari Holidays
• The Best Compact Steiner Binoculars for Walking Safaris
• Best Binoculars for under $200 / £200

You mentioned that your main criteria was weight, so if you want something a little bigger with slightly improved low light performance, but is still lightweight and comes in under budget, you may also want to take a look at these:

Further Questions & Related Information:

I hope that some of this advice helps and that you get the right bins and really enjoy your holiday. If you need any further advice, just use the comments section at the bottom of this page which will help me to keep it all in one place. Or if you need any more information, please take a look at the links below on some related articles that may help:

• Main Page on Choosing Travel/Safari Binoculars
• Guides and Reviews to the Best Compact Binoculars

The post Lightweight, Inexpensive Travel Binoculars for Children & Adults appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

Somebody recently sent me this e-mail looking for some advice on which mid range ED binoculars they should get for birding, hunting and sporting events:

Answer

Hi there, thanks for the question, which I will attempt to answer to the best of my knowledge. I have also decided to publish it on my site as I feel my answer may be of use to others who have a similar predicament:

What is ED Glass?

Before getting into which are the best ED Binoculars, I thought that I would quickly point out my complete guide to Extra Low Dispersion Glass (ED Glass), which goes into detail as to exactly what it is, what it does and lists some of my highest rated ED binocular reviews, which may also help you decide which one to get.

Which ED Binocular?

In your question, you mention that "I read your article", I am not sure which one you are referring to, but I have a hunch that it is this one about

You also didn’t specify your budget, but as the Theron Wapiti 8x42 costs about $350, I thought that I would try and keep my recommendations pretty close to this.

Bins for Bird Watching, Hunting & Sporting Events
In your question, you mention that you are a " hunter, birdwatcher and sporting event enthusiast" this is great information.

From this we can basically combine all the needs of these three main uses and come to the conclusion that the most important features to look out for would be a tough, waterproof binocular that has a nice wide field of view and good low light performance. (I won’t go into all the details here exactly why, but you can take a look at my guides to choosing bins for: birding, hunting and for sporting events to see why I say this.)

You also say that whilst you like a lightweight bin, quality is a more desirable characteristic – I will take this to mean image quality as well as build quality.

Obviously I cannot comment on the quality of view through any binocular that I have not written a review on or used myself. This unfortunately is the case with the 8x42 Theron Wapiti APO EDs, but what I can do is take a look at their specs and features and compare them to some that I have used and see if we can’t fine some possible alternatives.

So to help us choose, I have included a table below that compares some of the main features and specifications of a few ED bins that I would immediately recommend within this price range that I have reviewed.

You also state that "The Vanguards look like the Nikon Monarch ATB’s which I don’t care for" – I think that you are referring to the Spirit EDs, but have included them as I think they offer great value for money and are worth keeping in, even if it is just to use them for comparison. I have also included the Vanguard Endeavor EDs which have an open bridge design which you may prefer the look of.

You will also see that I have also included the Vortex Viper, which is more expensive than the rest, but it is one which I feel, if you really want to go for a quality view and build and you have a little extra to spare, you should consider:

	Theron Wapiti APO 8x42	Celestron Granite 8x42	Vanguard Endeavor ED 8.5x45	Vanguard 8x42 Spirit ED	Vortex 8x42 Viper HD
Price (approx):	$349	$340 (£320)	$349 (£350)	$250 (£240)	$590
Magnification:	8x	8x	8.5x	8x	8x
Objective Size:	42mm	42mm	45mm	42mm	42mm
Weight:	27.5oz (780g)	24oz (680g)	27.2ozs (771g)	22.6oz (640g)	24.2oz (686g)
Length:	?	5.8in (14.7cm)	5.1in (13cm)	5.7in (14.5cm)	5.8in (14.7cm)
Width:	?	4.0in (10.3cm)	6.3in (16cm)	4.9in (12.5cm)	5.3in (13.5cm)
Eye Relief:	17mm	17mm	20mm	19mm	20mm
Close Focusing Distance:	?	6.5ft	8.2ft	8.2ft	5.1ft
Field of View at 1000yds:	367ft	426ft	340ft	330ft	347ft
APO optical system	Yes	No	No	No	No
ED Glass	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Phase Correction	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fully Multi-Coated?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Prism Glass	BAK-4	BAK-4	BAK-4	BAK-4	BAK-4
Waterproof	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fogproof	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tripod Adaptable	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
		BBR Ratings
Overall:		82%	83%	83%	85%
Body Construction Quality:		7	9	8	8
Body Stats:		9	8	9	9
Optical Components Quality:		9	9	9	9
Optical Stats:		9	7	7	8
Image Quality		7	9	8	9
Extras & Attention to Detail:		8	8	9	8

As you can see above, they are all pretty evenly matched in most areas, but each one has their own unique strengths and weaknesses:

Also Worth Considering

I hope that at least some of this advice helps you in some small way. If you have any further questions, please just use the comment section at the bottom of this page to ask it. I would also love to know which one you eventually opt for and how you feel about them after testing them for a while.

More Information & Related Content

• Complete Guide to Extra Low Dispersion Glass (ED Glass)
• Best Binoculars for under $200 / £200
• Top 5 Affordable Binoculars Under $400

The post Best ED Binoculars under $350 / £350 appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

The question this week come from a very experienced safari guide who is looking for the best mid level binoculars to use on his walking and open vehicle safaris.

Answer

Hi there, many thanks for the question, which I think will be of interest and also be of use to those going on a safari and not only for guides and so have published the answer on BBR.

My Recommendations

As a kind of heads up, I would first like to say that recommendations I give below are obviously only based on binoculars that I have used and tested myself and I cannot speak for every binocular on the market. I have however used and reviewed many, many pairs of binoculars, so whilst this may be a slightly short list, I think from my experience, you should be pretty happy with any of these:

More Information & Related Content

Below are a few more articles and related content that you may wish to look at that will give you a few more ideas:

• Best Binoculars for Safari Holidays
• Best ED Binoculars under $350 / £350
• Low Cost 10x42 Binoculars for Safaris and Birdwatching
• Top 5 Affordable Binoculars Under $400
• Pentax DCF BC 9x32 vs Nikon 8x42 Monarch 5 Binoculars for Safaris

I hope that at least some of the advice and recommendations that I have, helps you find the perfect binocular for your guiding.

If you have any further questions, please just use the comment section at the bottom of this page. I would also love to know which pair of optics you eventually choose and how you feel about them after using them for a while.

The post Best 42mm Binoculars for Safaris under $450 / £450 appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

The question this week comes from someone looking for some tough, inexpensive binoculars with plenty of eye-relief that are ideal for travelling with:

Answer

You seem to have a really good idea of what you want which is a great start.

Water & Fogproofing

Whilst I have not yet been lucky enough to visit any part of Central America, I am pretty sure that because you will be spending some time in a jungle environment, it may be wet and most probably humid, so I would definitely ensure that the binocular that is both water and fogproof.

Field of View

As for field of view, there is no doubt that a wider field of view makes it easier to scan a terrain and spot objects, especially faster moving small ones like birds. I also feel that if you are in an area with lots of close, thick vegetation like a jungle, the extra bit of zoom that a 10x magnification would give you would not be that important and so yes, in this environment and for your intended uses, I would opt for an 8x over a 10x binocular.

8x binoculars are also often a little brighter than a 10x (8x32 binoculars have an Exit Pupil of 4mm, whilst 10x32 binoculars have an Exit Pupil of 3.2mm), which will help in poorer light conditions like what you may find under the thick canopy of the jungle.

Which Binoculars?

Other Options

The Eschenbach 10x28’s that I tested were excellent and the image quality was very impressive and I would highly recommend them, but as you say I also understand your need not to worry about breaking or loosing an expensive pair of optics.

If I had to choose between the Pentax UCF WP’s and the Nikon Prostaff 10X25s, I’d probably go for the Nikon – I haven’t actually tested them, but the Nikon’s that I have looked at in the past are generally pretty good considering the amount they cost.

You did not mention if you live in the UK, but I am guessing that because you quote all the prices in dollars, that you don’t. If you do you may also consider the Barr & Stroud 10x25 Sahara Binoculars. The have a FOV (field of view) of 314ft, 14mm of eye relief and a nice tough body. For the money (under £60) they were really good, but only currently available in the UK as far as I know.

Vortex binoculars may be another brand that you should have a look at, they produce a huge range of binoculars, with many in the lower price brackets. Whilst I have not actually reviewed them yet, the Vortex Crossfire 10x32 or 8x32 Binoculars look to have most of the features that you are looking for and are available for around $100.

Further Reading

• Compact Binoculars Main Page
• Cheap Compact Binoculars for Safaris
• Best Compact Pocket Binoculars

The post Tough, Inexpensive, Compact Binoculars for Travel appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

This question comes from Twitter (hence why it is so short!), with the person wanting me to compare a selection of cheap compact binoculars:

Answer

Budget
Because you don’t think that you will be using your bins much after your trip (although urban birding is getting more and more popular and you could always take them with you to Richmond park to observe the deer for example), I think that the budget of about £125 – £175 (approx: $150 – $200) that you have set yourself is pretty good. I say this because it is enough to enable you to get a pretty decent device that will perform well on your trip, yet it is not so much to be too much of a waste of money once you return, should you never use them again.

Compact Binoculars
I also think that a compact pair is also a good idea for most casual users going on safari. Although as you will see below, I have also suggested a couple of inexpensive mid and full sized bins as an alternative should you have a little extra space in your luggage, yet will perform just that little bit better.

Comparisons

For me and as I go through in this article on How to Choose Between Binoculars, the best way to start once you have your shortlist of candidates is to compare their main specifications and features on a table. Please not that as well as your choices, I have added a few other pairs that I feel you should also consider that I have fully tested and reviewed:

Sorry you cannot see this table as your browser does not support iframes. Click here to open it up in a new tab.

Of the three that you chose above, the Nikon jumps out the most to me as apart from a small weight difference, they match or beat the two Steiner binoculars in almost all areas and come with a much wider field of view, whilst costing less.

Having never looked through them, I however cannot comment on the quality or the brightness of the image that they produce.

If you are wanting to make a choice between the two Steiner binoculars, if you can afford the extra then I would definitely go with the newer Safari UltraSharp as not only do they have improved optics and coatings, but a much close minimum focus and also have a fully waterproof body.

Alternatives to Consider

As well as the three you have selected above, I have also added some alternative compact binoculars that I have fully reviewed and which I feel would also be well worth adding to your shortlist:

Further Reading:

I hope that this comparison and my suggestions help, If you need some more advice please take a look at the links below to related content:

• Guides and Reviews to the Best Compact Binoculars
• How to Choose Between Binoculars
• Best Binoculars under $200 / £200
• Cheap Binoculars – Is a Roof or Porro Prism Best?
• Low Cost vs Very Cheap Binoculars

The post Comparing Cheap Compact Binoculars appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

This weeks question was asked by someone who I spoke to on my live chat. I thought that my answer would be of use to others and so have published it here:

Answer

Here on BBR I divide the binos that I review into 6 main price categories ranging from very cheap binoculars that cost less than $50/£50 to the very best premium binoculars that cost more than $1200/£1200.

To the average person, almost all of them look fairly similar and so it can be hard to understand why some cost so much more than others. To help with this take a look at what features you can get at different price ranges and what the main differences are:

Very Cheap Binoculars

As you would expect very cheap binoculars are also manufactured in such a way and in locations where production costs are kept to a minimum. They also use as few expensive "bits" as possible to keep the price down. So in other words very inexpensive pairs are as basic as you can get and in the worst cases little better than toys.

The quality of the extras like the carry bag, neck strap and lens covers on cheap bins is also usually far inferior to that on more expensivr pairs.

Beware of Gimmicks
The binoculars will often use a "feature" to try and sell the binoculars. A good example are ruby coatings on the lenses that were made popular in movies like "The Terminator" and thus look cool. These coatings are supposed to take out red from the spectrum and thus look like they have eliminated color aberrations, but then without red, the image they produce looks unnatural and washed out.

Cheap Porro vs Roof Prism
If you are on a tight budget, in many cases you are probably better off choosing a porro prism binocular as apposed to a roof prism design (especially if size is not an issue). This is because the design of the porro prism means that they don’t require many of the expensive high-reflective and phase correction coatings needed on a roof prism to achieve the same quality of image.

Expensive Binoculars

On the other end of the scale, higher spec optics are built to exacting standards, by highly skilled people, using the latest technologies and only the finest quality materials and components.

All in the name
You are in some instances also paying a premium for the name and their history. This can be a double edged sword as on the one hand you are buying into a name that assures you a certain level of quality and workmanship. But on the other hand, you do have to pay for the privilege of joining their "club".

Best Value for Money

The best value for money binoculars are ones that are built well, contain as many of the best quality components and coatings as possible and produce a high quality image, but at the same time cost as little as possible.

Whilst there are exceptions, this generally means that cheap does not equate to good value as you do need to spend a certain amount of money to get more "bang for your buck" and very cheap bins don’t usually have enough quality components to produce a long lasting product or a good quality image.

On the other had, some very expensive binoculars use all the best bits and produce an incredible image, but charge a lot for their name. So whilst they may be the best binoculars, they are not always the best value for money.

I have found that for the most part, you can get a very good value binocular with most of the good bits, that will produce a good to very good image from around $250.

The binoculars below use coatings and components that are as good or better than the typical examples from the table above and so are in my opinion good value for money within their price bracket:

	Very Cheap	Low Cost	Mid – High Priced	High End & Premium
	Pentax UCF R 8x21	Kowa 8x30 YF	Vanguard Spirit ED 10x42	Vortex 8x42 Razor HD
Approx Cost	Under $50/£50	$150 / £150	$200 / £200	$1100
Prism Glass	Bk-4	Bak-4	Bak-4	Bak-4
High Reflection Prism Coatings	Not Needed	Not Needed	Think Silver Mirror Coating	Mostly Dielectric Coating
Lens Design	Think Achromatic	Think Achromatic	Achromatic	Apochromatic (APO)
Phase Correction Coatings (Roof Prism)	Not Needed	Not Needed	Yes	Yes
Anti-Reflection Lens Coatings	Multi-Coated	Fully Multi-Coated	Fully Multi-Coated	Fully Multi-Coated
Oil & Water Repellent Lens Coatings	No	No	No	Yes
Ant-Scratch Lens Coatings	No	No	No	Yes
ED Glass Elements	No	No	Yes	Yes
Waterproof	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fogproof	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Carry Bag Quality	OK	Good	Excellent	Excellent
Neck Strap Quality	OK	Good	Very Good	Excellent
Build Quality	Good	Good	Very Good	Excellent
Toughness & Durability	OK	Good	Very Good	Excellent
Image Quality	OK	Very Good	Very Good	Excellent
Value for Money	OK	Good	Excellent	Very Good

For more examples, take a look at my guide to:

• The Best Value Binoculars

Other Alternatives

Low Cost
For some more ideas, take a look my page on the best binoculars for under £200 ($200) which contains my selection of some of the best bins that I have reviewed within this price range.

On this page also find some full-sized bins, including the great value for money Vanguard Spirit XF 10x42 and the excellent Hawke Nature-Trek 8x42 Binoculars.

These and other full sized binos generally offer a better performance than a compact, but with the obvious trade-off being the extra size and weight you have to carry.

Mid – High Priced
Also take a look at my article on the Best ED Binoculars for under $350 / £350.

High End
As well as the Vortex Razor listed above, I highly recommend the 8x30 Swarovski CL Companion if you are looking for an extremely high quality compact from one of the most respected names in optics at what I think is a fairly reasonable cost when you consider the quality of workmanship, coatings and optical components.

The post Expensive vs Cheap Binoculars appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

Today’s question comes from a person who wants some very lightweight birding binoculars:

Answer

Monk Optics
I must confess that before researching the answer to your question, I did not know that much about Monk Optics and have never seen the 7x26 Monk Explorer or indeed any other Monk binoculars Because of this I cannot comment on their actual build quality or the view through them, but we can take a look at a few of their main features and specifications:

Magnification	7x
Objective Lens Diameter	26mm
Height	95mm
Width	110mm
Weight	350g
Field of View	7° (368ft @ 1000yds)
Eye Relief	16mm
Close Focus	2.4m
Anti-Reflection Coatings	Fully Multi-Coated
Exit Pupil	3.7mm
Prism	Bak-4

For a compact, these Monk Explorer do have some pretty decent stats, as you say, at 350g they are nice and light and due to their fairly low 7x magnification and Plössl eyepiece design, they have a nice wide field of view, which is a good feature for most general types of bird watching.

The 16mm of eye-relief is also good for a compact, they use good quality Bak-4 glass for the prisms and I like the fact that they are fully multi-coated with anti-reflection coatings.

One thing that does bother me a little is that whilst the look pretty good, for me, the asking price, which I found on the Monk Optics website as being £250 is a little high and indeed is above your budget.

To be fair to them, I have not looked through them, but below are a few suggestions that I have that I think at least match these in terms of their stats and are also cheaper:

Compact Binoculars

I think that in general a compact pair is a good idea as they are very light and easy to carry around.

Mid-Sized Binoculars

Whilst I think your idea of a compact binocular is generally a good one, you do have to sacrifice some performance to achieve such a small and lightweight binocular. You can read more about this in this article: How Different Configurations Affect a Binocular.

Also the fact that compacts are so small, it can make them a little more tricky to adjust and may also be harder to keep the image still for people who have shaky hands. It is nothing major, just something to keep in mind.

So with this in mind, you may want to think about a mid-sized binocular, which may be a little heavier and bigger than a full compact (the Kowa YF 8x30 below is only al little more than 100g heavier than the 7x26 Monk Explorer), but you get improved performance in return:

More Alternatives & Further Reading:

I hope that at least some of these recommendations help, for some more advice, please refer to the links below:

• Best binoculars for under £200 ($200), this lists what I think are the best bins that I have reviewed within your budget.
• Guide to Choosing Binoculars for Bird Watching
• Guides and Reviews to the Best Compact Binoculars

The post Small, Lightweight Birding Binoculars appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

The question I received this week comes from someone looking for a compact binocular ideal for using at a concert and for sporting events:

Steiner Safari Ultrasharp 8x22 vs Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x25

Answer

When choosing between these two binoculars and for your specific requirements of sports and concerts, I think there are two main areas to keep in mind:

Size

A major consideration for any bin that you are going to be taking to sporting events and to concerts is it’s size and so firstly I think you have made the right decision by opting for a compact binocular.

On the plus side for the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x25 is that it has slightly larger 25mm objective lenses than the 22mm ones on the Steiner Safari Ultrasharp 8x22.

This slightly larger shaft of light being delivered to your eyes will probably be a small advantage in poor light. At an indoor concert as it means they will be able to gather that tiny bit more light and possibly create a brighter image. However the larger 10x magnification on the Bushnell means that you get an exit pupil of 2.5mm (25 ÷ 10), which is actually slightly smaller than the 2.75mm (22 ÷ 8) one produced by the 8x22 Steiner.

For more on the importance of this please take some time to read my in-depth article on the Exit Pupil.

FOV
Another very important aspect to look for in a bin for your requirements will be it’s FOV (Field of View). This is the width of the image that you can see when looking through them. For sporting events and at concerts, a wider FOV is desirable as it means that you will be able to see more of the action at once without having to move the view on the binoculars and thus potentially miss something else happening, just outside your view.

Comparisons

Then for me, the best way to Choose Between Binoculars once you have your shortlist of candidates is to compare their main specifications and features on a table as this makes it easier to get a quick overview. Please note that as well as your two choices, I have added a few other pairs that I feel you may also want to consider:

	Steiner Safari UltraSharp 8x22	Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x25	Hawke Sapphire ED 8x25	Levenhuk Energy PLUS 8x25	Vanguard Orros 10x25
Weight:	228g	230g	241g	369g	280g
Length	11cm	?	?	11.2cm	10.4cm
Width	10cm	?	?	11.7cm	11.4cm
Exit Pupil	2.75cm	2.5mm	3.1mm	3.1mm	2.5mm
Eyecups	Rubber Folding	Twist-Up	Twist-Up	Twist-Up	Twist-Up
Eye Relief	?	15.5mm	15mm	14mm	10mm
Min Focusing Dist	3m	1.8m	1.6m	2m	2.5m
FOV at 1000m	125m	95m	119m	126m	110m
Hinge Design	Dual Hinge	Dual Hinge	Dual Hinge	Dual Hinge	Single Offset
Prism Type	Roof	Roof	Roof	Roof	Roof
Phase Correction	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
ED Glass	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Lens Coatings	Think Multi-Coated	Fully Multi-Coated	Fully Multi-Coated	Fully Multi-Coated	Multi-Coated
Waterproof	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fogproof	?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Approx Price	$150 / £95	$160 / £215	$220 / £180	$70 / £80	$90 / £90

Of the two on your shortlist, the Bushnell is obviously much better quality as it has much higher quality optics. This includes fully multi-coated glass, phase corrected prisms and ED glass in the lenses, which will translate to a brighter and better quality image. So whilst the Steiner does produce a slightly larger exit pupil, which may help them almost equal the brightness of the Bushnell in low light, it has lower quality optics and so I doubt they will match the image quality.

As well as the optics, you will also probably get a better build quality on the 10x25 Bushnell, with features like the twist-up eyecups as opposed to the rubber folding ones on the Steiner’s being a good indication of this.

Alternatives to Consider

As well as the two you selected, I have added a few alternative compact binoculars that I feel would also be well worth adding to your shortlist:

Further Reading:

I hope that at least some of my advice helps. If you have any more questions, just use the comments section at the bottom of this page or if you need any more information, please take a look at the links below on some related content:

• Main Compact Binoculars Section
• All about Bushnell Binoculars
• All about Hawke Binoculars

The post Best Compact Binoculars for Sports & Concerts appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

I received a question this week from someone looking to buy some good, but low cost binoculars for general outdoor use, but they are unsure on what to get and indeed how little they should/need to pay to get a decent pair. So I have decided to use their question as a basis for an article that explores the differences between poor quality, very cheap binoculars and those that I would still class as low cost but are of a reasonable to good standard:

Answer

You are right, the Olympus 8x40 DPS I is available at what looks like a fantastic price on both Amazon.co.uk (£43.80) in the UK and for only $49.95 on Amazon.com in the US, where they are often referred to as the Olympus Trooper 8x40 DPS 1 Binoculars.

So what (if any), compromises have they made to produce these, or are they as good as slightly higher priced products and in particular the Kowa YF 8x30 Binoculars?

As I go over in my section on how to choose between binoculars, the best way to start, if you can’t find a review on the bins you are interested in, is to make a table that lists their main specifications and features, so that they can easily be compared:

Sorry you cannot see this table as your browser does not support iframes. Click here to open it up in a new tab.

So above I have added their main features and specifications that I obtained from the manufacturers website as well as that of a few other low cost binoculars that I would say are well worth adding to your shortlist to compare them with.

Anti-Reflection Coatings

One difference that really stands out for me is that the Olympus is advertised as only having a "Monolayer Coating", where as you can see all the other examples I have listed are Fully Multi-Coated. This is one area that you must keep a close eye on, especially when looking at cheaper binoculars.

So what does this mean?

Binoculars these days have from about 10, right up to about 20 separate glass surfaces within them and each of these can potentially cause unwanted reflections or disrupt the light in a way that is not desired.

So what manufacturers do is to add special optical coatings, usually made from calcium or magnesium fluoride to these surfaces. Each of which is specifically designed to interfere with certain wavelengths or colors of light and thus it is possible to better direct the wavelengths of light, reduce glare and reduce the amount of internal light loss and so they can really make a huge difference to the image contrast, brightness and overall quality.

However these coatings cost money and so to keep the manufacturing costs down on cheap binoculars, they will not only reduce the amount of glass surfaces that they coat, but also the amount of layers of these coatings on the surface that they do coat.

"Fully Multi-Coated" optics is ideal as ALL the glass surfaces have received Multiple layers of anti-reflection coatings which usually results in a transmission level of approx. 90-95%.

But what you will find on many low cost binoculars is that they only have "Multi-Coated" optics meaning that only SOME of their glass surfaces have received Multiple layers of anti-reflection coatings.

Worse than that are simply coated or as Olympus describe theirs as having a "Monolayer coating" – this means that only SOME surfaces (they don’t say how many, but it is usually just the first and last lens surfaces) have received just a Single anti-reflection coating.

What difference can this make?

If you look at the table below, it shows that an optical system with 10 glass surfaces that are left uncoated transmit just 66% of the light that they initially capture, whilst if all 10 surfaces are multi-coated, this can be raised to 95%. If we assume that the Olympus had 10 and just two of them have a single coating their transmittance will not be much higher than about 70%.

So whilst you are right in saying that the larger objective lenses on the Olympus will produce a larger exit-pupil than that of the Kowa, I am fairly certain that the image you see through the Kowa will be brighter, especially in low light conditions as well as have a much better overall quality. However as I have not looked through the Olympus or compared them I can’t be completely, but it is something that I have often witnessed with similar types of comparisons.

Waterproofing

Most good quality binoculars these days are fully sealed, but unless you plan to go out in the rain, does this really make a difference?

YES, I believe it does as it not only prevents moisture from getting inside the instrument, but will also obviously stop other small particles like dust entering and spoiling your view.

As well as this, for me, fully sealing the unit is a major indicator within this price range to the all-round quality of the binocular and shows what level of effort the manufacturers have gone to, to make your binoculars. So whilst you may be very careful and never get any moisture inside your unprotected binoculars and keep them in a dust free environment, you still have to wonder what other corners have they cut to keep the cost of the product down?

Roof Prism vs Porro Prism

Amongst very cheap binoculars (say under $50 / £50), a porro prism is sometimes optically superior to a roof prism design (assuming all else is equal). This is because as the light is reflected off the prism surfaces in a porro prism, something called "phase shift" does not occur as it does on a roof prism, so they do not require phase correction coatings to rectify this. These, like the anti-reflection coatings require specialized skills and equipment and so cost more money to apply and so are often omitted from cheaper roof prism models, which result in them having lower resolution image with perhaps less contrast.

However having said that I have reviewed a number of low cost roof prisms, like for example the Vanguard Spirit XF 10x42 in the table above that are not phase corrected, yet in my opinion they still produce an image that is far superior to that of very cheap binoculars. This is because they are still fully multi-coated and they use a good quality glass in the makeup of the prism:

Prism Glass
Olympus fail to specify what glass they use to make the prisms with, this for me is a concern as on their higher spec models, they clearly state that they use BaK-4 Glass. So I would assume that whatever they use it is not as good, otherwise they would surely highlight the fact.

My Advice

Having never looked through the Olympus 8x40 DPS I, I cannot be too specific, but my advice is to always get the best quality binocular you can afford.

So if $50 / £50 is your absolute maximum, then these may not be the worst option in the world, as on their plus side they do have a very wide field of view, however I am not sure how sharp and without distortion this view will be right to the edges.

But If you can afford a little more, I would really suggest that you try to ensure that your bins are at least multi-coated and better still fully multi-coated as this really will make a difference. Then as I have discussed, keep an eye on other indicators of quality, like them being water and fogproof.

Then once you have this short list, I would narrow them down to the final choice by looking at the featue=res that are most important to you. Lightness, size, field of view etc.

Related Content:

Below are a few other articles that I have written that may be of help to you and others who are on a tight budget, but still want a good quality binocular:

• Best Binoculars for under $200 / £200
• Best Value Binoculars
• Expensive vs Cheap Binoculars
• Best ED Binoculars under $350 / £350
• Cheap Binoculars: Is a Roof or Porro Prism Best?
• Comparing Cheap Compact Binoculars

If you or anyone else has any further related questions, please feel free to add them to the comments section at the bottom of this page.

The post Low Cost vs Very Cheap Binoculars appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

I get quite a few questions from readers, where the answer is short enough that it does not warrant me writing a whole article on it, yet it would still be of use to other readers of BBR. Thus I have decided to put a page together containing these questions, with my quick answers to each of them:

Answer

Hi there,

Thanks for the comments and the question. There is no doubt that the Zeiss Conquest is a great pair of binoculars, but as with many things, you get diminishing returns the closer you get to the top. So whilst they may be twice as expensive as something like the Celestron Granite, they are not twice as good.

However both the Celestron and Minox bins you mention are twice as good as a very cheap pair of binoculars.

Thus as to if the difference is worth it, it really depends on how much that extra money means to you and how often you plan to use them.

So if you are going to use your bins all the time, I would suggest getting the best you can afford. However for your holiday and perhaps the occasional use afterwards, either the Celestron Granite or the Minox 8x33 will perform very well and for most people going on Safari will be more than adequate.

Hope this helps and for more info, please take a look at the following articles:

• Best Binoculars for Safaris
• Minox BL 8x33 HD Binoculars Review
• Celestron Granite 9x33 Binoculars Review

Answer

Hi there, thanks for the questions and I must say that I am rather envious of you, as I would love to see the Super Bowl one day. You are right in wanting a good pair of binoculars, especially as if you say that you will continue to use them after the event, as a quality pair of optics is a worthwhile investment.

Leica & Zeiss Binocular Reviews
To answer your first question, you are right, at the moment I don’t have any in-depth reviews of Zeiss or Leica binoculars, but I can assure you that it is not because I don’t want to. I have tried on many occasions to obtain them, however for one reason or another they don’t seem interested in sending me their products to test – it is as simple as that.

10x Magnification & Image Shake

For me and for the vast majority of people, it is not a problem at all to hold a bin with a 10x magnification still enough to get a steady view. However if you have unusually shaky hands, or if you are on an unstable platform (like a boat) that is when a 10x bin can be a problem to keep steady. So personally I would not worry about this at all.

Field of View & Magnification
One thing to keep in mind especially when choosing binoculars for sports like Football, is that the higher the power, the narrower your field of view generally gets. So yes you may get a nice close up view of the ball carrier, but you could also be missing some of the action to the sides of the view. Just how powerful a magnification, or how wide a field of view you need will depend on just how close you are to the action.

This will obviously change from game to game and from sport to sport. So I would personally opt for a good all-rounder that will be fine at almost all events, with an 8x bin probably being my preferred choice, but a 10x bin with a wide FOV will in most instances also be fine.

Rolling Effect
Quick answer here is that rollerball distortion is as you probably suspected greatly exaggerated, especially when you are talking about high quality binoculars like Swarovski’s.

I have only ever been really worried about it on a relatively few, cheap and nasty bins that I was testing. But other than that, for me it really has never been an issue at all. Sure if you REALLY look hard and study it, there are some bins that may show a little, but unless you are thinking about it, it really is almost always not a problem at all if you buy a good quality pair of optics.

Size
Personally I would want a pair of bins that I could quickly and easily stow away in my jacket pocket or at least my carry bag. That is why I would be looking at compacts and possibly a few of the smaller mid-sized bins.

Recommendations

Below are a few bins that I have fully tested and which I would have no hesitation in taking to the game with me

The Very Best

• Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 (or a10x version if you want a little more power)
• Swarovski CL Pocket 8x25

Higher End

• Pentax 9x28 DCF LV
• Minox 7x28 BD
• Snypex Knight ED 10x32

On a Budget

• Kowa 8x30 YF

For more information please read the following articles:

• Binoculars for Sports – Some general advice as well as some recommendations is a variety of price points.
• Binoculars for Cricket – Ok so Cricket is nothing like Football, but I think the requirements from an optics point of view is very similar.

Answer

Many thanks for your question, which I will try to the best of my experience:

In general, I recommend staying clear of variable magnification binoculars, because whilst they do work, you do sacrifice a lot on image quality and for most terrestrial applications, 10x or even 8x is usually enough magnification.

Indeed I only ever used a maximum of 10x whilst working as a safari guide and for me it was enough power and as long as you have a good pair, it also offers a wide enough FOV so as not to be a major problem.

So my choice would be to go with a good quality 10x or possibly a 12x binocular if you want a little more reach rather than opting for a Zoom bin.

Nikon Aculon 211A 10-22x50 Zoom Binoculars
However, I would like to add that the model that you are looking at, the Nikon Aculon 211A Zoom 10-22x50, looks to me to be better than many of the cheaper zoom binoculars out there and whilst I still think you will sacrifice on image quality, it will probably be better than most.

Another advantage of it is that you are looking at one with large 50mm objectives, which will really help with image brightness which is especially important when using it at the higher magnifications by keeping a reasonably sized exit pupil.

Just keep in mind that a 50mm binocular is not that small, which if you are wanting to travel light, may be a consideration.

For more information please read the following articles:

• Zoom Binoculars – How they work, their advantages and disadvantages as well as reviews on some I have used
• Best Safari Binoculars

Answer

Hi there, many thanks for the question which I will try to answer to the best of my knowledge below:

I am not sure of the exact statistics and which configuration of bin are used by hunters the most, but I think you are probably right when you say that people that hunt and indeed those who just observe wildlife would probably more often use an 8x32, 10x42 or probably even more common an 8x42 binocular rather than a 10x50.

However which binocular is best for you will largely depend on what your exact needs are:

Size, Weight vs Performance
So for example if you mainly hunt or just observe wildlife from a static position like a hide or from the porch in your garden, then as long as you can hold your bins steady, the size and weight of the instrument is not that important. Thus for those who want the added light gathering ability and the potentially improved low light performance that the larger 50mm objectives bring may prefer to use a 8x50 or 10x50 binocular for example.

However the majority of people who hunt and those viewing wildlife, including birds will probably need to walk, track and as a hunter carry other gear like your rifle, bow etc. Thus the advantages of a smaller and lighter binocular outweigh the benefits of improved low light performance of a bigger one.

42mm binoculars are the most popular option as they offer what seems to be the ideal compromise between size, weight and performance,. Whilst smaller mid-sized bins with objectives around 32mm favour those that need something even more compact and who are not too concerned by the performance in poor light be that at sunrise, sunset or even in thick forests and woods.

Those who opt for larger bins with 50mm or even larger objectives will either be prepared to carry about a larger bin, because they need the extra low light performance because they most often hunt in poor light, or they just want it because they don’t often have to carry the instrument over large distances and with other heavy gear.

Size Comparisons
However that is not to say that all 50mm binoculars are that much heavier or bigger than 42mm ones, for example take a look at my review of the excellent Snypex Knight ED 10x50 binoculars that make ideal hunting binoculars and you can see from the photo below, whilst they are bigger and heavier, the difference is not that huge.

I hope this adequately answers your question. For more please take time to read the related material below:

• Hunting binoculars – guide to choosing binoculars for hunting with some recommendations
• The Different Binocular Configurations & Which to Choose
• 8x42 vs 8.5x45 binoculars

Answer

Thanks for this question and you are right, even at closer ranges your enjoyment of watching almost all sports can be enhanced with a good pair of binoculars, but ones that are too powerful will mean that you are way to focused on a single point and will thus miss out on all the action going on around it.

On my section on Choosing Binoculars for Sports, I go over what makes a good general all-round sports binocular and what features etc to look out for. However this mostly assumes that you don’t have front row seats.

For some sporting events, where you are much closer to the action, I highly recommend that you take a look at my section on butterfly binoculars!

Now I know this may sound strange, but these optics are not only for viewing insects and yes, whilst they may have a very close minimum focus, they also usually come with lower magnifications (6x or 7x) and with really wide field of views which will ensure that you also get to see all the action around the point you are focusing on.

Both these attributes, as well as the fact that they are usually quite compact (so easier to carry about) make many of them the perfect companion for many sports events like local or kids sports days, tennis, volleyball, beach soccer etc, where you are quite close to what is going on.

I hope that this helps and that you get to enjoy more of your grandson’s football games.

Answer

Hi there, many thanks for sending in this question, which I will try and answer to the best of my knowledge:

Tripod Adaptable
The vast majority of the mid and full sized binoculars that I test are tripod adaptable. By that I mean, you can usually unscrew a cap on the front of the central hinge and then screw in a binocular tripod adapter.

To my knowledge all tripod adapters come with a "standard" ¼ inch thread that just simply screws into the binocular and then you can simply attach this to your tripod.

Low Cost vs Cheap Binoculars
Here on BBR, I advise that you stay away from the very cheapest binoculars as they are really not worth the effort. However you can get a few decent pairs at just over $100 / £100 which I feel will be ideal for your needs out on the shooting range.

If you take a look at this page on the Best Binoculars for under $200 / £200, there are a couple of full sized bins that I recently reviewed that are of particular interest and which are tripod adaptable:

• The Celestron Nature DX 8x42, which is also available in a 10x version should you need more power is only just over your budget.
• Likewise, I highly suggest that you take a look at the Hawke Nature-Trek 8x42 Binoculars, which once again also come in a 10x model if you are shooting at longer distances and which cost just a little over $100.

If neither of those grab you, take a look at my section on the Best Value Binoculars and look under the Low Cost section, which has a couple of other bins that I have reviewed that may be of interest.

Answer

Thanks for the question, but to be honest there is no single best buy out there, but a number of them, which will vary depending on your needs, wants and likes.

Birdwatching & FOV
You say they are for birding, so you probably want to keep an eye on the Field of View (FOV) making sure it is nice and wide – Thus your initial choice of a bin with a 8x magnification is a good one as most 8x binoculars will have a wider view than more powerful instruments. The FOV may also be a way to make your final choice from your short list.

Suggestions
Take a look at these pages that have a number of suggestions and you wont go far wrong:

• Best Binoculars for under $200 / £200
• Best Value Binoculars – look under the Mid Priced section
• Birdwatching Binoculars – Explains why the FOV is important as well as other features to look out for.

The post Binoculars: Questions & Answers appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

I was lucky enough and indeed somewhat flattered to be sent a pre-production binocular from Opticalia Limited as they wanted to know my thoughts before finalizing the design and sending it into production. For me it was also a great insight into the work that goes on behind the scenes when producing an new optical product and I thought I would share some of that info with you.

TOM LOCK Concept

Based in the South of England, Opticalia originally released their Series 1 a few years back. Based on what they call their ‘Tom Lock’ Concept, where the company use a number of methods like doing away with expensive marketing departments, packaging and advertising, they were able to produce a very cheap binocular (read my Tom Lock ‘Series 1′ 10x42 Binoculars Review) that apart from many superfluous parts (like expensive packaging) was easily as good as bins that cost two or three times as much.

TOM LOCK Series 2 Binoculars

Now with the new Tom Lock Series 2 binoculars, they are stepping it up a little by producing a more refined bin with higher specifications and better quality components and coatings, but all the time remaining true to their original concept and thus will hopefully still cost a lot less than other similar spec’s instruments.

Initially the Tom Lock Series 2 binoculars will be available in the two most popular configurations of 8x42 and 10x42:

Main Components & Features

• Polycarbonate Shell
• Fully Multi-coated Optics
• BaK4 Roof Prisms
• Phase Correction Coatings on the prisms
• Water & Fogproof (Nitrogen Filled)
• Tripod Adaptable
• Twist-Up Eyecups
• Metal

Focus Wheel

Main Specifications Chart

BBR’s Impressions

Whilst I spent sometime using, photographing and testing the pre-production Tom Lock Series 2 8x42 binoculars, I won’t go into huge detail regarding the design, view or even the actual coatings or glass as some of these may and probably will indeed change before the final production models go on sale.

However, what I can say is that based on this pre-production model and armed the knowledge that Opticalia hope to keep the retail cost to less than £100, these look to me to be more than competitive and which I am sure will do well.

Body
Whilst the pre-production model lacks the branding and finishing touches that the final versions will have, the shape and feel of the body is very typical of most modern 42mm roof prism bins, which is a good thing as it is comfortable to hold and well balanced.

It is rubber coated and the shell I am told is made from Polycarbonate. This material may be quite as strong or as prestigious as magnesium or aluminium, but is easily tough enough, much cheaper to produce and has the advantage of being lighter.

It is fully sealed and thus waterproof (rated to a depth of 1.5 meters for 3 minutes). It is also nitrogen filled, which will prevent fogging of the internal optics.

This sample Tom Lock binocular bin was tripod adaptable and had excellent quality twist-up eyecups. I say excellent as the action was very smooth, there was no free play and had a total of four click stops, which combined with their good eye-relief will make them a good option for those who wear eyeglasses whilst binning.

I also really like the focus wheel, made from metal, it too had a nice robust feel to it and a very smooth action. The diopter is positioned on the right ocular as is the norm and was pretty standard for this class of bin.

Optical Components
With Fully Multi-Coated optics and phase corrected BaK4 roof prisms, at this price this is about as good as it gets. Sure higher specification and much more costly bins may come with things like ED glass and prism coatings with even higher transmission levels, but here you have all the most important ingredients in place in order to deliver a good quality as well as bright view that should easily be a match for any within this price band.

Accessories
The quality of the most important accessories like the carry bag, rain-guard and tethered objective lens covers looks to be in line with most bins in this price range and whilst I am fully aware that they are trying to keep all unnecessary costs down and to be fair I would much rather have a superior view through the bin than a luxurious neck strap, but for me the neck strap on this sample was just a little too simple. Once again you must remember that this is just in the testing phase and details like this may well get changed before final production.

Update: Good news, based on the feedback, Opticalia have just informed me that the final production model will have a better quality neck strap with padding and have included a photo of it for us:

All in all and keeping in mind their very low intended selling price, I was very impressed with the 8x42 Tom Lock Series 2 and can’t wait to get my hands on the final product to fully test and review it. Check back soon!

Further Reading

• About Tom Lock Binoculars
• Tom Lock ‘Series 1′ 10x42 Binoculars Review

The post Pre-production Tom Lock Series 2 Binoculars appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

I recently had a question sent into me by someone looking to buy some Marine binoculars that came with a reticle to calculate distances and they wanted to know a little more about them, specifically how a rangefinder reticle works and indeed just how well they work:

What is a Rangefinder Reticle?

A reticle (or reticule) is a net of fine lines or fibers in the eyepiece of the binocular, monocular, microscope, scope or other optical device used for sighting and taking other measurements.

Rangefinder reticles are obviously used to calculate the distance between you and an object you are observing, but can also be used to calculate the height of an object or the included angle of a viewed object.

Other types of Rangefinders used in optics
You can also find laser rangefinders that are most often used on hunting binoculars and golf rangefinders and work by sending out a light source to calculate the distance to the potential target.

The advantage of these is they quickly give you a very accurate measurement. Disadvantages include they only work on relatively shorter distances, they need a power source (often batteries) to work, they often cost more and because they send out a light they can give away your position (mostly an issue in the military).

Where are Rangefinder Reticles Used

The main areas where rangefinder reticles are used in connection with binoculars and monoculars include:

1) Marine Binoculars
Many of the best marine binoculars come with a reticle rangefinder, that enable those aboard boats, yachts and other marine vessels to calculate the distances.

2) Golf Rangefinders
Most reticle rangefinders used for golf come in the form of a monocular as opposed to a binocular and are used to calculate the distance to the hole allowing you, with experience to always choose the perfect club.

3) Hunting & Military
Reticle rangefinders are sometimes found in rifle scopes as well as binoculars specifically designed for hunting and military use and are obviously used to determine the distance to the potential target to help with aiming. However laser rangefinders are becoming more and more popular for these applications.

How do Rangefinder Reticles work?

There are actually a few systems to calculate distance used in rangefinder reticle binoculars and scopes. The simplest and most commonly used involves comparing a scale or measuring marks on the reticle in the binocular, monocular or the scopes field-of-view against a known sized portion or the whole object that you are looking at. In military and hunting circles this is often referred to as the Mil-Dot reticle and the formula for working out the distance is known as the Mil-dot formula:

Mil-dot Formula
So if you know the height or length of the object you can calculate the distance away from that object with some simple maths. ( Or you can also calculate the height or length of the object if you know the distance you are away from it).

Example
So if you were sailing on a yacht and looked through your reticle rangefinder binoculars at a lighthouse that you knew to be 60 meters tall:

Distance = Height of the Target/Scale Height * 1000

Distance = 60 / 80 * 1000

Distance to the lighthouse = 750m

Do Rangefinder Reticles Work?

Yes, but in terms of providing an exact distances, they aren’t as accurate or fast as a laser rangefinders, but they can give you a good idea and work over long distances.

How accurate they are depends on the user lining up the target and of course how accurate you are when estimating the height or length of the target. If you know the exact height of the target and line it up very carefully on the reticle, they will be very accurate.

So as boating binoculars and other marine uses, reticle rangefinders are in most cases the best solution, but because laser rangefinders have become more compact and affordable they are often now more commonly used for most golf rangefinders and hunting binoculars and scopes.

Reviews: Marine Binoculars with Rangefinders

Other binoculars with Rangefinding reticles

	Vanguard 7x50 Mariner Binoculars	Steiner 7x30 Navigator Pro C	Bushnell 7x50 Marine Binoculars
Price (approx):	$250 (£200)	$350 (£300)	$250 (£290)
Weight:	40ozs (1130g)	Weight: 20ozs (567g)	37ozs (1049g)
Eye Relief:	20mm	20mm	18mm
Close Focusing Distance:	13.1 feet		35 feet
Field of View at 1000yds:	399ft	369ft	367ft
Lens Coatings	Fully Multi-Coated	Fully Multi-Coated	Multi-Coated
Waterproof	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fogproof	Yes	Yes	Yes

Further Reading & Related Articles

• How to choose the Best Marine binoculars

The post Reticle Rangefinders on Marine Binoculars appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

Pentax, one of the biggest optical companies in the world often have promotions and deals on their products, including their large range of binoculars. This page lists the current ones that I know about to help you get the best deals on Pentax binoculars:

Current Pentax Offers in the US:

Huge Savings on Pentax Z-Series Binoculars

USA: Pentax Sport Optics top of the range Z and Z ED Series binoculars are now on Sale and available at hugely reduced sale prices at selected internet retailers. Indeed in some cases their sale price is half of their original RRP and giving you a saving of over $100 on the current normal retail price in the US.

UK: At the time of writing, Pentax ZD’s were not on Sale in the UK, but the Pentax DCF ED series was, with similar levels of savings as is listed below.

Example Savings:
The example below shows the kind of savings you can expect across the entire ZD ED and ZD WP series of Pentax binoculars.

Where to find this Offer:

The links below will take you through to the internet shops where I have managed to find these and other Pentax bins for sale:

$10 Instant Saving on Pentax Papilio II Binoculars

Often described as the binocular that everyone should have in their collection, the relatively inexpensive and new Pentax Papilio II has just got a little more affordable.

With it’s ingenious image convergence system, these are designed specifically for their very close focusing which is why they make the ideal pair of Insect & Butterfly Binoculars, but as they also perform very well at short to medium distance, there are many out there who use them as their go to compact for birding, wildlife and general use binocular.

For more, read my full and in depth review of the Pentax Papilio 8.5x21 Binoculars where I go into great detail on all aspects, but also explain how the lens system works and compare them to other compacts on the market.

The 2 models included in this offer are:

• Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 Binocular – Sale Price: $119.00
• Pentax Papilio II 8.5x21 Binocular – Sale Price: $139.00

Main Highlights

• Fully Multi-Coated Optics
• Reverse BaK-4 Porro Prisms
• Tripod Adaptable
• Extremely Close Minimum Focus distances (1.7ft)
• 393 feet @ 1000 yards FOV on the 6.5x Model

Please note that I have only managed to find this offer price on some retailers websites:

Where to find this Offer:

Further Reading & Related Content

• About Pentax Binoculars
• Pentax Papilio 8.5x21 Binoculars Review
• Insect & Butterfly Binoculars
• Seattle Times: Affordable Wildlife Binoculars

The post Discounts & Offers on Pentax Binoculars appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

I review a lot of Vanguard binoculars and one thing that always strikes me is just how good value for money they are and that is usually just after they have been released and they are being sold at or near their full recommended retail price (RRP). So when I spot them listed at a discounted price or with a cashback offer, then they really do offer incredible value.

UK Offer
Below are the current Vanguard offers and Cashbacks that I have discovered and know about as well as some of their past offers listed below in the UK.

Not in the UK?
If you are in the US or the rest of North America, please take a look at this page on the: Current Offers on Vanguard Binoculars – USA

£50 Off Vanguard ED II Binoculars – UK

Wex currently have an offer where you can save £50 on the retail price on all models in the Endeavor ED II series by simply entering a code at the checkout for an instant saving:

Past Offers on Vanguard Binoculars:

£40 Cashback on Vanguard ED Binoculars – UK

Hurry Offer Ends Soon

1. Purchase a qualifying pair of VANGUARD binoculars from Amazon.co.uk (see links below) before August 31, 2014
2. Download and fill in the Vanguard Mail-In Rebate form that you will find when you buy the bins on Amazon.co.uk
3. Send the printed claim form together with original printed purchase receipt and UPC bar code from the product packaging to Vanguard World UK Ltd (Address is on the form)
4. Vanguard say that within 28 days of registration, successful claimants will receive their Cashback provided via a rebate cheque

Small Print As always there are a few conditions that need to be met, these include the fact the offer applies only to Vanguard Spirit ED & Endeavor ED Binoculars and an original proof of purchase must be supplied with your claim form (they will return it to you) and rebates will be made in Pounds Sterling.

Also just remember if you buy on Amazon that the offer applies to authorised Vanguard dealers only and so may not apply to Marketplace sellers on Amazon.co.uk – so either check with the seller or make sure you are buying from Amazon directly. It will say "Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk" on the product page.

Incredible Value

To me this cash back offer is incredible as I already rated the 10x42 Spirit ED and the 8.5x45 Endeavor ED as great value for money binoculars even before the cash-back offer!

As you can see on my section about Vanguard Binoculars, I have fully reviewed quite a few of their models and one thing that almost always stands out is that they offer incredibly good value for money, delivering far higher specification optics than what their price tag suggests.

It is for these reasons that the Vanguard 10x42 Spirit ED won my award for the Best Value For Money Binocular in 2011 and going further back the Vanguard 8.5x45 Endeavor ED won the same award in 2010!

Other Great Value Binoculars I have reviewed quite a few other great value for money binoculars out there and perhaps these Vanguards may not be for you. But this offer is well worth keeping in mind, especially when you take a close look at any of the Endeavor ED or Spirit ED models and compare all their high end components and features that produce a very high quality image with their price tag.

Cost & Where to Buy

You can compare prices and get this UK cash-back offer as well as the US rebate on Vanguard binoculars from the following on-line retailers:

Past Offers on Vanguard Binoculars

Below are some past discounts, rebates and cashback offers that may or may not still be available, but which you may still want to check out:

I tend to find and see far more rebates and cashback offers in the US, than when compared to the UK (especially where binoculars are concerned), so it is always great to see a manufacturer offering an incentive to buy their binoculars in the UK.

A short while back I wrote about the US offer of the $50 rebate offered by Vanguard for their ED binoculars and now I can happily inform everyone on this side of the pond that they can now get a similar deal in the UK:

£20 Cashback on Vanguard Spirit ED & Endeavor ED Binoculars

Most Vanguard binoculars are already been offered at a reduced price anyway, but what this means is that can now subtract a further £20 from the price on all of their Endeavor ED or Spirit ED binoculars!

So for example:

Further Reading

• Vanguard Binoculars
• Discount Binoculars
• The Best Value For Money Binoculars
• Vanguard 10x42 Spirit ED Review
• Vanguard 8.5x45 Endeavor ED Review
• $50 rebate on Vanguard ED binoculars

The post Current Discounts & Cashbacks on Vanguard ED Binoculars – UK appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

24th July 24, 2015 Swarovski Optik have just announced that they have updated their EL Family of binoculars, that will come to market in September 2015 in parts of Europe and sometime in November 2015 in the US and Canada.

Swarovski’s North American Sales Director, Greg Enos said that “The improvements to the already amazing EL Family will surpass any expectations of new and previous users of SWAROVSKI OPTIK optics” and with it’s SWAROVISION technology, the current Swarovski EL Range already incorporates all the very best quality optical components and coatings and is thus already considered by many to be at the pinnacle of what is currently possible optically, so what updates can they have made?

What’s New

FieldPro Package
In their press release Swarovski Optik mention that the new EL’s will contain their new FieldPro Package which consists of a number of ergonomic design adjustments that are said to increase the aesthetics, comfort and functionality even further:

As you can see from the official photo that has been released at the top of the page, the new Swarovski EL binoculars still sport their open bridge design with the wrap-around grip that most Swaro users will already be familiar with, but what is not so obvious is that they have now added a new neck strap and connector design.

Please note: Apart from the small image above, I have not been able as of yet to get any official detailed images of this new strap design actually pictured on these new EL’s. However the FieldPro Package has also already been added to the new Swaro EL Rangefinder binoculars that were released earlier on in the year and so the detailed images and the video you see below and to the right were taken from them, which I assume will be the same on the “standard” EL bins.

Rotating Strap Connector
The un-padded section of the neck strap that connects to the binocular now consists of a thin cord and is fastened to the optics with what they call their new “rotating strap connector” which as you can see gives the strap plenty of free movement and thus will not hinder any of your own movements.

What is more, this rotating connector now uses a bayonet type of fastening system which they say enables you to quickly and silently attach your carrying strap or a number of other accessories to the binoculars. The video below demonstrates this very well and shows a user fixing the CCSP (comfort carrying strap pro), the neck strap which has been specially developed for the EL Range, but you can also just as simply fix a number of Swarovski’s other straps and accessories to the bins, this includes their FSSP (floating shoulder strap pro), BGP (bino guard pro) or the BSP (bino suspender pro).

Quick Catch Button
According to Swarovski, being able to accurately adjust the length of your neck strap has never been quicker or easier.

The end section on the video above also demonstrates this really well and shows you that all you need to do is turn their “quick catch button” to make rapid and silent neckstrap length adjustments.

Focus Wheel
I understand that some small changes have been made to the focus wheel which is said to be a little softer and thus more slip resistant.

As with previous versions of the EL, the diopter adjustment is still incorporated into the central focus wheel, but I have read that there is a new “lock function” to make sure your individual setting cannot be altered by accident.

New Objective Lens Covers
The new Swarovski EL Family have also had some aesthetic updates to both the objective lens and eyepiece covers.

Whilst many modern binoculars come with objective lens covers that can remain fixed to the body and simply hang down under the binocular when your glassing ensuring that they are always easy and available to replace, most use a simple rubberized ring that loops over the barrel to achieve this.

This system works very well and is why it is so popular and indeed the previous version of the EL used this same method and whilst Swarovski made it’s version look a lot better than most with the caps fitting into the ends of the barrels, this solution was never very elegant.

So for the new EL’s Swarovski have now done away with the loop and the covers now click onto the underside of the barrel via what looks like a couple of thin metal bars. This will certainly makes them quicker to add or completely remove from the bin should you wish and provides a far cleaner more integrated and streamlined look, but still maintains the same level of protection to the lenses.

Rain Guard
Traditionally Swarovski have used a hard plastic eyepiece cover on their EL and other ranges, but it seems that these will be exchanged for a softer more rounded cover on this new version, but as of yet I have not been able to find any more details or images for you, so can’t comment further.

New Swarovski EL Binoculars Review on BBR?
Watch this space! My contacts at Swarovski have already promised me a pair to test and review in the very near future which I am really excited about as I will be able to add more details and my opinions to these and any other changes that may have been made to this range.

Further Reading & Related Content

• About Swarovski Optik & their Binoculars
• Swarovski EL 10x32 Swarovision Binoculars Review
• All Swarovski Binoculars reviewed on The Best Binoculars & Reviews website

The post New Swarovski EL Binoculars Announced appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.

A question from a reader wanting to know more about binoculars with angled eyepieces recently popped up in my inbox and which I thought would be well worth expanding on and covering here on BBR:

Answer

Thanks for your excellent question. As far as I am aware they do not have a specific name, but what I think you are referring to is what is essentially a subset of optics that are often most commonly and somewhat rather ambiguously called Observation binoculars.

Also known as binocular telescopes (especially the very high magnification versions), these usually giant binoculars are most usually designed for long distance observation, plane spotting and in particular for astronomy. This is especially true for those with the angled eyepieces as this design makes if far easier and more comfortable to point the view upwards towards the heavens:

Straight vs Angled Eyepieces

Apart from the obvious size difference, most giant astronomy binoculars look like your standard bin, however there are a small selection that like many telescopes and spotting scopes come with angled eyepieces. So why the difference and which is best?

Straight Through Eyepieces
Straight through "Observation binoculars" will perform best as a long range terrestrial binocular where your view will be not too far from the horizontal most of the time.

However that is not to say they can’t be very successfully be used for astronomy or for airplane spotting, you just need to get a little creative with your mounting or your position relative to them so as to make getting under them and viewing upwards comfortable.

Angled Eyepieces
Usually this angle is set at either 45° or 90° to the barrels and as you can see from the image to the right, basically this setup makes it a whole lot easier to look through them whilst the objectives are pointed upwards.

With a straight through design you have to get under the instrument to look upwards, which with a heavy giant bin can be either too difficult or impossible to do by hand or the tripod you use has to be very tall.

So it is for this reason, if your main use for them is either astronomy or aircraft spotting the best option is an angle eyepiece design, however on the downside, most of those available are premium grade and thus don’t come cheap.

Binocular Telescopes vs Single Eyepiece Telescopes

We look through both our eyes all the time and thus as anyone who has used standard binoculars and a spotting scope, it just feels more natural to have both your eyes open when glassing.

Two Eyes Better than One
Whist it is kind of obvious anyway, there are solid scientific reasons as to why using both your eyes is an advantage, especially when looking at distant objects through optics:

The light that goes through your optic and into your eye lands onto your retina. Your retina contains special photosensitive cells known as rods and cones. The job of these is to convert the light energy into electrical impulses that are then carried via the optic nerve to your brain which deciphers this and produces the image that you "see".

With both eyes delivering this information, your brain is able to make a better image because it can average out the messages and thus reduce "noise" from any inconsistencies or interference.

Thus with two eyes, your perception of colors and contrast is much improved and so not only are you able to better make out faint objects, but the resolution of the image that you see is also superior.

Two Objectives Better than One
Also remember that with two objective lenses, the optical device is also able to collect more light than a single barrel scope, which in turn also means sending more light to your eyes for a better quality and brighter image.

So if using both your eyes is better, why are single eyepiece spotting and telescopes so popular?

Whilst there are size and weight advantages to a single barrel and eyepiece design that may be important to some, the answer to this basically boils down to cost.

When you consider that a spotting scope or refractor telescope is basically half a binocular, you can already understand that due to using less materials, it will be cheaper to produce. Add to this the complexity and technical expertise in ensuring that the collimation is perfect, it is easy to appreciate that an equivalent quality binocular telescope will cost more to produce.

Indeed prices for double eyepiece observation binoculars start at around $800 / £700 and the very best telescope binoculars will put you back well over $3000 / £700. For a selection of what is available and where to buy, take a look at the section below on Angled Observation Binoculars.

Thus the lower cost of single eyepiece scopes has ensured their popularity.

Angled Observation Binoculars

Below are some details on a selection of the better known binocular telescopes and where possible I have provided links to online retailers in a number of countries to give you an idea of prices and where to buy:

Alternative Option: Binoviewers

If you already own a telescope and you still want two eyepieces but don’t want to buy new optics or if you are looking to save some money there is another option that can work out cheaper in some cases: a Binoviewer.

In many ways these are mechanically very similar to the eyepiece section on your standard pair of bins, but instead of having two objective lenses to collect the available light, a binoviewer collects the light from a single barrel that fits onto a scope where your normal eyepiece would go. Once again some of these can cost a lot of money, however there are also some more affordable options like the Celestron Stereo Binocular Viewer that I have read some really good reports on.

Other popular makes include the TS Optics Binoviewer, William Optics Binoviewer, the TeleVue Bino Vue, Denkmeier Binotron-27 Super System and the Gary Russell Binoviewers. For a better idea of what is available and the prices in your country, take a look at Where to Buy BinoViewers (especially check the Amazon & Ebay links).

Further Reading:

I hope that this has helped, below are some links to related articles that may also be of help/interest::

• Guide to Binoculars for Astronomy
• High Powered, Long Distance Viewing Binoculars
• Plane Spotting Binoculars

The post Observation Binoculars with Angled Eyepieces appeared first on Best Binocular Reviews.