Binoculars Info

Sporting events can sometimes be rather disappointing when you are so far away from the action that you just can’t see what is going on. Compact sports binoculars are the ideal solution to a difficult situation, never again will you miss the most important event of the day, just slip a pair of sports binoculars in your pocket and whip them out just when you need them. No hassle, nothing to carry around and no real extra weight.

Compact sports binoculars come in all sorts of shapes and sizes with quality brands such as Pentax, Bushnell and Nikon starting at around £50. Options include waterproof sports binoculars (ideal for marine use and all weather conditions), ultra compact models, ultra lightweight, extra wide (Bushnell), close focus, foldable and zoom binoculars.

Olympus make quite a few good little sports optics including the RC I ultra compact sports binoculars which are credit card size, when folded (only 9×6.5cm), the smallest binoculars in their class and are available in 8x and 10x magnification with multi-coated lenses. These binoculars are ideal for travel, theatre, concerts and sporting events.

If you are looking for the lightest possible pair of compact sports binoculars you might want to consider the Olympus DPC I series which are feather light at just 170g (the lightest in their class) or if you want stylish the Olympus PC I make excellent sports binoculars and come in a wide range of magnifications up to 12x or 10-30x zoom.

Nikon manufacture some excellent compact sports binoculars including the Sportstar EX series which are foldable, waterproof and lightweight with multi-coated lenses and a close focus distance of 2.5mtrs. Other Nikon options include the Nikon Travelite V series which are rubber armoured and come in up to 12x magnification plus 8-24x zoom and the Travelite EX series which a waterproof, with long eyerelief and of high eyepoint design making them suitable for spectacle wearers.

Celestron make compact sports binoculars small enough to fit into a purse (the Celestron Upclose series) which come with a lifetime warranty and a price tag of less than £50 and the Bushnell Xtra-Wide binoculars (both compact and mid-size) offer an amazingly wide field of view, twice that of normal binoculars, making them great for spectator sports.

Pentax specialise in compact sports binoculars with numerous options including the DCF MC II which come with high performance optics, high resolution phase-coated roof prisms and multi-coated lenses, also the central fast focusing Pentax UCF R series and the UCF Zoom II series which make excellent sports binoculars.

The Olympus WP I compact sport binoculars are built for extreme conditions, waterproof, nitrogen filled and sealed with fully multi-coated lenses, high quality Bak-4 prisms and another waterproof option is the Pentax UCF WP 8-16×21 with features such as a sophisticated internal focusing system (which contributes to the lightweight a compact size of the binoculars), high refraction Bak-4 prisms and multi-coated lenses.

Effectively the choice is enormous with so many options that it is often hard to choose. As with any optics the quality of compact sports binoculars is in the lenses although lens quality does have to be balanced with other personal essential features such as weight, size and zoom capabilities. Hopefully I’ve left you with enough options for you to make a choice so you have absolutely no excuse for going empty handed to that next all important sporting event.



By: Terry Ross

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The task of buying binoculars, UK or otherwise isn’t easy to say the least but one way of simplifying the process is by buying binoculars from UK online stores where searching for specific functionality is so much easier than on the high street.

Making the decision to invest in binoculars is the easy part but once you take those first tentative steps towards buying binoculars you soon learn that the process isn’t as simple as it seems. There’s an amazing amount of choice, numerous top quality binocular manufacturer (are you thinking of buying UK binoculars, German binoculars, US binoculars), hundred’s of different types and sizes on offer (waterproof binoculars, IS binoculars (image stabilising), compact binoculars, lightweight binoculars, marine binoculars, bird watching binoculars, the list is endless) and a decision to be made regarding such things as magnification, objective diameter, lens quality and eye relief.

One of the biggest problems with buying binoculars in the UK is that there is so much choice it’s hard to make a decision and when you start to realise the whole new world that binoculars give you access to you tend to want to go for the best money can buy (which can get expensive).

So there you have it, buying binoculars (UK), is a minefield, be prepared to follow a few guidelines before you start:

Be clear about what you are buying binoculars for. You can buy binoculars for general use, many of which are very good but if you are looking for astronomy binoculars for example and you want the best quality viewing it’s best to opt for specialist binoculars, particular given UK weather conditions.

If you want to use your binoculars in wet, salty, environments then search for marine binoculars which will be waterproof, fog-free and built for extreme weather conditions. The best marine binoculars are also corrosion resistant.

A lot of binoculars aren’t waterproof and in nice hot climates this isn’t an issue. For UK residents, when buying binoculars, UK weather conditions have to be taken into account, given the number of wet or damp days we have are none waterproof binoculars going to provide you with the flexibility you need?

Do you want to be able to use high magnification binoculars without a tripod? If so you may want to consider buying IS binoculars (image stabilising) which will eliminate the distortion caused by slight movements in your hand normally apparent with high magnification binoculars. If you’re buying binoculars to use in a moving vehicle then IS binoculars are ideal.

Are you buying binoculars for travel, UK and abroad, if so look at compact binoculars. They are light enough and small enough to carry around wherever you go maximising the use you get out of them.

Unless you are going to use a tripod or IS binoculars look at buying binoculars that have a magnification of 10x or less. Anything higher and you start to get image distortion due to slight movements in your hand. The Canon 10x42L IS Binoculars are a popular choice.

If you want to take your binoculars out and about all day, weight could be important. Lightweight binoculars are worth looking at with modern materials enabling a significant weight reduction even in full-size binoculars.

In the UK we have some wonderful wildlife which shouldn’t be missed, for the best quality viewing try and buy binoculars with high quality Bak-4 prisms and fully multicoated lenses.

• uncoated lenses give extremely poor quality viewing, not recommended

• coated lenses is one coat and isn’t necessarily all lenses

• fully coated is one coat all lenses

If you wear glasses or for comfortable all day viewing look at buying binoculars with long eye relief (15mm and above).

Rubber armoured binoculars tend to be more robust.

One final tip for buying binoculars (UK) is that price doesn’t guarantee quality but it is worth paying a bit more if you want good quality lenses and an unforgettable viewing experience.



By: Terry Ross

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When it comes to choosing binoculars you can get confused unless you happen to work in optics or have a good handle on optical physics! All the lingo and terminology can be confusing and there are so many binocular brands to choose from now too. It need not be so confusing, read through this little overview or read on at the links below to arm yourself with the understanding you need.

The first thing to do is decide upon the use you will be putting your new binoculars to. There is no such thing as a binocular that does everything well. Think about it, if the binoculars are to be used for gazing at the moon and planets, are the same ones likely to be useful at a concert? Of course not. Binoculars are mostly designed with particular uses in mind, though there are some good ‘general purpose’ ones too.

Those numbers on all binoculars refer to the magnification factor and the diameter of the lenses. So an 8x 42 has 8 times magnification with a 40mm lens. The greater the magnification the poorer the image quality and the harder it is to hold the binocular steady enough to actually enjoy the view. Most people find 8-10 times magnification to be the most useful and comfortable for outdoor use. Concert viewing requires maybe a 4 times binocular.

The diameter of the lens is important too as the bigger it is the more light is captured so the better the image tends to be, it also gives you a wider area to see (or field of view). This field of view is usually expressed as an angle or as the number of feet the view from side to side appears at 1000 yards. The smaller the FOV the harder it is to spot your target.

Those are the most basic factors, after these we start to get into a few more technical aspects such as the type of glass used and eye relief. This eye relief factor is important if you like to wear your glasses while using binoculars. It refers to the distance between your eye and the binocular eyepiece. Why is that important? Because if you wear glasses while viewing you’ll need to allow for the extra distance to your eye caused by your specs between the binoculars and your eyes.

The coatings used on binocular lenses and prisms adds to their quality and price. Various coatings do different things but their main job is to prevent light being lost by reflection. The sophistication of the coatings used will make quality and price vary wildly from type to type and brand to brand.

Other than those points you should also consider whether you need attributes such as waterproofing, robust construction for wear and tear and the like. Remember the more you need out of your binocular the more it is likely to cost you so when you have narrowed down to this point, get the best you can afford – you’ll never regret it!



By: Aidan James

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If you like to look to the heavens even just occasionally get yourself some decent binoculars and indulge in a little binocular astronomy. Think about it, binoculars are inexpensive, highly portable and require no complicated setting up procedure so are ideal for casual astronomy.

Binoculars allow excellent moon views, and great viewing of star fields, comets and even deep sky objects. They are especially useful for beginners as unlike astronomy telescopes they keep the view the the right way up, making it really easy to navigate the skies. With a little practice you can pick out several of the planets and even the larger moons orbiting Jupiter. Clusters like Pleiades look great because the binoculars wide field of view lets you have more of the cluster in view at one time than a telescope would.

So how to choose which ones? Binoculars have two specifications marked on the body of the binocular in the form of 7x 50, where the first number represents the magnification (in this case 7 times) and the second the aperture in millimeters (50mm in this case). When it comes to selecting the right binoculars for astronomy, aperture is the most important feature to think about. The bigger the aperture the more light is captured so the brighter and clearer the image will be. For astronomy use you will need at least 40mm aperture and preferably larger.

You will need a magnification factor of at least 7, maybe up to 10 if you have a steady hand. Any higher than about 10 times magnification and you will need to mount your binoculars on a tripod as the hand shake effect makes it difficult to get a sharp image.

There are giant binoculars available with higher magnifications and apertures which are designed for astronomy use but you will certainly need a sturdy tripod or mount to use them. These can offer excellent viewing up to about 25 times magnification with 100mm apertures.

This brings us to another point, a specification known as the ‘exit pupil’. This specification refers to the diameter of the shaft of light that exits the eyepieces and into your eyes. You can easily calculate it by dividing the aperture by the magnification so that 7 x 50 binocular has an exit pupil of just over 7mm. Capturing as much of that as possible is good as it means all the available light is getting to where you want it, i.e.your eye. If you are still in your twenties you can probably use all of that 7mm exit pupil mentioned above as your pupils will dilate to about that size in very dark conditions, however as you get older your pupil does not dilate more than about 4 to 5 mm so large exit pupils are wasted (though it starts to make those 25x 100′s look good!).

You might notice another specification marked on the binocular, the field of view (FOV), it refers to the apparent side to side view as you look through the binoculars. It will be expressed as an angle in degrees or a measure such as 340 feet at 1000 yards. For astronomy use we can generally ignore that factor, it really does not matter a great deal at the distances we’ll be viewing at.

So now you have the basics why not get yourself some binoculars and indulge in a little casual astronomy, you’ll be rewarded with some wonderful sights!



By: Aidan James

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Binoculars consist of numerous air to glass surfaces with each individual surface contributing to the loss of light. Coated lense binoculars help prevent the loss of light with one or more of the surfaces being coated with one or more layers of anti-reflective coating. Never buy binoculars with uncoated lenses, the lack of coating means that around 50% of light could be lost making non coated lense binoculars half as bright as their coated counterparts.

Coated lense binoculars used to come with a hefty price tag but now most binoculars come with coated lenses in one form or another and top quality fully multi-coated lense binoculars are often within the price range of many users.

The greater the number of coatings and the more surfaces that are coated the less light is lost so if you are looking for the best binoculars you want fully multi-coated lenses.

There are basically four grades of coated lense binoculars although some manufacturers have developed their own, exclusive, high quality coatings which offer greater durability and further improved light transmission with other added advantages:

• Coated lense binoculars means that one or more surfaces are coated with one layer of anti-reflective coating. If only one or a limited number of air to glass surfaces are coated such binoculars will provide you little more light transmission than un-coated lense binoculars.

• Fully coated lense binoculars means that air to glass surfaces are coated with one layer of anti-reflective coating.

• Multi coated lense binoculars means that one or more air to glass surfaces are coated with multiple layers of anti-reflective coating. Like coated lense binoculars you have to be careful here as just one surface could be coated!

• Fully multi coated lense binoculars are the best that you can buy. All air to glass surfaces are coated in multiple layers of anti reflective coating.

Fully coated lense binoculars can increase light transmission from 50% to around 80 – 85% which is now the norm for low cost binoculars. If you want something a bit more special that will increase light transmission to 95% or above then you want to go for fully multi coated lense binoculars and, for extra durability and advance quality viewing, take a look at the exclusive coatings offered by some of the top manufacturers. Bushnell Elite binoculars come with Bushnell’s exclusive XTR technology (60 layers of coatings on each prism) which delivers 99.73% light transmission per lense.

The difference between fully coated lense binoculars and fully multi coated might not sound that great but once you have owned binoculars with the best quality optics and coatings you’ll never look back. The light transmission, resolution and clarity of top quality binoculars is amazing and the enhanced viewing generally makes the higher price tag well worth it.

A few fully multi coated lense binoculars are Bushnell Elite, Bushnell Legend Binoculars, Bushnell Natureview, Pentax DCF SP / XP and HR II, Pentax PCF Binoculars, Nikon HG L DCF Binoculars and Olympus EXPS I Series Binoculars.



By: Terry Ross

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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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If you are contemplating on buying beautiful water -proof marine binoculars, it is imperative that you carefully choose from a small range of brands. Given the fact that you can use this for a very long time, procuring the best binoculars is necessary.

A binoculars’ purpose differs on every type of user. If you are a marine then you are entitled to use one for your line of duty. However, this can also be beneficial to hunters, soldiers and the like. It is more used by those who work or thrive on the great outdoors. Hikers also use this on their trips. It is especially helpful when you would like to spot a bird or other animals that are at a certain distance in the wild or wherever. There are also those who go to football or baseball games and bring a pair of binoculars in order to get a closer view of the game. Of course, not everyone can afford the ticket prices to be near the fields, but these people can definitely afford marine binoculars.

Hence, magnification is the first thing you will possess if you have 7×50 binoculars. This magnification factor determines the power of your lenses and it is always followed by an “x”. This means that if you use a binocular with 7x magnification you may see a view seven times more than without the binoculars.

Some experts even claim that more magnification doe not necessarily mean that it’s better because as it increases, the clarity and the brightness of the image often diminish. Aside from this, the depth of the field tends to become shallower and the field of vision becomes narrower as well. Plus, the thing with this high -powered device is that they are heavier than the usual binoculars. This would mean that having this on your neck and making handshakes with other people will be very uncomfortable on your part.

Moreover, the aperture is the second thing to consider subsequent to magnification. This refers to the lens diameter that is measured in millimetres which is similar to camera lenses. Hence, the 20-25 mm ranges are typically pocket sized binoculars. This type is perfect for those nature trips. Plus, it can fit right into your camera luggage.

Nevertheless, with regards to marine binoculars, it is imperative to have at least a 50 mm aperture. This is in order to promote better light gathering which is crucial in dark, heavily shaded areas. For astronomical uses, over 50mm or around 70 to 80 mm is used for obvious reasons.

For light gathering purposes, prisms are used. This is due to the fact that they can employ high quality glass prisms, which can provide clearer and more circular exit pupils. In addition to this, glass quality can directly affect the clarity of the image. This means that the best glass can give you a clearer flat field as compared to the whole field of view, making it a higher priced product.

The exit pupil, as mentioned above, is those indicators that depict how well an image can be seen in particular conditions like sunny/bright, night/twilight/dusky views. This exit pupil can also be characterized in millimetres by having the aperture divided with the magnification factor. This is like if you have 7×50 binoculars, then your exit pupil will be 50/7 or 7.14mm, making it way better than the 10×50 ones having only a 5mm exit pupil. With this, your view will become very difficult to hold at a steady motion, especially in the water.

This means that it is way better to have a larger exit pupil due to the fact that you can have an excellent viewing convenience under the said conditions. Thus, if you are in a sunny condition, then the pupil size of a normal individual would range from 2 up to 3 mm, meaning, even the smallest exit pupil like a 7x 20mm or a 2.86mm exit pupil pair of binoculars can take in more light as compared to what your eyes needed to see.

Furthermore, this can be a match to those 7 x 50mm binoculars. However, when twilight or dusky shaded area becomes the background, you will not be able to see a clear field of view on a 7x20mm. On this type, a 7x50mm binocular is better because of its larger exit pupil.

Furthermore, Porro Prism versus the Roof prism designs is mostly discussed by people who are confused by their uses. To settle this account: Porro Prisms are the bigger, classic binoculars that have two offset barrels and are connected by a centre axis rod. They tend to give a wider field of view and crisp sharp images. In contrast to this, the roof prism is sleeker in design and is more compact. This is even without the gaps between the barrels and centre axis. Plus, this is more durable and less prone to contamination by some elements; although, of course, it is more expensive. With this fact, it will just come down to the better judgement of the user, especially with regards to how it can be beneficial to him or her.

Lastly, being a waterproof type of device is a very essential feature of this binocular. This is for the reason that there will be times wherein you will be exposed to rain showers. When you go on hiking, when you’re on a ship or a yacht, you still have a tendency to get wet. Having this water proof binoculars will definitely provide you with quality images amidst several water exposures. Furthermore, many of these types of binoculars are even fog proof and nitrogen purged.

However, it is important that you do not get deceived by the water resistant models that pose themselves similar to the waterproofed ones. Water resistant models would mean that it is okay even if it gets splashed by some water. Thus, submerging it in the water is a whole lot different because it can surely break and damage this type, particularly during the rainy seasons.

These are the reasons why it is best to choose the right kind of marine binoculars. It is as critical as getting your money’s worth.

Famous Brands of Marine Binoculars are as follows:

• Avian

• Bushnell

• Canon

• Fujinon

• Nikon

• Steiner

The price of these binoculars, depending on the model and features, would range from 189 Euros up to 939 Euros.



By: Dave Text

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Before answering the question ‘what are the best binoculars (UK)’ I need to make it very clear that a good pair of binoculars is something you can and should get really passionate about. The best binoculars bring distant images to life with amazing resolution and clarity making you feel as if you are part of a completely new and exciting world.

Imagine being able to see every little detail of what you are viewing with absolutely perfect contrast and clarity no matter where you are and what you are doing. If you experience such perfection you will become passionate and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without the very best binoculars. UK binoculars do vary from what is available in the US and the two environments are completely different so the best binoculars in the US may not be available in the UK or may not perform so well under the different environmental conditions.

You also have to consider that people’s opinions vary, sometimes quite dramatically, so what each person considers too be the best binoculars (UK) is probably not the same. Also, you need to be clear as to what you want to use the binoculars for, the best binoculars for astronomy won’t necessarily be much good for bird watching and the best sport binoculars won’t necessarily be very good as marine binoculars.

One thing that you need to look for in any binoculars is the quality of the lenses and prisms. The best binoculars come with fully multi-coated lenses and top quality Bak-4 prisms. Given the generally damp environment, the best binoculars for the UK, if you want to use them regularly outdoors, should be waterproof and fog-free to ensure a perfect viewing experience.

If you are looking for best marine binoculars in the UK then take a look at the Steiner Commander XP binoculars, they are amazingly high spec, waterproof to 10mtrs, nitrogen sealed with Steiner Nano-Protection (weather proof protection against the environment), high performance HD XP optics, long life rubber armouring and interchangeable eyecup system, truly professional marine binoculars which delivery an amazing performance in low light conditions and come with a 30 year guarantee.

If you are looking for the best binoculars (UK) with image stabilizing then look no further than the Canon IS Binoculars. I know I don’t stand alone when I say that once you own the Canon 10x42L IS binoculars you’ll wonder how you survived without them. Users absolutely rave about them. The lenses are just fantastic, they are the first binoculars to carry the red L-series ring only previously found on Canon professional camera lenses. These binoculars must come high up the list for the best binoculars in the UK, fully waterproof, unrivalled IS capabilities (in any moving environment), superb lens quality, close focus distance of just 2.5mtrs and long eye relief. The one main downside is perhaps weight (1030g) but to get the IS technology there always has to be a compromise regarding the weight.

Bushnell make great binoculars so in your search for the best binoculars for you take a look at the Bushnell Elite. Premium Bak-4 phase coated prisms, fully multi-coated lenses, waterproof, nitrogen sealed, rainguard lens coating and long eye relief. The new XTR technology utilises no less than 60 layers of coatings on each prism to deliver a combined 90% light transmission.

There are some great little compact binoculars to, one of my favourites is the Olympus RC I compact binoculars. Only 195g in weight, credit card size when folded, really stylish, high index Bak-4 prisms and multi-coated lenses.

When buying binoculars it all comes down to what you want to use them for and how much you are prepared to pay. Price doesn’t always denote quality and binoculars that are the best for one activity aren’t necessarily the best for another. Don’t however make the mistake of paying too little, finding they are useless and casting them aside. The best quality lenses do cost! No one can say what are the absolute best binoculars (UK) unless they know what the binoculars are to be used for and even then, as I said, its still a matter of opinion. Just watch out for the lens coatings and the quality of the prisms, make sure the weight suits you, don’t go for too high a magnification if the binoculars are to be hand held (unless you buy IS binoculars), for outdoors, in the UK, waterproof is usually best, if you are new to binoculars and looking to observe fast moving objects then go for binoculars with a wider field of view and if you wear glasses you want an eye relief of 15mm plus. Happy hunting for the best binoculars in the UK.



By: Terry Ross

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At some time in your life, you are going to want to purchase a pair of binoculars. You might need them for bird-watching or perhaps watching a sporting event. But before you decide to walk into store which sells them you should take the time to gain as much information as possible about binoculars. You will find that this time will be well-spent when your binoculars are well matched to you.

Every description for binoculars indicates two numbers (i.e.- 7×35). The first number indicates the binoculars Magnification. The number, in our examples case, represents that the object viewed will appear to be 7 times closer than it really is. The average user should aim to purchase binoculars that have between 7x and 9x Magnification. More is not always better hoever. As the Magnification increases, so does the susceptibility of the binocular to shaking. With this in mind it is generally advised that for binoculars over 10x that they be used on a tripod to eliminate the “shaking” issue.

The second number is the Aperture (or objective lens). The objective lens determines how bright the image in your binoculars will be. It accomplishes this by letting the outside light in. The number itself is the size of the diameter of the lens. As the number gets larger, the image will be brighter. Bigger is not always better however as the larger the Aperture, the heavier the binoculars. The average user should look to have an Aperture which is 5x the Magnification (i.e. – 7×35)

The coating of the lens is also of great importance. The coating reduces the amount of unfocused light which bounces around inside the binoculars. This is called fragmenting. There are four different types of lens coating. The least effective is Coating. The next effective is Multi Coated. The Fully Coated and Fully Multi Coated type round out the different options for lens coating (Fully Multi Coated is the best). As the coating increases in quality, the picture quality improves and your enjoyment will increase.

Another factor to pay attention to is the Field of View. The Field of View refers to the measurement of the viewing area which lies 1000 yards from where you are located. One thing to consider is that with most binoculars, the Magnification and the Field of View are inverse to each other. So if you have a binocular that has high Magnification, the Field of View will be lower.

These are some of the technical factors one must understand when considering a specific model of binocular.

Good luck and happy viewing!



By: Jerry Shepard

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Going to a horserace? Perhaps you are going to trapse around the wild in search of our ornithological friends (birdwatching)? Then you will be needed a good pair of binoculars. After you have purchased them, you will not get much use from them if you do not take proper care of your binoculars. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and this adage holds true whether its changing the oil in your car at regular intervals or performing maintenance on your binoculars.

The first rule of proper binocular care is the same rule for doctors when they take the Hippocratic Oath which is first, Do No Harm. Your binoculars will not work very well for very long if you are constantly dropping them or mistreating them. Binoculars are a sensitive piece of ocular equipment and while they may seem sturdy, any repeated physical blow can cause the lenses to misalign and to blur the image.

So now that we are making sure that we are avoiding overt physical damage, we need to focus on proper cleaning. Maintaining the lenses is will be our main focus from now on. But in order to care for the lens properly one must make sure that it is free from dirt and debris. If the lens is dirty it will not focus properly and will issue a distorted image. So, to keep the lens clean we must clean it with the proper materials.

The materials needed to clean your binoculars are a proper cloth and the correct cleaning solution.

One should NEVER use ordinary cloth to clean the lenses of binoculars. Even if the cloth feels smooth to your skin, it has rough fibers that will damage the lenses by leaving scratches and other marks on the surface. The type of cloth you should use is a microfiber cloth. Microfiber cloth wins out because it is thinner than regular cloth, streaks less and is generally more gentle on the coating of the lens ( the coating on the lens is important as it prevents unfocused light from bouncing around inside the binoculars).

In order to protect the coating you must also use the correct cleaner when performing maintenance. Use an ordinary cleaner and you will damage the coating and permanently blur the lenses. This is because the coating on the lenses contains a chemical that can negatively react to an improper cleaning solvent.

One additionally factor to consider is that of moisture getting inside the binocular. Water is corrosive and can contain tiny bits of particulate which can accumulate inside the optic when water gets in and dries out. Therefore, if the binocular is to be used in an area which has high humidity, the best way to go is to buy a pair that is waterproof.

These are some of the things you need to consider when caring for our binoculars. If you maintain them properly, they will richly reward you for years to come.



By: Jerry Shepard

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