Binoculars Info

Optical performance is of ultimate importance when deciding which binoculars to buy but what makes IS Binoculars extra special is the ability to use them in moving environments whilst maintaining the clarity of image. Canon IS binoculars are among the best there is for image stabilizing technology with the Canon 10×42L IS, in particular, gaining hot reviews.

Apart from the ability to use IS binoculars while on the go, the technology has another added advantage in that it enables high magnification binoculars to be hand held without experiencing image distortion due to slight movements in the hand. Without image stabilisation the greatest magnification that most people can use without a distorted image is 8x, with IS high magnification binoculars can be hand held (Canon do an 18×50 and Nikon do a 16×32).

So which IS binoculars are the ones to choose? Well it really depends on what you want to use them for.

If you want to use them for astronomy take a look at those with a larger objective lens to ensure maximum light gathering ability such as the 15×50 or 18×50 Canon IS binoculars. The IS technology does make them a little on the heavy side with them both weighing in at 1200g but they are ideal for those times when you just want to pick up binoculars and get viewing without have the hassle of setting up a tripod. The image stabilizing technology doesn’t eliminate all the distortion due to movements in the hand but you would be hard to notice slight movements and users absolutely rave about them.

For marine use the Nikon Stabileyes 14×40 and the 10×42 WP Canon IS binoculars are both popular choices.

• The Nikon 14×40 comes with two modes, an on board mode and a land mode, weighs in at 1120g, is exceptionally good for spectacle wearers and is waterproof and fog-free. If you want to add these to your shopping list you’ll be looking at spending around £1,300.

• The Canon 10×42 are the first Canon IS binoculars to come with the coveted red L-series professional lenses making them an immensely popular choice. The optical performance is amazing, they are waterproof to 1mtr for 30 minutes and have a close focusing distance of just 2.5mtrs. If you buy on the internet you should be able pick up the Canon 10×42 for less than £900 which is a real bargain given the specification.

For bird watching it depends what is most important, size and weight or a larger objective lens. Again both Nikon and Canon have focused on the needs of the birdwatcher with Nikon offering 12×32 or 16×32 waterproof binoculars that have a reduced vibration mode to enable you to follow fast moving objects with a steady view. However the 14×40 offer 2 vibration modes (not available in the other models) which makes them a more popular choice.

Canon offer full size (10×42), mid-size (12×36) or compact options (10×30 or 8×25). The down side of the mid-size and compact canon IS binoculars are that they aren’t waterproof. However, their weight makes them ideal for carrying around (660g, 600g and 490g) and the 12×36 are extremely popular high magnification birding binoculars, affordably priced at around £450.

Overall my preference is the 10 x 42 WP Canon IS binoculars particularly for bird watching and general outdoor pursuits. The L series lenses ensure they deliver an unrivalled performance with outstanding clarity and superior optical performance. Weight can prove an issue for some, at 1030g (a problem with most IS binoculars), but the benefits of image stabilizing technology make it well worth it.



By: Terry Ross

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Celestron are well recognised as world leaders in optical design and all Celestrom binoculars, telescopes and spotting scopes are manufactured to the highest quality to deliver outstanding resolution and excellent clarity for the price.

If you want choice, affordability and value for money it is well worth looking at the extensive range Celestron have to offer. Celestrom binoculars are built to the same high standard and to a level of quality that is well supported by a lifetime guarantee with many models including the Upclose range, the Traveler, Outland, Oceana and Skymaster (Celestron’s binoculars for astronomy).

No matter what your sporting requirement Celestron have the binoculars for you including lightweight, compact binoculars, binoculars for travel, bird watching, action sports and nature viewing, zoom, waterproof and marine binoculars. Whatever your choice you can be sure that all Celestrom binoculars are built with excellent attention to detail and priced at a level most people can afford.

If you want truly affordable have a look at the ‘Upclose’ range and pick up compact or full-size Celestrom binoculars for under £50. For your money you get fully coated lenses, rubber coated, water resistant bodies and a no-fault lifetime warranty. This series includes high powered compact binoculars (12×25 & 16×32), objective diameters up to 50mm (including a 20×50) and a wide angle & zoom option. The downside is the prisms are Bk7 rather than Bak-4 (which is a better quality) and the lenses are fully coated rather than fully multi-coated but for the money the specification and performance is good.

With compact binoculars Celestron do have some strong competitors, even in the low price range including Nikon, Pentax and Olympus (who offer the widest choice), all good makes and all worth a look at. Canon do a compact IS binocular and Steiner make some excellent high quality compact binoculars ranging from about £50 - £300.

If you want to move up a grade then take a look at the Outland series, again available in compact and full-size models. These Celestrom binoculars are waterproof and fog-free, ideal for tough outdoor pursuits, and come with multi-coated (not fully multi-coated lenses, this is available in the Outland LX series), top quality Bak-4 prisms, twist-up eyecups for long eye relief (ideal for spectacle wearers) and a lifetime warranty. Excellent value for money at under £100 or the LX series for under £125.

There is strong competition in full-size binoculars with Leica and Swarovski capturing the top end of the market. If you are looking for high quality but don’t have £1000+ then Steiner, Nikon, Pentax and Bushnell offer and excellent choice and

For affordable marine binos then look no further than the Oceana series Celestrom binoculars which come with a range finding dial and compass. However, if you want truly top notch marine binoculars then don’t make a purchase before checking out the Steiner Commander series which are salt water resistant, protected against environmental pressures, waterproof to 10 mtrs, long-life rubber armoured, auto focusing and guaranteed for 30 years, truly special.

If you want to get into astronomy but don’t want to spend a fortune Celestron do a range of affordable binoculars to get you started. The Skymaster series are priced as low as £50 or, if you want a telescope then Celestron has a vast selection of low cost beginner models right up through to the top of the range.

In this digital era, no range would be complete without digital binoculars. The Celestron Vistapix allows you to store pictures, download them onto a TV or laptop and print quickly and easily starting from around £50.

What Celestron are missing is an image stabilizing model so if you want an ‘IS’ option then Canon offer the widest range.

So are Celestrom binoculars, the right binoculars for you? Well that depends on what you want to use them for and how much you have to spend. It has to be said that they offer excellent value for money and a wide choice at the lower end of the market. If you can afford it and you are going to be using your binoculars regularly you should seriously check out some of the competition with top quality optics well worth paying for. Don’t look at Leica or Swarovski though unless you have serious cash to spend as once you hold binoculars by either of these nothing else will be quite good enough!!



By: Terry Ross

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Donald B asked:


I want to get close and personal with the horses. I do not want to watch them on the giant TV screen.

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Apple Pie asked:


I want to buy binoculars for star gazing and to see Mars at the end of August. What is the cheapest brand, yet good quality that I can get?

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Binoculars are a necessary addition to anyone’s backpack, purse, or pocket; whether en route to the latest opera or a trek to your favorite hiking, hunting, birding, or marine adventure. With all the product specs and new technologies, the whole process of buying a new pair can seem a little intimidating. Below is a basic list of what types of binoculars there are as well as an easy-to-understand specification reference guide according to activity; to help you find the best set of new eyes for your intended purpose or adventure.

Before even considering what type of binoculars to buy, it is necessary to understand just how these trusty devices work. Binoculars are essentially dual refractor telescopes for each eye; made up of a series of curved lens’ that refract and reflect the light from the object in view, and magnify it at the eyepiece. They come in a variety of magnifications (power levels) and apertures; as well as other technical specifications to enhance the sharpness, clarity, light resolution, etc of the distant object.

·The magnification of the binoculars is inversely proportional to the aperture (width of the objective lens); so if you have a high magnification, the object will become closer while limiting the light that the aperture allows (so the image will look closer, but darker). The common formula that you will find will be example: 7X35. In this example, the first number if the magnification, and the second is the aperture. Moreover, the aperture’s width will tell you how much light will be allowed in your sight.

·There are prism types and prisms glasses to concern yourself with when buying a new pair of binoculars. Prisms are glass mechanisms that in short, assure that you see the object of interest right side up, from right to left (whereas the reflection refraction science of the matter receives the image upside down). There are roof prisms and porro roof prisms. The former is smaller than the porro, and helps cut down on the bulkiness of a standard binocular. Though the roof prism is quite a bit more expensive, it is also typically better aligned because it is housed inside the binocular as opposed to the porro which is on the outside. The porro prism is the original prism used in binoculars, is the larger construction of the two, and is much more inexpensive. Luckily, binoculars with porro prisms are usually just as optically correct; the only downfall is the less portable design. Almost all binoculars come with the Bak4 prisms. This denotes a certain level of quality in the actual glass. Never invest in a pair of binoculars with a different prism glass grade.

·Field of View is inversely proportional to the magnification of your binoculars, and is the term that denotes the actual amount of the object that you will see, in relation to the distance it is from you. For example, if you want to see an object that is 100 yards away, and the field of view is 250 feet at 1000 yards away; you will be able to discern a maximum of 250 feet of the object. The higher the field of view, the lower the magnification (the more you see of the object, the less the details will be apparent).

·Lens coatings come in three variations: fully-coated, multi-coated, and fully-multi-coated. The lens coatings are chemicals added to the lens to enhance the light available. Coatings of some sort on the lenses of your binoculars is absolutely necessary, because about half of the light perceived from an object is lost when the light reflects off your lens. Fully-coated lenses are the most base of coating. It involves a single layer of chemical, and though inexpensive…will not allow hardly any more light than having no coating at all. Multi-coated lens have been treated with a composite of special chemicals to allow a middle range light allowance. Finally, the fully-multi-coated lens (or FMC) offers the maximum light allowance, and is really the only fool-proof coating system to use.

·There are three basic focusing technical specifications that you will come across when searching for the perfect pair of binoculars: center focus, individual eyepiece focus, and no-focus or focus-free. Center focus involves one wheel to focus objects, and is the most common choice as it resolutely focuses both close and distant objects with ease. Individual eyepiece focus involves focusing both right and left eyepieces separately, and works best with medium to long distance objects. Typically, once focused properly, the IF system will allow you to see objects 40 yards plus in focus; and no further adjustment is necessary. The focus-free or no-focus systems cannot be adjusted to a different focus. Though these give you no control of sight variance, binoculars with no-focus will be much less expensive.

·Diopter adjustments are systems that will compensate for the sight perception abilities between your left and right. Most people have one eye that is slightly stronger than the other as far as perception, and having the diopter is very convenient for the best in vision.

·Eye relief refers to the maximum amount of distance your eye can be from the objective lens in order to be able to perceive the object in question’s field of view, clearly. This will vary depending on whether you wear glasses or will be watching something for extended periods of time. Typically, the standard eye relief is 14-15 mm in length.

Binocular Activities

General: If you are looking for an all-purpose set of binoculars, the most common specs to look for are: 7X35 or 8X40 magnification, fully-multi-coated lenses, any focus, and middle-of-the-road field of view.

Hunting or Birding: If you are looking for binoculars best suited to hunting, the best specs to opt for are: 8X40, 8X42, 10X40, or 10X42 magnification; waterproof armored construction, long eye relief, roof prism, center or individual eyepiece focus, and medium to high field of view.

Marine: If you are looking for the best binoculars for spotting marine wildlife, the best specs to look for are: 7X50 magnification, waterproof armored design, long eye relief, roof prism, center or individual eyepiece focus, and medium to high field of view.

Sporting or Opera: If you want a pair of binoculars or opera glasses best suited for watching sporting or opera events: 8X40 or 8X42 magnification, long eye relief, roof prism, low field of view, and higher zoom features.

Astronomy: If you’re looking for the best binoculars to see the stars, the best specs to look for are: 7X50 or 10X50 magnification without a tripod (10X70, 20X80, or 25X100 for use with a tripod), long eye relief, roof or porro prism, and low to medium field of view.

Also worthy to note as you embark on your trek to find the best binoculars suited to your interests and whims, is that buying a brand that you know will never lead you astray. I recommend any one of the following: Barska, Bushnell, Carson, Alpen, Galileo, or Tasco.



By: Alexis Gibrault

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You do not need any license for military binoculars like you would for any other military supply. it does not matter if you get them foe a gift or for your own use you can make sure that you are getting a binocular set that will give you the features you want by what you intend to do with it. It is so important to know what you need to find that pair of binoculars. The use of binoculars will be something that the military or anyone who loves to work in secret conditions will need to consider. The more you pay for them, the better the binoculars you will get.

If you are searching for a pair of binoculars that will bring everything right in to you so that you can see what is going on or for completing those military missions that require you to have tact and skill, you will need to understand what the numbers mean. If you will take a look at the titles that =re on the different binocular brands, you will notice that they all have numbers like 9×30 on them. The first number tells you what the magnification is. The nine would be nice times the magnification that it was before. The 30 would tell you that the lens is thirty millimeters across from one side to the other. It is a reminder of just what the pupil of a human eye does. The larger and wider it opens up to get lighter the better your vision will be in low to dark situations.

Fujinon Binoculars For Marine And Military Use

Fujinon offers many different types of models under the classifications of binoculars for military use: 7×50 BIF-SX US Navy Marine Binocular ($250) model F1006B, 7×50 BIF/R-SX US Navy Marine Binocular that have Retical ($300) model F1006C, 7×50 MTR-SX Fujinon Poseidon Armored Marine Binocular ($480) model F1105).

The Steiner Company Binoculars For Military Use

Steiner gives you a large choice of military style binoculars for use in tactical operations and also other events you may be a part of. 7×50 Steiner 1001 Commander V Marine Binoculars model ST1001 can be bought in a deep blue color to be dark and stealthy and is the Steiner companies greatest binocular for any marine and military use you can throw at it. These binoculars have a great 3-D optical system that is able to coral the light, as well as a high-definition optical coating for the clearest view. They give you a 30 year warranty and weighs about 3 pounds for about $800.

The Steiner 1001A Commander V Marine Binocular with the added Compass model ST1001A gives you the best high definition stabilizer compass and an option of the Steiner’s new 3-D optical system that givew you high tech ability with a CAT optical coating on them for the best clarity. These sets of binoculars are waterproof, fog proof and shockproof and have a 30-year warranty for $900. For more info see http://www.binoculars-rating.com/ on Binoclars

The next set is the Steiner 1001B Commander III with added Compass and Rangefinder in the model ST1001B and boasts heavy duty stabilizer compass and also a rangefinder. These binoculars are totally waterproof, fog proof, and made for protection from any drop. The ability of these binoculars to bring in light in low light situations is terrific. You can get a thirty year warranty on it and all for about $800.

The Steiner Company B/ST® Tactical Military Binocular for $750 and model ST 1013 has a great ability for being used in situations where the light is low like surveillance projects, navigation, or sniper spotter. ST1013 can also be useful for the mil dot reticle systems. These binoculars are waterproof also and weight about three pounds.



By: David Faulkner

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