Yes, for this kind of article tries to search on Google you can find countless similar articles. But we still decided to publish such a blog.
Why? You may finish reading this article and then give your answer to each one of them.
At the outset, we have to admit that most of the "How to" articles are mostly right, and the recommended products are indeed very good ones.
However, they all set the baseline at a very high level, and they all agree that buying below that price is a waste of money. Well, from a professional standpoint, that may be true.
In another hand, you may just want to observe a certain bird nesting on the backyard tree in the yard or be ready to go to the countryside with your loved person or friends to be in nature, or just like looking at the beautiful woman on the beach. Do these is a necessary need to buy professional binoculars? In this consumer society, we have been misled by consumption that we care too much about the advice and comments of others while ignoring our actual needs.
So our starting point is from the perspective of personal needs and what configurations are required for various needs.
Before we officially start.
Rule No.1, unless there is a purpose, it is not recommended to use more than 10x binoculars, 7~10x is the best choice.
Rule No.2, any attempt to use binoculars in poor light conditions will fail. In fog, rain, or at night, even if you buy the top recommended products in these environments can not get very good results.
Rule No.3, the pursuit of all-around binoculars can easily exceed your budget, it is always a good idea to predetermine my choice based on my own usage needs.
Rule No.4, the optics is a precision product, no matter what price, careful care, and proper storage are to ensure that the product can work properly. Humidity, corrosion, or exposure to sunlight can affect the subsequent use of the product. In a way, high-priced products are more prone to damage.
Now, let's begin. For what follows, we'll use the activity type to differentiate.
INDOORS
- Opera
- Some Competition
- Other Indoor Activities
For indoor events, we are not going to talk a lot. In terms of these indoor activities listed above or not, the first thing we have to consider is the magnification according to the activities and venues, in general, 4~7 times will be a good choice. 10 times is fine too.
OUTDOORS
Try to discover the outdoors with binoculars that you have never met, that's the most important thing, isn't it?
Hiking & Climbing & Camping
These are the most usual outdoor activities, and certainly, the most uncertain, and the type of telescope you choose will depend on your：
-
Mobility tools
Yes, the first point, is not the performance of the product, but how you travel. If walking it is better to recommend lighter-weight products. Believe me, in the last mile you will always complain about why it is so heavy. And if there is a vehicle or other ways, a heavier one will be fine. Because in most cases it will stay in the car.
-
Waterproof
In many articles, waterproofing is mentioned as an important feature, of course, I don't deny that some end their lives because of water ingress, but is that? According to our cases, the breakage rate of lenses is about three times higher than in the water ingress situation.
And there are two most effective ways to deal with water ingress, the first is to avoid prolonged use in wet conditions, and the second is to store it well. As I mentioned, you can not get a good view during the bad weather, so put it back in a case or bag. This will help you to focus on what you are currently doing, rather than worrying about whether the binoculars are getting water in.
-
Bak-4 or Bk7
The BAK-4 is used as the first choice because it does greatly improve the overall quality of the binoculars. The Bk7 performs not as well as BAK-4 at the edge of the field of view. It does not mean that Bk7 is a waste of money, instead is not a bad option when you are on a tight budget.
-
Coating
The coating can quickly consume your budget, especially with the well-known brands' technologies, some of it you can not even tell their name. Of course in the pursuit of bringing top performance in the user experience, and that means your budget will have to be raised significantly.
-
Other
Compass and rangefinder may help in some inadvertent situations, so if you don't mind having tick marks in the field of view, marine binoculars may be a good choice too.
Birding
Birds are lovely creatures with brightly colored feathers and are very flexible. Generally speaking, spotting scopes are equipped with a regular or portable tripod, and the observation point will be in one or several fixed locations (except for birders).
-
Magnification
Birds wouldn't always stay in one place, and high magnification means a narrower field of view. 7~8x binoculars with a professional birding scope(Spotting scope) is a wise choice.
-
Coating
When it comes to bird watching, we recommend starting with FMC Coating. Yes, a good coating will bring more vivid colors. Please spend as much as possible on this if you have enough budget.
-
Other
FMC coated optics means that the rest of the configuration is not too bad, so if the price difference is not too great, you can safely choose according to your personal preference. Usually, the rangefinder and compass will have additional indicator scales in the field of view, and some people will feel that they will affect the bird-watching experience, but we have received positive feedback about these features.
Hunting
Wild animals are usually very alert, and binoculars in hunting are mainly used for seeking. For the rest of the shooting, you need riflescopes.
-
Usage Method
One of the things you must consider before buying binoculars is how you will use them, and more specifically, how to get them quickly without worrying about dropping or making a big noise. The biggest difference between hunting and hiking or camping is the supply, you need to get deep into the wilderness without any additional supplies. Once your binoculars are damaged means all your rest hunting will meet a very difficult situation. Binoculars indeed come with straps, and only straps, and they are suitable for most situations. Hunting? Maybe not in consideration. And unlike other activities, you have to alternate binoculars and your gun a lot in hunting. Some people prefer to use a more stable strap or special hunting gear with a clutch bag to hold the binoculars to their chest. Others will consider securing their binoculars in a pouch around their waist. Guess what, I've seen some people hunt by settling themselves on a tree.
-
Objective lens
Most of the hunting happens in the early morning or late evening, so please just ignore the portable design with an objective lens below 40mm, it would be a good idea to choose a binoculars with large objective lens aperture.
And if you want it in the deep night, you will need night vision goggles.
-
Waterproof
Please choose whether you need this function according to your actual situation.
-
Other
Other things like coating are not necessary, so please filter according to your budget.
Boating & activities on the water
Whether you are looking for mining or fishing, or sailing, binoculars are one of the very important ones (the other is sun protection). In this regard, there are nautical binoculars dedicated to this type of product.
-
Waterproof
In these activities, water resistance will be the priority. IPX4 waterproofing will bring your happy voyage to an early end. Higher waterproofing is what you should choose.
No need to think more, IPX7 + nitrogen filling is necessary. This feature was originally designed for accidental waterfalls.
-
Magnification
7~10x magnification is still the range we recommend. This is mainly from the product weight for consideration, unlike using opticals on land, you will encounter long periods of holding at sea.
-
Other
Although many people think rangefinder and compass show annoying tick marks in the field of view. But believe me, they are very important features in sailing.
