February 19, 2025

Binoculars

First some quick comments on binoculars for birding. As serious photographers like to say, there is no substitute for "good glass". If you are using a "cheap" pair of binoculars and run into a birder with a good pair, ask them if they will let you take a look through theirs. Once I did this, I was ruined forever.

I now own a pair of Zeiss Dialyt 7x42B T*P. When I bought them over 20 years ago, they were the top choice alongside Leica.

Optics has improved a lot over the past 20-30 years. A "mid priced" pair today is probably the equal or better of the top tier 30 years ago. And of course the top tier today is even better, but at some point you are into tiny improvements and diminishing returns. Dare we say it? Spending the serious money for top tier binoculars may earn you more bragging rights than optical performance.

8x (7x) versus 10x

The bottom line here is that claiming one or the other to be "better" is nonsense. I depends on your purposes and perhaps even your taste. If you plan to work "in the woods", the 7x will be better. The 10x is better in more open country. But there is more to it than that. Many experienced people claim that it is just not possible to hold 10x binoculars steady enough to get them to do what they are capable of. Some say to get an 8x pair first, then a spotting scope, then perhaps a 10x pair -- we are talking for birds of course.

I really enjoy my 7x and have no regrets about choosing them over the 10x. Optical quality is more important than magnification.

Feedback? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's Bird Info / tom@mmto.org