r/Binoculars

Hi everyone,

I'd like to buy some binoculars as a gift for an older person and since I know nothing about it, it would be great to get some recommenations.
It will basically be used for watching birds, wildlife, landscapes. Sitting down, no hunting.
It's for an an older man, wearing glasses, not tech-savvy.
Maximum cost should be around 500 €.

Thanks for any suggestions you might have!

I'm going on a trip where I want to use binoculars and also be able to take a photo. I saw where the Vortex Diamondback HD has a phone adaptor for this. Anyone here use that or have better choices? I'd like to keep it under $500.

I'm looking for a budget friendly pair for bird/wildlife viewing, potentially in the presence of water. Someone near me on fb marketplace has a Sunscope 7x50 for $20, which I my quick research suggests is within the reasonable range for an older pair like this. Has anyone used these? Are they worth $20 for a very amateur user looking to see some animals? Or are they too outdated to actually be worth anything?

Hello!
I’m looking to get my boyfriend a pair of binoculars for our upcoming camping trip, and I’d love some recommendations. We’re both new to birding, so I’m hoping to find something beginner-friendly but also good quality and durable enough to last for many years.
I’m currently deciding between the Nocs 8x42 and Vortex Crossfire 8x42. Has anyone used either of these? I’d love to hear which one you prefer, how they perform for birding, and whether you think either would be a good long-term investment.
I’m definitely open to other recommendations as well! My main priorities are good image quality, durability, and something that’s comfortable/easy for a beginner to use and maybe not super expensive !! Ideally $150 range!

I really appreciate any advice, thank you!!

Hi there,

I have the opportunity to buy a vintage japanese 7x35 binocular with 11 degrees FOV.

Maker is J-B56, J-E15. Probably BK7 prisms, blueish coating. Seller claims clear view and good collimation

I am wondering whether I should buy it, I always wanted to try one of these super wide ones, but I am afraid that I might get disappointed cause I guess it won't be sharp outside the center and also that it will deliver a dark image cause I guess it's only single coated.
Has someone experience with these super wide binos?

Anyone with a bino with this maker combination?

I know meanwhile there are Chinese made binos on the market with FOV bigger than 11 degrees, but these costs 200 to 500 USD.

I’m looking for a small pair of binoculars to bring on trips, hikes, city walks, and occasional wildlife viewing. I do not need professional birding gear, but I want something noticeably better than cheap tourist-binoculars that will actually get used because it is easy to carry.

Budget: Around $100–$250, but I could stretch a little for a major jump in quality.

What I want:

• Compact enough for a daypack or large jacket pocket
• Clear, bright image in normal daylight
• Easy to hold steady and focus quickly
• Decent weather resistance for hikes and travel
• Comfortable with glasses would be a bonus

Options I keep seeing:

• Nikon Travelite EX 8x25
• Pentax AD 8x25 WP
• Vortex Diamondback HD 8x28
• Kowa BD II XD 8x25
• Zeiss Terra ED Pocket 8x25
• Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x25 / 10x25

I’m mainly unsure whether 8x25 is the safer all-purpose choice or whether 10x25 is worth it for more reach. I also wonder whether a compact 25 mm pair will feel too dim compared with a slightly larger 8x32 model.

What compact binoculars have you actually enjoyed using for travel, hikes, or casual bird/wildlife watching?

I'm in the market for a new spotting scope. We currently have a razor gen 1 16-48x65. I'm looking for something closer to 20-60x85 for those occasions when we want more zoom.

I'm looking at 3 vortex models and have some concerns about eye relief(glasses wearer so this is especially important) and eye strain.

The models I'm considering:

Vortex viper HD 20-60x85

Vortex razor gen 1 20-60x85

Vortex razor gen 2 27-60x85

I'm leaning towards the razor gen 1 because it has better eye relief than the gen 2 version and a wider magnification range. I would appreciate any opinions y'all can offer on these 3 models in particular.

I experience eye strain with our current scope(razor gen 1 16-48x65). I've always thought that was just part of the experience using a scope, but does anyone have tips for avoiding eye strain? And is there a scope you would suggest with 20-60 magnification with minimal eye strain? Budget is flexible, especially if it's worth it to splurge on the best of the best.

Specifically an electric duster which I figured would be fine since no propellant or temperature issues. I used mine a couple of times on some singular pieces of dust on the lenses of my new pair of binoculars but now I’m reading too strong of an airflow is bad? Why is that? As far as I can tell nothing is different. My anxiety just has me nervous I might have discretely ruined something I can’t perceive. So yeah am I just overthinking things?

Hi guys, I’m very keen on getting into birding and I want a pair of binoculars that are decent but won’t break the bank. I have little to no vision in my left eye and a mild visual impairment in my right so I’m a full time glasses wearer and would like a pair that won’t interfere with that. I find sometimes it’s quite clunky with binoculars and glasses but I get migraines without them. Also might be a bit more expensive if it even exists but can I adjust the two lenses separately to help compensate for my left eye? I have no clue what I’m doing and I’m based in Ireland so ideally European brands, thank you!

I'm looking to get a pair of binoculars primarily for stargazing. A lot of recs are for Nikon Action EX and Oberwerk, but i can't find these for sale in the UK. (Nikon site doesn't have EX that i can see). What are other suggestions? I've looked through the sky at night sites suggestions but don't know enough to gauge which ones worth going for. I think i'd need 10x50 (no larger). I also wear glasses.

Budget is up to £250 (not a hard limit but don't want to overspend), viewing conditions, primarily suburban (bortle 5, SQN 19.7), viewing whatever i can, but mostly planets.

I've got a small telescope but it rarely gets used . We also go to Brecon (dark skies) semi reguarly so some decent binoculars would be a good !

Hi, i have a nikon prostaff P3 8x42 but i want a bigger zoom for birding. My feeling says i want a Nikon prostaff P7 12x50 but online i read that 12x is too hard for handheld. Does someone have the 12x50 for birding and want to share their experience?

Questions:

- Is the Svbony brand any good (in general)?

- Are there any better brands out there?

Context:

- Lives in the Philippines

- Gonna use said binocs for general bird sightings, watch out for my conure while free flight to some degree

- Gonna use this as a beginner binocs, specifically the 8x32

Inputs welcome

I'm putting together an a birthday gift for my boyfriend who’s very much a beginner. In fact this would be his first astronomy item? Idk how to word it.

Anyway, the idea is to give him binoculars + a book + a personalized little observing guide I’m making for his location, with things he can see throughout the year, and a “checklist” of places to go stargaze at.

I'm currently deciding between:
- Celestron UpClose G2 10x50
- Celestron SkyMaster 15x70

I'm trying to figure out if the 10x50 good enough for a beginner to genuinely enjoy, or is it worth spending the extra money for the 15x70? And if I go with the 15x70, is a tripod necessary, or can you reasonably use them handheld?

If the 15x70 is better and a tripod is needed, will any inexpensive camera tripod work as long as it has the right adapter/mount, or do these need something more specific?

Are there any other binoculars around this price range that you'd recommend specifically for astronomy?

I'd rather spend the extra money if there's a meaningful difference, but I don't want to buy the 15x70 and then discover I need another $100+ in accessories just to use them properly.

Alsooo, would anyone recommend or recommend against these books?

- 50 Things to See with Binoculars in Space
- Binocular Astronomy
- another recommendation?

Extra info:
Located in the US, since its binoculars fully portable would be better but open to tripod as I mentioned. I am not sure on light pollution, but if it’s portable I’m thinking he can go places where it’s less of a problem.

Thanks in advance for the help! I’ve been trying to research everything on my own but started to feel a little unsure and overwhelmed. Budged $100 or under

I was today at a birding festival and saw Kowa rep. I was looking at the new BD III Kowa really managed to size down all of the models. The new 8x42 is closer to the old 8x32 and the 10x50 was also really nice and compact. The focus wheel feeled worse than the previous aluminium one but other than that they were pretty nice, also some change to the eye cups I guess. I have the older BDII 8x32 and now Im tempted to get the 10x50 for birding near coast and beaches and such where I need a bit more reach. Didnt analyse the image that much. They looked alot like the old ones.

Hi all. I’ve gotten into birding these past two years and I believe I’ve outgrown the Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42 I bought as a budget entry. I also purchased these because I have poor vision and they have great eye relief when I wear my glasses.

I’ve found that my real love is for shorebirds and waterfowl, though I’m in the forest/ around town a lot and there struggle with detail. Maybe it’s the poor lens quality ?

My question is this: knowing that 8x is preferred for birding, but since I have vision problems, do you think I’ll get more mileage from better quality 8x binoculars or would 10x make sense? I’m also aware that many 10x have poor eye relief.

I’m looking at $500 or less used or new. Thanks for any insights you all have. I really just want to see the birds more sharp/clear, but also acknowledging I’m seeing many at a distance anyway.

Seeking recommendations for an extremely casual birdwatcher. I mainly look at birds around town and sometimes visit ponds to look at the waterfowl.

My main concern is weight, I recently went on a guided birdwatching tour and they handed us these huge Swarovski binoculars that really did a number on my back after a while. It would be nice if I could get something light and easy to carry, even usable one-handed if that's possible.

Visual clarity and build quality is also important of course. I'm not gonna be using these all the time but naturally I don't want something that will fall apart on me.

Must be available in EU.