Need Binocular Recommendations. Watching Birds at Feeder

Here is a list of all the recommendations on this thread condensed to four pages. Hope it helps I am going to highlight some and go shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know next to nothing about optics. I want to look at the birds more closely at the feeders at home. I will be looking through double paned windows. The feeders are four to ten feet away. Then there are the birds in the trees that are up to 25 feet away.
Any recommendations for binoculars? I wear glasses and am nearsighted.
No need to go expensive for this kind of use. Go to a store that carries binos and try a few.

I have a pair of these.
Good for the price”
http://www.bigbinoculars.com/2080lw.htm

Do NOT buy Barska. If you have a big box sporting goods store go there. They will have many choices. Keep in mind if you are going to watch for a long periods of time weight is an issue. Here at ranch we prefer Leopold but Vortex is and acceptable alternative.

There are a lot of specifications but give all due consideration for comfort. A large pair may see better but be cumbersome and unwieldy in use. A small pair might be easier to use but can get lost in clutter or cushions. Try to find one that fits your hand, has accommodation for eyeglasses and has easy controls.
Try to work a tripod into your budget, too. Set the binocs up pointing the right direction and focus on the feeders. Mine function just fine through double panes but you don’t want to have to hold the dang things steady long enough to observe the birds, especially if you opt for a relatively heavy pair. Big objective lenses mean more light in. Too high a magnification means it jiggles a lot and your field of view is narrow - that may not be a big problem at your range, though. If the binocs are pretty much inside all the time you won’t have to worry about waterproofing. Fun hobby!
An interesting alternative is a spotting scope - these are used in shooting to see your hits without having to go downrange. Big zoom, lots of light. Good luck!

“Keep in mind if you are going to watch for a long periods of time weight is an issue.”
Get a tripod and a Binoc with a mount.

PS Get a `real-deal’ harness for it, not just a neck strap that comes with it. Your neck will thank you!

ever consider a spotting scope? On a tripod in the window is great.
Go to a store and try a few

I’m a professional bird surveyor. In the field, I use mid-quality, mid-priced binoculars. Right now, I’m using an Endeavor Vanguard model, 10x42. I think, though, I prefer my old Nikon Monarch bino. It’s a great mid-quality bino at a decent price (under $200).
For your purpose, I would get an 8x42 pair. The field of range is broader and you won’t notice a shake as much.
Nikon Monarch is the way to go. You can spend $500 more for a better optic, but why when you’re only looking out your window?

I have enjoyed my Leica binoculars for over 20 years.
If I were shopping today, I would consider image stabilization.
First, the windows are going to take away a lot of the sharpness that the good optics of the binoculars can provide. And if the temperature is different outside/inside, you will lose even more.
Any binoculars over 8x power will be difficult to hand-hold steady for any length of time.
I would strongly recommend a spotting scope on a tripod. Of course 4-10 feet away might be too close for focus for even binoculars.
We have a Tasco 7x50 which was not expensive. I had the opportunity to try my friend’s Steiner $700 pair and I could see little, if any difference. So try some in the store and see what works for you. You don’t need to spend a lot to enjoy birdwatching.

Dicks has lots of binoculars. The Nikons are a good value. Nikon Aculon A211 8x42 Binoculars. I have a pair and they are good for birds

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004I8U226/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you are not in a hurry wait for the sale. I got mine in Sept for $86.00 delivered to the door. Fantastic optics even at this price.

You need to go to a store and try out low powered models to see which will actually focus at 4 feet. Most need about 25 feet minimum distance to focus. I doubt you’ll need a harness for sitting on the couch. Vortex makes some good lower priced models with a lifetime warranty, I’m getting a 10x monocular for the boy’s Christmas gift. Thats for hunting at longer distances, not feeder work.
I use binoculars daily and lift up my glasses to use them with just my eyeballs. Works out better for me.
A small tripod would work on the table where most of the feeders are. Thank you for the idea.
I am so happy to be looking at doing this again. Once I saw a snowy owl catch and kill a squirrel at the feeders. High point in watching for me. Lots of Wood peckers all three sizes.
Tenant just told me today that there is a woodpecker in one of my buildings either in the wall or roof. Sigh. I guess I need to have the pest control guys move him.
Go to Gander Mountain or Cabellaâ€™s and try out various kinds. The most important thing for binoculars is the quality of the optical glass and magnification. The greater the power, the smaller the field of view; the lesser the power, the greater the field of view. To check the quality of the optical glass, look through the wrong end. When you do, you’ll find the imperfections and scratches on the glass. Manufacturers attempt to cover up poor glass through the use of coatings. Get quality glass and you’ll get good light gathering using fewer coatings. To get an idea, look on OpticsPlanet.com for various manufacturers and prices. Make certain you actually look through your candidate binoculars and buy what you can afford.
You have the low ends $300, then the mid range $800-$1100, then the best $1600-$3000. I’ve had 200-300 dollar Nikons, junk. I now have $1200 Zeiss; acceptable. I’ve used $3000 Geovids, the best but way too pricey for me. I also liked the $2300 Leicas. All the sports shops have good displays.
About five years ago I got a pair at Cabela’s. Nikon for under $200. Best pair I’ve ever owned or used. Might be the Nikon’s referenced above.
If you have a Cabelas go there. They have 50 different models and usually some stuffed birds on the far wall for testing out what works best for you.
7x or 8x power will be plenty for what you need. More powerful binoculars are heavy and hard to hold steady. Look for binoculars with bak prisms. I have a lower cost pair of Brunton binoculars and the optical quality is quite good for the price. Pentax also makes good optics for the money. On the lower end, Celestron and Nikon make some decent stuff for the casual observer.
+1 for Nikon. I’ve had two pair for 5 years and am very happy with them. Didn’t break the bank buying them either!
Nikon Monarchs.
I never leave home without them.
Don’t go power hungry, 7X or 8X are enough. You can’t go wrong with Nikon or Zeiss, Steiner, Leitz, or Leupold. The Swift Audubon has been recognized as one of the great bargains for many years.
Vortex makes excellent optics for the price.
I have had my rubber armored 10x42 Zeiss for over 25 years, they are still working as well. I have scanned many hours from deer stands with them without any issues.
Walmart advertises Bushnell 8X21 for $13.13 and Bushnell 10X25 for $17.21 . I think one of these might be just what you want. Very easy to use.
+1. Nikon Monarchs. I never leave home without them.
I’ll be going back to the Nikon Monarch as soon as my Endeavor brand gets destroyed, which probably won’t be long as I usually wear out a pair every year.
For what it’s worth, about 25% of all the new bird surveyors I train start off the season with Nikon Monarch. It seems to be the word-of-mouth go-to binoculars for seasonal field biologists. But what’s funny is that about half of the other surveyors (those without Nikons) ditch their current pair for Nikon Monarchs by the end of the season.
Sturdy, lightweight, easy to use, and crisp optics. I’ll never waste money on anything else.
I bought a used Nikon 7X50 back in the 60s. It is still one of the sharpest ones I have ever looked through. I think it is still being made as the Prostar model. It has the range finder and individual focus.
If you adjust the binoculars properly, you likely won’t need your glasses...the binocs will do the same job.
I have a pair of Canon IS 10 x 30 that are fantastic, had them for about 15 years. The image stabilization (IS) is unbelievable. Worth spending the extra money, cheap binoculars are a waste of money.
The old stand-by 7X35 binos (7 power x 35mm) will serve you well.
The magnification is about right for hand held use and 35mm is wide enough to see more than one bird.
You can not get an excellent binocular for $200 but you can get a useable one for around $100. If you are willing to stretch that to $250 there is an incredible buy at CDNN.
They have the Leupold Northfork 8.5X42 for $250. That is the best price I have ever seen for one and they are good enough that they can compete with the very best. Not quite equal to them but still an exceptional binocular for the price.
Correction. that Northfork binocular is 8.5X45 not 42.

Barska offers great value spotting scopes with above average optics, Amazon has a nice one for $69.

There is one more I might mention simply for it’s pure optical sharpness. The Russian military 7X30 can be had for $200 if you really look around.
It is not ideal for your purpose because it has a slight yellowish tint and includes filters for an even yellower tint if you want. You might not even notice that tint but knowledgeable birders would not want it. They also have individually adjustable eyepieces which are not as convenient but are just about standard on any military binocular.
The good thing is that they are as sharp optically as typical $2000 binoculars. Cheap binoculars typically have a two element eyepiece. The better ones have 3 elements and the really high end have 5. Believe it or not those Russian ones have seven optical elements in just the eyepieces.
Bushnell is a good company but those 8X21s are absolutely awful. Even a $60 Nikon Action 7X35 would be light years better.
For $400 you can get a low end DSLR with a kit lens if you look and wait long enough. I found and bought a Sony Alpha 230 with the 18-55 kit lens for only $230. It was an unusual buy and was on clearance but if you look long enough you will find something similar.
The good thing about the Sony DSLR is I can use my old Minolta Maxxum AF lenses on it. Those Minolta lenses are of excellent quality and you can find them cheap.
If you just want to buy a camera or binocular without to much trouble, Adorama, B&H and Beach Camera are all good with good prices.
They do sometimes have specials if you want to keep looking.
Nikon Monarchs.
We got them for biology work at the office.
You can also call Eagle Optics, tell them what you want, tell them what your budget is, and hear whatall they have to say. They’re not going to sell you anything you can’t afford.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/
“I’m a professional bird surveyor. In the field, I use mid-quality, mid-priced binoculars.”
Thank You! That there is the problem! Those mid-quality, mid-priced binoculars don’t allow you or your trainees to distinguish between the Willow Flycatcher and other variants, so then it gets marked on your score cards that there are not enough Willow Flycatchers. Then whole areas get closed down to farming and ranching to save a bird that would clearly be visible if you just upgraded your optics a bit! Lol!
Steiner.

I have an old Crossman pellet rifle that I’ve removed the barrel from and mounted a old 3-9 x 40 scope on it. Works fairly well for short range work, up to about 50’ in my case. I think I have about $25 bucks tied up in the rig, FWIW.
To be fair I swiped the idea from the old TV series Northern Exposure where the one birder had a camera with telephoto lens mounted on rifle stock.
For the longer range spotting I have a old pair of Tasco 10X50 binoculars. They work
As a ‘birder’, the binoculars do not need to meet the same ‘standards’ some folks use to look at the night sky.
Too light a set of binoculars would magnify any ‘tremblers’.
Too heavy a set of binoculars, will tire your arms out quickly, for now, and become a discouragement from watching nature’s beauty.
All the birding sites, the YouTube videos-and there are a LOT, and all the books printed all point to the same general measurements = 8 x 40/ 7 x 35/ 8 x 42. These are the most common, the most available, and will give the most for the money.
Should you see the words ‘wide angle’, you can look at these, as you would a 19 inch flat screen next to a 28 or 30 inch screen! You will have the same distance view, but more to see around the bird you are looking at.
Yes, you can obtain the little 8 x 21/10 x 25 binoculars, but you are giving up light gathering and detail.
7 x 35’s normal or wide angle, will give you the most, since you can use them for seeing the backyard birds, the night sky, and roadside stop vistas.
I own 8 x 40’s, and 7 x 35’s. Make sure you get a nice wide neck strap, not only for making it more comfortable to hang around your neck, but you can use it to steady your arms for looking for a while.
Also .... get a journal of some kind, even a black-and-white-speckled school composition book, and take notes of your sightings, behaviours, and everything you remember.
I wish you well, and much joy in your watchings.
I am sure the guys who own Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica etc would give one an argument but if you simply want the sharpest and best binocular in the world, I think the general view is the Nikon EDG series are the one.
They are around $2500.00 or more so I would not even think about it but they must be incredible.
You might try here: http://www.birdwatching.com/

I have a 10x42 pair of binocs from Bushnell that are awesome for deer hunting. Might be a little strong for that close, but they have good optics and I’d put them up their against the expensive glass like Ziess or Swarovski and a heck of a lot cheaper.

I have a set of Steiner Marine which I like a lot.
Yes, the Marine is a good binocular especially the 7X50. The Military is a bit better and the Commander is about as good as it gets.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000A5A9M/ref=psdc_297842_t2_B004JLYHAU
Carl Zeiss Optical 20x60 Image Stabilization Binocular
$6,999
Cabelas
http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse.cmd?N=1100054&WTz_l=SBC%3BBRprd720149
Dick’s Sporting Goods
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=4414654
Leitz.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00834YARY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is the one I got.
Yes, the 7x50’s are good for that and boating, but from the BIRDING standpoint, since in this day and age, 7x35’s are less costly and can and are being used for more than one type of ‘viewing’, is why I used them as an example.
For backyard birding, astronomical binoculars are akin to using a 300mm focal length camera lens for a subject at 10 feet distance.
I use Leupold Rogue, 8 x 26. Waterproof, easy to focus, compact. Very importantly, they are light weight.
One other suggestion. Go out, choose your bino’s, then buy it from Amazon. Should be cheaper.

http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/209
If you’re willing to spend just a bit more than $200, this is one of the best rated binoculars on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005DQG5SC/ref=pd_aw_sbs_6?pi=SL500_SS115&simLd=1
For some reason the 8X30 has always been common as a military binocular in European countries. The Japanese liked 6X30. I have seen several WWII souvenir binoculars from the Pacific and they were always 6X30.

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