BinocularsBlog – Advice on Digital, Waterproof, & Compact Binoculars for Bird Watching, Sports, Astronomy, Night Vision, & more!

True love can be measured in many ways and, I suppose, it just depends on the people involved. For example, I have always been very strict about never allowing anyone to use my Leica binoculars or Swarovski binoculars. That's always been an iron fast rule - no exceptions. In fact, on my Swarovoski Pocket Crystal binocular, I have never even allowed anyone to touch them in the past. This may sound a bit eccentric, but, okay, buy your own Swarovski binocular. By this measure, though, I have to say that I am deeply in love, since I have allowed my fiancé, Bill, to use my Swarovski Crystal binocular, even to the point of wearing this compact binocular around his neck. Of course, he handed them right back, with a nice warm and mushy thank-you, since he is not a Swarovski Crystal kind of guy. Bill is definitely a Swarovski 8x56 kind of guy - big and tough, but oh so fine and sweet.

If you are a birdwatcher and have ever tried to start a bird feeder in the backyard, you know there is usually a lapse between the day you put up the feeder and the day the birds actually find and use the feeder. Sometimes, you get lucky and it is just a matter of a few days. Sometimes, you just have to wait a bit longer and I have even heard of some folks who waited in terms of weeks, though that is an extreme case. It all boils down to how bird friendly your backyard is before you put up the feeder. If your backyard already has good habitat, then the birds are already using it and it won't take long for them to find the feeder. If your backyard is one of those manicured places without a blade of grass out of place, your wait is going to be much longer.

So, this weekend I put out my new birdfeeders at our home, then Bill and I sat back with our birding binoculars and waited. Only a couple hours, later, that very Saturday morning, eight Chickadees discovered the feeder and went to work, charging in and out to grab black-oil sunflower. They were soon joined by a pair of Cardinals and then … I was not prepared for the invasion. By Sunday morning, only twenty-four hours later, my birdfeeder list read like some folks complete winter list. Last I looked, I had Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-Breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Junco, American Goldfinch, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, Hose Sparrow, Blue Jay, and Starling. Those were the birds that visited the feeder, but, since our backyard is such great habitat, I also spotted many birds that did not visit the feeder. These included a Fox Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler and American Robin. I also spotted a Cooper's Hawk, high overhead, as I sat in my kitchen. The hawk did not visit the feeder, but I have no doubt it will, soon.

These days, it is very hard to find a store that stocks a wide variety of binoculars, so most of us end up buying a binocular online or through a catalog. So, how do you buy a binocular online or through a catalog? It can be done, if you understand how to go about it and follow these basic guidelines. To begin, you can check some binocular features, sight unseen, when buying a binocular, but, for some features, you just have to make an educated guess.

For standard features like field of view, lens coatings, waterproofing, eye relief and so on it is easy - just check the spec table usually supplied for each binocular. Optical quality on a binocular is a bit tougher to gauge, since there is never a rating supplied for this all important feature, but you can make an educated guess by using price as a guideline. It costs more to grind, polish and align lenses to a higher optical standard, so, all else equal, the more you pay, the more optical (and the more mechanical) quality you get. However, it is never in a direct ratio. That $600 binocular won't be twice as good as that $300 binocular, but it will be better in terms of performance and optics. The toughest thing to predict when buying a binocular, sight unseen, is handling. How will it fit, feel and balance in your hands? That is very subjective, of course, but if you have used a binocular that you liked in the past, you can look for something with the same general shape and dimensions. You can also use that last binocular number to tell if you are dealing with a compact or a giant binocular, since that last binocular number is the size of the front lens in millimeters. For more on the basics, see my article at How to Buy a Binocular

By now, most Swarovski fans have heard that the great Swarovski EL binocular has been discontinued by Swarovski (though we still have some of the old model EL binoculars, here at OpticsPlanet, at a great price). Not to worry, though. the rumor is that a new Swarovski EL HD binocular is on the way.

This is more than a rumor. It is all true and I am pleased to report that during a visit from the Swarovski folks, last month, I actually got my hands on a prototype of the new Swarovski EL HD binocular. My reaction when I picked up the new Swarovski EL HD 10x42 can be summed up in one word: Wow! Hey, I'm a long time Swarovski EL binocular fan and it would take an awful lot to make me go "Wow" with anything else, but this new Swarovski EL HD binocular truly is a significant step up over the old Swarovski EL and, trust me, this new Swarovski EL HD is much more than an HD version of the old EL.

Let's begin with the optics. First thing I noticed on the new Swarovski EL HD binocular were the oversized eyepieces. The eyepiece lenses are huge. They look like a pair of car headlights sticking out of a binocular. The reason? This new Swarovski EL HD features flat field optics and these newly designed eyepieces do their part. The field of view is amazingly free or barrel or pincushion distortion, and, even more impressive, this new EL HD was tack sharp right to the edge to a degree that I have rarely seen in any binocular.

Okay, what about the HD? That's what this new Swarovski bino is all about, after all. Is it really HD? Would you notice a difference over the already excellent optics of the old Swarovski EL? Oh, yeah. Contrast and resolution in the new Swarovski EL HD were superb! Using my resolution chart, I was able to resolve the smallest resolution box on the chart. This, in itself, was an excellent showing, but, even more amazing, is that I was able to do it without the benefit of a tripod. This is the result of the HD lenses, of course, but it is also the result of Swarovski using six elements in the objective on the new EL HD, versus three elements in the old Swarovski EL objective design. Not to worry, though, the weight of the new Swarovski EL HD is still on a par with the old EL.

Like I said, this new Swarovski EL HD binocular is more than just an HD version of the old Swarovski EL. The EL HD actually got a new body design, as well. Now, don't panic; this is still an EL in terms of handling. In fact, it is an even better EL, in terms of handling, at least in my hands. This is a result of a new chassis design, resulting in a trimmer outline and a modifed shape. Holding the new and old EL binoculars side by side, you can see that the new EL HD adds a tapered contour at the top of the binocular where you hold them in your hands, not present in the old EL. The result? You get even a nicer handling binocular with the new EL HD than with the standard EL, something I would not have thought possible.

Is there a down side to all this. Oh, yeah. The price tag. The new EL HD will also be a significant step up over the standard EL in price, but if your quest is for the finest binocular made, you better get a new Swarovski EL HD in your hands and see for yourself.

We will be posting a page for the new Swarovski EL HD on our site, soon. Stay tuned for prices and specs.

Someone read my last forum post and asked why someone should pay $600 plus for the Fujinon Polaris F-SX 10x50, when he could probably see as much by spending $150 on a Nikon Action Extreme 10x50. Okay, fair question, but really not a complete question, though. Depends on how you define "see as much". In a very general way, you will probably see nearly as many of the faint nebuale with the cheaper Nikon binocular, but the better light transmission of the Fujinon binocular will add more faint objects right at the limit of visibility. Score one for the Fujinon in terms of number of objects. That same improved light transmission will make faint nebulae and galaxies appear to grow in size, since better light transmission will show more of the faint outer boundaries of these objects. Score another one for the Fujinon binocular. That same improved light transmission also enhances faint color of stars in general, and close double stars, in particular. Score another one for the Fujinon binocular. In terms of detail, the Fujinon will definitely show more fine detail, especially when it comes to resolving stars at the edge of globular clusters, splitting close double stars and showing fine detail on the moon. Definitely score another one for the Fujinon binocular. Lastly, the edge sharpness, flat field and color correction in the Fujinon just adds a wow factor and snap to your images that you never get with a cheaper binocular. Hey, we are doing astronomy for fun and excitement, right? Score a very big one for the Fujinon Polaris binocular.

Don't get me wrong; absolutely nothing wrong with a cheaper 10x50 binocular. In fact, the Nikon 10x50 Action Extreme is my most recommended astronomy binocular in a handheld binocular in its price range. It's a truly great value and it gets my vote in our new Brillaince Awards program for a $150 binocular. Then, too, you should not wait until you can afford an expensive binocular to do binocular astronomy. Get out there, now, and observe with whatever you can afford. Besides, you probably won't be in a position to appreciate all that Fujinon Polaris binocular can do if you are just getting started in binocular astronomy. On the nother hand, if you are an experienced observer, why not have the best? In a world of $2000 plus roof prism binoculars, that Fujinon 10x50 Polaris F-SX is a best buy. The Fujinon 10x50 Polaris F-SX gets my vote in our Brilliance Award program for a premium astronomy binocular.

In astronomy binoculars, there has always been a couple brands that comes to mind when you want the best and one of them is Fujinon. For years, we used a Fujinon 10x70 Polaris at our astronomy club and everyone was generous with their praise, myself included. Fujinon binoculars, like the Polaris, do not come cheap, of course, but we are talking about a serious quality astronomy binocular offering. Since I already have a superb 10x70 astronomy binocular, in my Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe, I have been thinking of something just a touch smaller in the Fujinon 10x50 Polaris, for those times when I don't want to deal with the larger Nikon. As much as I love my Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe, it is at the very limit of what I can handle in terms of weight. I have no doubt the smaller Fujinon binocular would get a lot of use.

I remember, oh so many years, ago, when the standard astronomy binocular was a 7x50. This was before the advent of giant binoculars, back when the astronomy binocular was seen as little more than an add on or supplement to a telescope, but never a subsitutue for a telescope. Binocular astronomy had yet to achieve a status as a type of astronomy all its own. The binocular universe was overall quite different, too. The most common binocular was a 7x35 - the 8x had yet to achieve its present popularity. It was only natural, I suppose, to go with a 7x50 for astronomy, then, especially because there were so many 7x50 binoculars available, either in the form of a military 7x50 binocular or a marine 7x50 binocular. Even though the astronomy binocular landscape has changed, considerably, a good 7x50 still reamins a worthy tool for astronomy, especially if you want those big, wide field views of open star clusters and nebulae.

New moon over the weekend gave me a chance to do some much needed and long neglected binocular astronomy. How does life manage to interfere so much when it comes to the things I love? I'm sure we all wonder this very same thing, from time to time. Anyway, I did get the Nikon Astroluxe 10x70 out and put it on the binocular tripod for some serious detail work on some open clusters and double stars. Nothing I haven't seen many, many times, before, but just a refreshing tour of one of my favorite binocular areas of the night sky. The only nagging thought that interfered was knowing I will soon be moving to a better location and even a darker sky. The old, "if this is good, the new spot should even be better" kept me from enjoying what I had before me and that is a shame.

Every office with a view of the cityscape or countryside needs a high-power observation binocular or spotting scope. If you are looking for a holiday gift for that executive, a high-power observation binocular or spotting scope is a great idea. Even if that observation binocular is seldom used for viewing or even never used for viewing, it looks great sitting in that office and it makes a statement about the status of the office and its occupant. Of course, the statement made will also be affected by the quality of observation binocular, spotting scope or telescope selected, but that's all part of the fun. In terms of actual use and quality of images produced, though, the quality of observation binocular, spotting scope or telescope selected is critical. Expect to pay more for a binocular, spotting scope or telescope that looks good on both the outside and the inside. Now that you have a budget in mind, do you choose an observation binocular, a spotting scope or a telescope? Time to check out my article, High Power Observation For Home Or Office. This article also includes recommendations in various price ranges.

As I have written, before, it is possible to do some limited astronomy with an astronomy binocular through a picture window if the you don't attempt to view at too much of an angle. Too much of an angle when pointing the binocular produces too much distortion and, besides, very few windows allow you to see objects high overhead. There are exceptions, however. I discovered one the other night at my new home. At about 5 in the morning, I went downstairs to raid the refrigerator of a drink of orange juice and just happened to stop in our living room for a sip. I looked up through the high cathedral style windows in our home and was amazed to see Orion, high overhead, about 60 degrees up in the sky. What was even more remarkable was the lack of distortion through our windows, so I grabbed my compact binocular, a Nikon Premier LX 10x25, since it was handy. The view of the Orion nebula was actually quite good. Hey, nothing like sitting on your living room couch and actually doing some astronomy. Okay, it also helps to live in an area with less light pollution when using either a binocular or a telescope.

If you took all the zoom binoculars ever made and stretched them in a ring around the earth, you would have a 25,000 mile ring of litter. If you wanted to win the war on terror, give our enemies zoom binoculars. It would cost much less and save a lot of American lives. Okay, why don't I say what I really feel about zoom binoculars? I could give you at least ten reasons not to buy a zoom binocular, but people would still buy them, because there are still so many people out there who don't know binocular basics in terms of optics and construction and what all the numbers really mean in terms of actual use. If you really want to know what makes a binocular tick or, in the case of a zoom binocular, usually not tick, read my article on the basics, How to Understand Binoculars. This article explains all the basics in easy to understand terms and it also explains why a fixed power binocular is ALWAYS a better choice in terms of optics, construction and use in the field.

One of my early, serious, high grade birding binoculars was a Swarovski 7x42 SLC, which I loved for its picture window wide view and its, oh, so easy to hold seven magnification. I foolishly let it go, but, I would be quite happy to own another one. I did own that great Swarovski 7x42 SLC long enough, though, to fall in love with 7x for a magnification. The 7x binocular has lost ground in popularity over the years, but there are still some great 7x premium binoculars, left. The new Swarovski 7x42 SLC is everything the old one was and when you add the Zeiss Victory 7x42 FL, the Nikon EDG 7x42 and the Lieca Ultravid HD 7x42, you have the world's best in a full size 7x birding binocular.

Premium grade, best binoculars have always been expensive, but, lately, these high grade binoculars have been getting even more expensive. In part, it is the continuing imbalance between the dollar and the euro, since most, but not all, premium grade binoculars come out of Europe. In part, it is also new developments in binocular technology with ED, HD and other super high performance glass now finding their way into binoculars. This does make a difference in performance - this new breed of super binoculars are even better performers than the standard version of only a few years, ago - but, oh, they are expensive. My bank account would need some serious therapy before I could bring one of these great birding binoculars, home. Are these super binoculars worth it? That's a subjective question, of course, but if you are an optics nut like me, it is so hard to put one of these down and, when I can't put a binocular, down, I know I am in serious trouble.