There you are taking your walking exercise in the woods or along the coast. You see a deer or a strange bird or maybe even a pod of dolphins in the bay. ’I wish I had binoculars,’ you moan.
Well, get some for next time. But you have to take some decisions first.
There are two variables to consider when choosing a binocular, magnification and field of view. An 8×42 binocular magnifies 8 times and has a 42mm object lens (not the one you look through, the one at the other end, nearest the object you are looking at). The bigger the object lens the more light gets into the binocular and, generally, the wider field of view you will have.
Still with me? Keep going. High power with a small object lens is useless, it gives a dull narrow image. So go for reasonable power with a good size of object lens. Back to our original 8×42. This will be a good general purpose binocular. Don’t buy small pocket binoculars because you think you won’t use then very much. When you do use them you’ll never find your bird, or your deer, because the field of view will be impossibly small. There is nothing worse than fluffing about with a bad pair of binoculars while your quarry vanishes into the nearest bush.
So, what to buy? There are plenty of good binoculars about. I use Bushnell 8×42 H20 Roof Binoculars. I have had my present pair for three years and found them sturdy and excellent in every way. They are not the bottom of the range, so if you can’t afford them get something cheaper, but do make them 8×42.
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