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 by Tom Hallett
“BIRDING BINOCULARS”….Do you really need them? What is meant by this terminology? Birders have come to expect certain features that make the sport of birding more enjoyable. I will try to explain some of these features and why they are important to birders. Then you may decide which are most important for you.
Waterproof/Fogproof: A must. Not only will you be birding in the wet, you must be concerned about internal fogging and this is the only way to protect against it.
Magnification: An individual choice. 8 power usually has a wider field of view than 10 power and is easier to hold still after a long day in the field. Remember when testing binoculars you will usually use them over a long period of time so hand tremor can be a factor.
Phase Coating: Helps to eliminate color aberration…a condition that is present only in roof prism binoculars. It is caused when light passes through a prism causing the colors to bend at different angles like a rainbow. Simply put, it helps bring all the colors back in perfect alignment so the edges of the birds are the right color.
Long Eye Relief: Allows you to look through your binoculars with or without glasses. Some models have eye pieces that not only give you long eye relief but will lock in the top or even the middle position. This gives birders additional choices to determine the best distance for them, or to create a wider field of view.
Weight: Rather than weight, the real issue should be balance, feel and fit. Before buying binoculars, try them to see how they feel in your hands and fit against your eyes.
Lens Coatings: As you add lens coatings you increase the amount of light that passes through the lens, so you will want to have “fully multi-coated lens.” What this means is that multiple coatings are layered fully onto all “air to glass” surfaces to provide the brightest performance possible. Brighter binoculars with better edge-to-edge clarity will result in better looks at the field marks in dusk to dawn situations as well as strongly back-lit birds.
Have you ever noticed that the really good birds always move to the shaded or darkest part of the tree when you are about to confirm the field marks? Maybe it’s just me, but I think not. You can never have too bright or too clear a binocular.
The old adage of “spend as much money as you can” on your binoculars is no longer true. All the features mentioned above can be found at ALPEN for between $300 - $900, matching very favorably with the top three brands. Still confused? Call us at ALPEN and let us help you decide which model is correct for you.(877) 987 8370
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