By Richard White, with edits by Keita Sin
When starting out to enjoy the world of birds, there are some decisions to make regarding equipment. Binoculars or camera? Ideally, the answer is both. If you view yourself primarily as a bird photographer, you may not see binoculars as a worthwhile investment. So why buy them?
In short, a pair of binoculars will make you a better birdwatcher or bird photographer.
Picture the scene: you’re at Dairy Farm, at one of the fruiting trees and it’s migration season. There are birds moving everywhere. Among the many, there is one Streaked Bulbul Ixos malaccensis and this is your target. Looking against the light through the viewfinder of your camera, it’s difficult to see enough detail to know which bird to shoot. The solution? Shoot everything that moves and hope for the best? Or use a pair of binoculars to locate the subject and then shoot?
Alternatively: you’re watching a Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana, or is it a Zappey’s C. cumatilis? It’s in and out of shade below the canopy, light is changing with different angles. Through the viewfinder, or on the back of the camera, it’s difficult to decide is the throat blue or black? When you get home, you can process the image to create something that pleases your eye. But do the colours reflect the true colours of the bird? Using binoculars to view the bird in the field will allow you to make the right decisions when processing to produce a final image that genuinely reflects the appearance of the bird.
Having decided that you want a pair of binoculars, how to decide which pair?
Understanding the technical side
Binoculars are described by two numbers – for example 10 x 42. What do these numbers mean? The first number is a measure of magnification. It tells you that the object viewed will appear this many times closer. The higher the number, the more powerful the magnification. It’s easy to think that a higher number is better, but this is not always the case.
There are two downsides to an increase in magnification. The first is that a higher magnification is harder to hold steady. The second is that light transmission decreases as magnification increases. Anything over 10x is hard to hold steady, and anything over 10x will result in a relatively dark image; especially at dawn or dusk under the canopy of a tropical forest.
The second number is the diameter of the objective lens. The larger the objective lens, the more light enters the binocular and the brighter the image. The ratio of the size of the objective lens to the magnification produces an index of the brightness of the image. Hence, an 8 x 42 binocular has a brightness ratio of 42/8 = 5.25 while a 10 x 42 binocular has a ratio of 4.2. The higher the number, the brighter the image.
Then, you should decide what your main use of the binoculars will be. If you are using them primarily in forest, maybe early morning or evening, then a lower magnification and brighter image is desirable. For use in open habitats, such as Sungei Buloh, where subjects may be further away and one simply cannot move closer, a higher magnification is better.
There are of course other considerations. Weight will always be important – binoculars should be comfortable to carry and handle in the field so a lightweight pair matters. Close focus may also be important, especially if your interests extend to butterfly watching for example.
Which binoculars?
Having made the right decision that you want binoculars, you understand the technical side, you need to decide on a budget.
There’s a huge amount of choice; both in terms of brands and price. It can seem daunting to know where to start. So decide how much you want to spend, and that will narrow down options. Of course price reflects quality – but how? More expensive binoculars will have better glass and coatings resulting in a clearer/crisper image, all the way to the edge of the field of view. They will have better waterproofing (you can even wash some under the tap). And they will last longer and have better after sales service
If money is no object, brands such as Leica and Swarovski retail for as much as SGD$5,000. However, there are many good, and some adequate, options available for a fraction of that figure. There are, of course, a myriad of other choices available, but here are some examples of brands and models in the low, mid and upper range. Some of them are even used by our Society members.
- Bushnell: for example the H2O model can be bought for less than SGD$200
- Celestron: the Nature DX and Nature DX ED lines for around SGD$300
- Vortex: the Diamondback model for around SGD$400
- Nikon: popular mid-range models include the Monarch 5 and Monarch 7, typically around SGD$500 and SGD$700
- Zeiss: mid-range models such as the Zeiss Terra around SGD$700 and also some upper end models starting from SGD$1,500
When searching for binoculars, you will find options for compact models. These can be good, but there is always a compromise, usually in the size of the object lens and therefore light gathering. These binoculars may be handy and easy to pack/carry, but they will not perform as well as a full size pair.
Finally – while online shopping and home delivery are the easy option, when it comes to buying binoculars please make the effort to find a store and try out various models. The choice may come down to a simple thing such as how the binoculars handle. If possible, step outside the store to try to the binoculars in natural light. Better still, ask your birding buddies who have binoculars to try theirs, or ask them how they made their decision and whether or not they are happy with that decision.
Note: this article was updated on 28 October 2024 to include the Celestron binoculars based on recommendations.
