Now that you have acquired a fairly reasonable knowledge about binoculars, it is time to put it to good use before putting your money on the table. I'm not going to suggest any particular brand or model as that is decision you have to take. I will only take you through the process of decision making which will be different for everyone.
What you will buy will depend on the purpose, your budget, availability of a particular brand or model, features on the binocular and most importantly serviceability and warranty. The last is often not considered but I know how difficult it is to a get a certain brand repaired in India.
1. Purpose
Decide what you want it for. If you are buying one for casual use you needn't go for a high end, high magnification instrument. For an occasional user a compact or midsize will do. Some thing like a 10x25 or 8x32 , which will be quite handy. I keep a Bushnell H2O 10x25 in my car.
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| Easy to carry and lightweight for one-hand use. |
It is small enough to handle with one hand and unobtrusive. It can be whipped out in a hurry and comfortable to hang around the neck even when driving. The whole thing fits into the palm of your hand and becomes pocket-ably smaller on folding up!
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| Unfolded compact (left) & folded completely (right) |
Compacts may also be useful to throw in the bag for a long day of hiking, where larger binoculars may be extra weight and quite literally gives you a pain in the neck.
If you are a person who is interested in birds or wildlife you will need one with at least 8x or 10x magnification. Considering that both birds and wildlife are active in the early morning or evening the light will be low so you have to combine that magnification with a larger objective lens like a 42mm or 50mm (8x42, 10x42 or 10x50). Just keep in mind that as the numbers increase the size and weight of the binoculars will also increase.
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| Size increases as magnification and objective size goes up. |
Porro prism binoculars are also generally more bulkier, heavier and brighter but their weather sealing might not be comparable to roof prism binoculars.
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| Just to give you an idea how bulky a Porro prism binocular (Zenith on the left) can be. |
The size and weight have to be given due consideration if you plan to spend hours or all day outdoor.
2. Your Budget
You can get extremely inexpensive binoculars that are mass produced and claim to be 'water resistant' and 'weather proof'. As I mentioned in the previous post, unless they are 'waterproof' these cheap binoculars may not last a season. The materials used will be plastic and the lenses maybe of substandard quality. I will give here the history of my experience in binocular purchase, just so that you can get an idea how 'upgrades' happen.
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| The Zenith 7x50 is bulky and heavy |
The Olympus DPSI 8x40 was the first binocular I 'purchased', since the Zenith was bequeathed to me! It cost me around Rs.3500 back then and now is available from different sellers from Rs.4500 to Rs.5250 (around $65-70 US). At that time, I wasn't aware of the importance of the quality of the lenses and prisms or weather sealing. Essentially, I was a novice! That binocular might have lasted me two seasons before it became unusable. Since I had the Zenith 7x50, which despite its age was still giving excellent service, I decided to go for a compact binocular with a higher magnification, so I ended up buying the Bushnell 10x25 H2O at Rs.5100 or so in 2015. It is still available with some sellers with prices varying from Rs.6000 to Rs.11,000 (around $80-150 US)!
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| Bushnell 10x25 compact |
As the Zenith was getting to be a pain in the neck literally, because of its weight, and the compact Bushnell was proving inadequate in dim light, I decided I needed an upgrade (in 2016). I first fixed my budget around double of the compact and after a bit of a more detailed research, I settled for the Bushnell Trophy XLT 10x42. I had to pay a little more than I planned. It set me back by a little under Rs.14,000 but I had a medium budget, waterproof, fog proof and brighter binocular that seemed perfect for my use. After a couple of years of use, something happened to the diopter ring. The right eye wouldn't focus, probably after a fall or severe bump.
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| Bushnell Trophy XLT 10x42 |
That was the time I was again thinking of an upgrade and this time I thought a little 'bigger'. Three big names in binoculars are Zeiss, Swarovski and Leica. I would have had to up my budget but, I was about to invest in a binocular to last me a decade. Since, I already had a 10x42, albeit, only effective as a monocular telescope, I decided it would be an 8x42. The Zeiss Terra ED 8x42 seemed perfect for birding and walking around. Two features that swung the decision were the short focus (needs only less than one rotation of the knob to go from close focus to infinity) and its incredibly close focus distance of around 5 feet! Of course, being a Zeiss it was expected to leave a big hole in my pocket, even though it was technically a 'baby' Zeiss, and made in China. The sticker price was around Rs.34,000 but I got a deal of 30% discount through a good friend. The current price is still about the same, around Rs.37,000 (around $495 US).
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| Zeiss Terra ED 8x42 |
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| Design by Zeiss! |
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| Made in China hidden in the hinge! |
Then, sometime in late 2018 I decided that I needed a little more reach than a 8x could provide. This was partly due to the fact that the 8x42 seemed a tad inadequate when trying to identify warblers in the canopy and ducks across the reservoir. I had by then progressed from novice stage to the advanced amateur level and my research threw up a name I hadn't considered before, Vortex. They seemed to have review ratings right up there with the Zeiss', Swarovskis and Leicas, and so it wasn't very difficult to decide on the Vortex Viper HD 12x50.
Both magnification and objective size had been taken up a notch and I
had a binocular that could cover the defect in my range. It made a big
hole in my pocket ($480 US, about Rs32,000 then) despite having got it
from United States. It is now being sold at $740 US, which at today's
rates is around Rs.55,000, but in India we'll have to shell out close to
Rs.70,000!
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| Vortex Viper HD 12x50 |
I have now reached a stage where I have to reach for the stars! The next binocular on my wish list is either a 10x42 Vortex Razor UHD ($2150) or the Zeiss Victory SF( $2750). What you will note is that we are never satisfied with what we already have so we keep adding to our collection, and each one is allegedly better than the previous one. I'm sure my Zeiss Terra ED or the Vortex Viper HD will easily see a decade of service but the temptation is too great!
I will leave below a list of some binoculars from reputed companies, randomly selected, just to give you an idea of the wide range of prices across the models. There are many brands not included in this list. These are brands which I have personally used or are being used by friends, and some premium ones which are just for drooling over!
Manufacturer & Model
|
Specification
|
Weight
|
Cost
|
|
1
|
Bushnell H2O
Compact
|
10x25
|
300 grams
|
$50
|
2
|
Nikon
Trialblazer ATB
|
10x25
|
300 grams
|
$75
|
3
|
Zeiss Terra ED
Compact
|
10x25
|
300 grams
|
$380
|
4
|
Swarovski CL
Pocket
|
10x25
|
360 grams
|
$880
|
5
|
Olympus Pro
|
8x42
|
670 grams
|
$470
|
6
|
Nikon Monarch 5
|
8x42
|
600 grams
|
$280
|
7
|
Zeiss Terra ED
|
8x42
|
750 grams
|
$450
|
8
|
Leica Trinovid
HD
|
8x42
|
750 grams
|
$950
|
9
|
Vortex Razor
UHD
|
8x42
|
913 grams
|
$1500
|
10
|
Bushnell Legend
|
10x42
|
666 grams
|
$170
|
11
|
Olympus Pro
|
10x42
|
665 grams
|
$520
|
12
|
Nikon Monarch 5
|
10x42
|
601 grams
|
$296
|
13
|
Zeiss Terra ED
|
10x42
|
725 grams
|
$449
|
14
|
Vortex Razor HD
|
10x42
|
700 grams
|
$1000
|
15
|
Swarowski SLC
|
10x42
|
795 grams
|
$1600
|
16
|
Nikon Prostaff
5
|
12x50
|
791 grams
|
$220
|
17
|
Vortex Viper HD
|
12x50
|
840 grams
|
$740
|
18
|
Zeiss Victory SF *
|
8x42
|
780 grams
|
$2700
|
19
|
Leica Noctvid*
|
10x42
|
860 grams
|
$2850
|
20
|
Swarowski EL50*
|
12x50
|
992 grams
|
$2870
|
3. Brand & Service
Brands matter. Period. If you buy one that looks good on paper without background research you are in for some regret. Brands like Olympus, Nikon and Canon are familiar as photography equipment manufactures so they have a strong service network and long presence in the market. As an ophthalmologist, Zeiss is a familiar name to me since they manufacture ophthalmic equipment. So, before jumping to a decision, visit the website of the company and look up the options, the reviews of their products, their dealer and service network. I went for the Vortex because of their unconditional lifetime warranty, as I can send it back to the US if required through friends or relatives.
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| Vortex VIP Warranty |
All binoculars come with warranty limited to a few years or lifetime. They all have some conditions so read the small print. However, it is unlikely that you will need to use the warranty if you use your instrument carefully. Most modern binoculars can take rough treatment but a heavy knock or fall can cause breakage or misalignment of lenses or prisms. If that happens, you need a reliable service backup. Before you buy, enquire about the service also.
There is no 'right binocular' for everyone. The is one for everyone's needs and since only you know what you need, weigh the options carefully. Before you put your money on the table, do some research about the company, the features, the weather sealing and warranty. Remember, the expensive ones are automatically better as there is a lot of effort put in their manufacturing. They are designed to last a few decades, like my Zenith, unless you manage to damage it so badly! That doesn't mean you go for a Zeiss or Swarovski straight away. Get a mid-range pair then upgrade slowly.
For those who are impatient to
go through the entire blog series, I'm giving below direct links to all
the posts. You can go directly to the page you are interested in,
though I suggest you go through each post as all of them contain some
information that will be useful when you consider purchasing a binocular
for your self.
1. Introduction
2. Part – 1: Anatomy of a Binocular
3. Part – 2: Purpose and Portability
4. Part – 3: Magnification, Objective diameter & FOV
5. Part – 4: Eye Relief
6. Part – 5: Exit pupil & Interpupillary distance
7. Part – 6: Image brightness
8. Part – 7: Focusing fundamentals
9. Part – 8: Weather sealing
10. Part – 9: Purchase decision
11. Part – 10: Care & Storage
12. Afterthoughts and accessories
1. Introduction
2. Part – 1: Anatomy of a Binocular
3. Part – 2: Purpose and Portability
4. Part – 3: Magnification, Objective diameter & FOV
5. Part – 4: Eye Relief
6. Part – 5: Exit pupil & Interpupillary distance
7. Part – 6: Image brightness
8. Part – 7: Focusing fundamentals
9. Part – 8: Weather sealing
10. Part – 9: Purchase decision
11. Part – 10: Care & Storage
12. Afterthoughts and accessories
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