Choosing Birdwatching Binoculars
Jason Heff
Bird Watchers need special binoculars. They can't be too heavy because you need to carry them around with you, but they should be rugged enough to last several years. You need some that you can hold steady rather easily. The optics must be good enough that they can reveal details and colors. You might have to view objects up close quickly and they should be easy to focus. Remember to make sure that your eyeglasses will fit with your new binoculars before you buy them.
When buying binoculars, trying them out in person is the only way to tell if they are right for you. At first, it is hard to hold high powered binoculars steadily, so try using a smaller magnification at first. As you become more experienced with bird watching, you can choose something with a higher magnification. Some binoculars work great with people that wear eyeglasses, but some clearly don't. This is why you need to try them first hand before buying binoculars.
Understand binoculars helps you make a good desicion. Basically, binoculars are made from two telescopes connected together. The lens closest to the object is called the objective lens, and the lens closest to your eye is the eyepiece. The object becomes bigger, but upside down and backwards. In order to straighten out the object, a prism is needed. A prism is like a mirror but it doesn't have a reflective back, it is just a piece of glass that acts like a mirror when light hits it at a certain angle.
Porro Prism binoculars were very popular until the 1950-1960's when roof prism binoculars were made available. Roof prism binoculars automatically shorten the distance between the lenses making roof prism binoculars lighter and smaller. Roof prism binoculars require precise handling of equipment because they require a more complex light path to work. The Porro prism binoculars are a lot cheaper and easier to use, but roof prism binoculars are considered the industry standard.
If you are thinking of buying binoculars for bird watching then I would suggest buying the most expensive binoculars that you can afford. Binoculars hold their value well and you can always sell them later. Make sure you get some that seem rugged.
It is important that you try on your binoculars because everyone likes different ones. Good binoculars can hardly be noticed after a long time but cheap ones will cause discomfort after a while. Make the right choice the first time, and buy a good pair of binoculars.
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