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What are the best bird watching binoculars for the $?

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1. I have a set of bushnell permafocus 7x35, the permafocus (auto focus) is one of the neatest features i've seen. Whether your looking right in front of you, or 300 yards away, they are always in focus.

2. For the price..about $300.00, the Eagle Optics Rangers are a good buy. They are really good quality, and lightweight. I tested out several pairs when my work asked me to pick which ones I wanted...and these seemed to be the best. I have the 8x42. I am really rough on them too and they have held up well. My personal pair are Bushnells, which are about the same price, just as good as far as quality...but not as lightweight as the Rangers.

3. Before I discuss which binoculars are the best for the $, let's first discuss what to look for in a pair of binoculars for birding. In my opinion first is field of view. You want wide field of view. There is nothing worse than seeing a bird in a tree, putting the bincos to your eyes and not being able to find the bird in the binocs because the field of view is too limited. The wider the better. Next is magnification. Generally, most birds prefer 8 power but some 10 power. With 10 power the field of view is more limited and some people have difficulty holding them steady enough. I have both and I prefer the 8 power because of the wider field of view. Next is whether they are water proof and fog proof. If you might be using them in humid conditions, you want fog proof. Next is locking diopter adjustment. If it does not lock it is continually getting out of focus. And I mean all the time. Finally, if you wear glasses, you want long eye relief at leat 17 mm. In my opinion even if you do not you want long eye relief.

If money is no object, then the preferred binoculars of choice are Swarovski EL 8.5x42 Binocular at about $1700. A little too expensive for my blood, especially since with the extra $1000 I can fly to Ecuador. However, they are by far the preferred binoculars of birders. Field of view is 390 ft. Next on the list are Swarovski EL 8x32 Binocular at about $1500.

Both of these meet all the criteria above.

There are those who consider several binocs from Nikon to be as good or perhaps better than the above, but they are in the minority among birders. I own a pair of Nikon that I bought on closeout.

The Nikon Premier SE 10x42 Binocular is considered by many to be the best binoc for image clarity and brightness. But the field of view is too limited in my opinion and they are not fog and water proof. About $900.

Let's now go to more reasonable priced binocs. Under $600.

Pentax DCF SP 8x43 Binocular is a really good pair of binocs with the one exception of field of view. It is somewhat limited at only 330 ft.

Dropping down in price a little more we come to this pair of binocs at $350. Swift Audubon 8.5 X 44 Porro Prism Binoculars. These have by far the widest field of view obtainable in this power at 430 ft. Notice 1/3 more than the above pair. But despite the claim of being waterpoof, they really are not nor fogproof. For eyeglass weighers they are not too suitable because of the short eye relief. And I do not believe they have locking diopter adjustment.

AT $299 the Eagle Optics Ranger SRT 8x42 Binocular is a good pair. The field of view is somewhat limited at 341 ft and I do not believe they have locking diopter adjustment.

Among the less expensive binocs, these are difficult to better. Bushnell Excursion 8x42 Binocular at about $160. Very wide field of view at 426 ft. Fogproof and waterproof.

You can check out all of these and more at these two sites.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?dept=1&type=19&subtype=272&purch=1

http://www.binoculars.com/categories/binoculars.html

And here is a link to a comparison table of binoculars. Not up to date however but nevertheless good.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/publications/livingbird/spring99/binotable.html