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Ask HN: Bird watching binoculars, which ones are best?

• germinalphrase 4y ago
  Birdforum.net is an excellent resource. Generally - Swarovski, Zeiss, and Leica are at the top of the pile. There are many good (and much more affordable) options. Honestly, at that price point - I would consider an 8x42 from Vortex. They cater to the hunting crowd - but they offer a no questions asked warranty for life. Literally, you could throw your bino’s at a brick wall, and they’ll send you another pair.
• gcheong 4y ago
  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-cornell-lab-review-affordable-full-size-8x42-binoculars/ https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-cornell-lab-review-af...
• khyryk 4y ago
  Vortex Diamondback HD 8x42 would be my choice for such a budget. Easy Amazon returns if needed, comes with a nice case, and has the best warranty.
  • axiomdata316 4y ago
    I'm definitely leaning toward this one. It's also recommended on the Audubon website so the positive feedback on this one is likely going to be the one I go with.
• brudgers 4y ago
  The best binoculars are the ones you have with you…yes, just like cameras except an iPhone won’t do it. And like a camera, binoculars are a bit of a personal choice because a person is not likely to lug around binoculars they don’t like a lot. I travel with a Bushnell Banner 10x50 wide field that I bought at the SPCA Thrift Shop for $12. That’s the thing, just about any binoculars are probably good enough optically. Even rank amateurs’ inexpensive binoculars from the 80’s like mine. Provided they have large enough elements and sufficient magnification, of course. Yes, there’s some chromatic aberration and I noticed it after reading an online review and not before or since…though I guess if I take them out tomorrow after writing this I might if I got bored looking through them too long. But since these are a gift, ask your wife what she wants…assuming she wants binoculars, then she will probably have something in mind. And if she isn’t asking for binoculars, have an idea where they will be kept… Mine were the SPCA volunteer’s late father’s. He bought them when he retired. I asked if he had been a bird watcher. No she said as she rang me up. Then she went to the back room, because they were her father’s and all. So I guess they sat in a closet for a couple of decades, which is why I mention talking to your wife and/or having a plan. Which is to say, good gifts aren’t about the specifications. Fitting in a purse might or might not be critical. Good luck.
• pseufaux 4y ago
  I have a pair of Celestron Nature DX that I love. They are about 120 on Amazon at the moment.
• cpt1138 4y ago
  The Nikon Monarch 7 is good. For birds you want something with a lot of light and less magnification (easier to hold steady). I also like the Vortex Viper HD for lower budgets. 8x42-50 is going to be your best bet for birding.
  • veddox 4y ago
    Both of those are good (I love my Viper), but neither of them is <250$. In that price range, I‘d recommend the Nikon ProStaff. 8x42 is the „default“ size for birding, but I also like the easier portability of a 8x30.
  • killingtime74 4y ago
    Monarch 7 is really great
• natch 4y ago
  There was an article recently about the amazing optical stabilization of some higher end Canon models: https://www.theverge.com/23523047/canon-image-stabilized-binoculars-button-of-the-month https://www.theverge.com/23523047/canon-image-stabilized-bin... That being said I would be wary of recommendations from sites that write articles around affiliate links. Not saying the Wirecutter recommendation is necessarily bad, just that I would be wary. Same with the Verge link I shared although I could not spot any direct affiliate link for the item itself in that article, only for other related items.
  • p1esk 4y ago
    I have Canon 15x50 and can confirm- they’re awesome.