YOUR FIRST BINOCULAR
“It may be worth investing in a good binocular rather than a low-quality telescope”
Binoculars are the way to go when it comes to using your first piece of equipment. Not only do they promote minimum fuss and can be turned to any object with ease – unlike a telescope which may need polar alignment – but the binocular that you’re likely to be using doesn’t require any setting up. You’ll also have much more freedom of movement, magnifying objects without spending a great deal of money. If your budget is less than £100 ($120), it may be worth investing in a good binocular rather than a low-quality telescope. Remember that your binocular can also be used as a sight-seeing aid as well as for nature watching, providing a multitude of uses in one hit.
You’ll find that binoculars are usually marked with figures such as 8x40, 7x50 or 10x50 – the first figure is the magnification, while the second is the aperture of the lenses built into the binocular in millimetres. For casual observing your best bet is to go for 7x50 or 10x50 binoculars, since they are both equally useful. Remember that the greater the aperture, the heavier the binocular usually is, so if you find that 50mm is too heavy for you to hold steadily, opt for 40mm or even 30mm models. Alternatively, when it comes to the compromise between weight and power, many go for 8x32 or 8x42 binoculars.
The heavier the devices get, the more likely you’ll need a tripod – it’ll be difficult to observe anything when your arms are shaking under weight, so choose wisely.
Go for...
Binoculars with coloured coatings on their optics – these will improve image brightness
Binoculars with a good balance between lightgathering capacity, magnification, weight and cost
Porro or BAK-4 prisms that offer 8x magnification and reasonably large objective lenses of 42mm plus
Avoid...
Magnifications greater than 12x, unless you have a particular need for specialist binoculars
Binoculars that are too heavy for you to hold – they’ll be difficult to keep steady without a tripod
Zoom binoculars – they have narrow fields of view and relatively poor optics