Super Synopsis try 10-02-17 -> 10/31/17 Binoculars come in two shapes and three major levels of optics. . Shapes: Porro prism binoculars have the familiar offset look, typically objective lenses spread wider apart than the eyepiece lenses. Among models priced $100 or less, these will be optically superior but heavier, bulkier, and more fragile than the other shape - Roof prism binoculars have a pleasing in-line look, eyepieces directly in-line with the objective lens. These are more rugged, compact, and light-weight, but roof prisms have inherent flaws. With money, "fixes" can be applied, but models priced $100 or less won't have those "fixes" in them, and the image will be dimmer and less detailed. So in that price range, porro prism binoculars will be optically superior, with brighter, more sharply detailed images. Roof prisms do not produce superior optical performance, but better lenses do. Economy-grade models use single-element eyepiece lenses and two-element "Achromatic" objective lenses. For magnifications of 7x or less, that's fine; fancier lenses won't make a big difference. And 7x magnification (or less) is recommended for casual users or beginners, for the superior field-of-view, making it much easier to find your bird before it flies away. Field of view matters, and lower magnifications bring more field of view. You see a bird in a tree, bring up the binoculars and focus, and see an image of branches, twigs and leaves. But - WHICH branches, twigs and leaves? Which TREE? Where's the BIRD? It took me years, using 7x35 binoculars with a very good field of view, before I could reliably find my bird on the first try before it flew away. Two recommended 7x35 porro prism models are the Bushnell Falcon and the Tasco Essentials, both about $30, Sep. 2017 Amazon.com prices, plus cost of shipping. They are porro prism models and are not waterproof. Handle with care. But they have by far the most optical quality for the money. Many prominent ornithologists use binoculars of this kind, and won't part with them. What does "7x35" or "8x42" mean? The number before the "X" is the magnification. The number after the "X" is the size, in millimeters, of the objective lens. Experienced "birders", with the developed skills to quickly find birds in their view, will often want to "step up" to higher-powered binoculars with 8x or 10x magnification, and fancier lenses, to see smaller details and identify birds farther away. But higher magnification, "zooming in" on the bird, will also reduce the field of view, making it harder to find the bird. Also, the magnification is not only of the image, but also of minor hand movements, making the image jump around and harder to see details. It takes coordination and skill to use them. It also magnifies tiny blurs in the optics, which can mask tiny details. It takes more money and fancier lenses to make out those smaller details at higher magnifications. For those who insist on higher magnification with sharper details, and are willing to shell out over $100 - My next defined optical grade is what I call the mid-grade group. These models use 2 elements not only in the objective lens, but also in eyepiece lenses. Most also feature BaK-4 glass formula in the prisms, letting 15% more light come through, and generally use more expensive anti-reflective coatings on the lenses, for better contrast, brighter colors, and better view into shadows and of backlit objects against a bright sky. Most models in this group are also sealed waterproof/fog proof, preventing dust and droplets of fluids from getting inside and fogging up the view. People using these models do see a visibly sharper, brighter, clearer image. In the field, I've seen that more than half of the "birders" are using binoculars in this class. The improvement from economy-grade optics in brightness, contrast, and detailed resolution are readily apparent to most users. However, some users with less-than-average detail vision (appreciably less than 20-20 as corrected by glasses or contacts) might not see any difference in the tiny details revealed by the improved lenses. The brightness and contrast improvements should still be easily seen. For models costing over $100, I recommend the sealed, waterproof roof prism models, which will be more durable and last longer in heavy use in the field. At these prices, they will have the "fixes" to bring the roof prisms up to near-Porro prism performance. Differences within this group, which have the same basic design and optical performance, will be in the quality of lens coatings for contrast in difficult lighting, in the mirror coating on the Pechan prism surface, for more light, and with some, ED glass in the lenses for brighter colors. Other design differences can affect close-focus distance, field of view, the way the binoculars feel in your hands, or how smoothly they focus. Most experienced birders wisely choose 8x42 binoculars, but 10x42 and 8x32 (for lighter weight) models are also popular. Some even use 10x32, but those would be challenging in suppressing jittery image from hand tremors; the heavier 42mm models will suppress that somewhat more, by weight (inertia). Some mid-grade models recommended, in comparison reviews, for their performance at their price levels include: Wingspan Optics - three identical 8x32 models, same optics but different colors & names: "FeatherView" and "WingSight" in black, and "GoHawk" in gray/teal color 8x32 $91.73 Amazon (price 11/3/17) Eagle Optics Shrike 8x42 - if you can find them. The Eagle Optics on-line store is out of business. Eagle Optics Shrike 10x42 $109 Amazon 9/10/17 Bushnell Natureviewroof prism models (not the porro models) Bushnell Natureview 8x42 $115 free shipping Amazon 9/8/17 (price up $35 last year) Bushnell Natureview 10x42 $126 free shipping Amazon 9/8/17 Atlas Optics Radian 8x42 $130 Amazon 9/10/17 Atlas Optics Radian 10x42 $140 Amazon 9/10/17 new Vortex Diamondback (manufactured 2016 or later) These Diamondback models have unusually high resolution, possibly the highest resolution in the mid-grade group, maybe even better than the ED models which follow. Vortex Diamondback 8x42 $219 Amazon 9/10/17 Vortex Diamondback 10x42 $229 Amazon 9/10/17 the following feature ED glass in the lenses, brighter colors and slightly improved resolution Wingspan ED models Wingspan "ProBirder" 8x32 $110 Amazon 1/9/18 Wingspan "SkyView" in black (closed-bridge design) 8x42 $160 Amazon 1/9/18 Wingspan "Nature Hawk" grayish teal, "CrystalView" black (open-bridge design) 8x42 $197 Amazon 1/9/18 Wingspan "Thurnderbird" (sic) has flat-field/aspheric lenses like the premium models do for edge-to-edge sharp focus across the field of view. It might, if up to snuff, reduce the gap to the next group up, the premium group. I have not seen reviews for this model, nor its spec's. ED 8x42 $280 Amazon 1/9/18 Vanguard Endeavor ED 8x42 $230 Vanguard Endeavor ED 10x42 $242 (I got one for $220 on sale in 2016) Nikon Monarch 5 ED 8x42 $250 Amazon and Optics4Birding 9/8/17 Nikon Monarch 5 ED 10x42 $280 Optics4Birding 9/8/17 Zeiss Terra 8x42 $303 Amazon 9/10/17 price fluctuating Zeiss Terra 10x42 $350 Amazon 9/10/17 Zeiss Terra 8x32 $250 Amazon 9/10/17 price fluctuating Zeiss Terra 10x32 $270 Amazon 9/10/17 price fluctuating ** IMAGE STABILIZATION ** Another interesting option for some people is Image-Stabilized models, most notably models by Canon. They have a battery-powered mechanism insde that steadies the image. For viewers having trouble holding their binoculars steady enough to get a stable image, this option may really help. These are all image-stabilized porro prism binoculars : Canon 8x25 IS $344 Amazon 9/8/17 (not waterproof) Canon 10x30 IS $540 Amazon 9/8/17 (not waterproof) Canon also offers a more expensive premium optical class waterproof 10x42 model: Canon 10x42 L IS WP $1,300 (Adorama 9/8/2017) This one is a premium optics image-stabilized model, a porro prism model, but sealed waterproof. For those with still more money available and who want still more - there's what I call the Premium Optics group (includes the Canon 10x42 above) - for users with 20-20 or better vision (as corrected by glasses or contact lenses) These models feature THREE-element "Apochromatic" objective lenses, for still more detail at the higher magnifications, and special "aspheric" / "field flattener" elements in the eyepiece lenses, for a uniformly sharp focus across the full field of view, right out to the edges. These models will also have state-of-the-art anti-reflective coatings, for the best viewing into shadows or backlit objects, and di-electric mirror coatings on the Pechan prism for a still brighter, almost luminous image. Users with less than 20-20 vision might not see very much, if any, improvement over mid-grade or even economy-class optics, except for perhaps a slightly brighter image. But some users with very acute vision will, after trying one of these for any length of time, might not want to settle for anything less. Within this group but WITHOUT fluoride glass, all reviewed models seemed to score about equally optically, since the resolution is already near the limit of human vision to resolve. Reviewers did favor, by a very slight margin, the Zeiss Conquest, about $850 - $1,000. (Other models in this group cost more.) Then there is : the Elite optics group featuring expensive fluoride formula glass in the lenses, for the very best optics money can buy This special elite group costs about $2,600 - $2,900, for models by Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski. Review articles gave these tie scores optically - the details resolved are now beyond human vision. What one could barely perceive would be very slightly brighter colors, especially in difficult or subdued lighting. The reviewers in the Cornell article question whether this barely perceptible improvement justifies the extra money, which might be instead spent on going to exotic places to see exotic birds. But if money is no object, they favored the Zeiss Victory SF, for ergonomics - feel in the hand, close focuus, field of view. I did a quick price check 9/10/17 on the Conquest and the elite fluoride-glass models, at a time when the Conquest models happened to be on sale for $100 off for the month of September (2017). It's best to check for yourself, the prices at the various suppliers are usually close and fluctuate a bit; at the time of my check Amazon had most of the best or tied-for-best prices, but this varies. best price 9/10/17 Zeiss Conquest ED 8x32 $800 Amazon and Optics4Birding Zeiss Conquest ED 10x32 $850 Amazon 9/10 Zeiss Conquest ED 8x42 $870 Amazon and Optics4Birding Zeiss Conquest ED 10x42 $900 Amazon (I got an open-box demo 10x42 on sale for about $700 in Sept. '17 from the Bird Watchers Digest store) The 42mm size Conquest prices go back up $100 in October, 2017. elite optics - the Big Three with expensive fluoride-formula glass Swarovski EL 8.5x42 $2550 Amazon 9/10/17 Swarovski EL 10x42 $2600 Amazon Leica Noctivid 8x42 $2600 Amazon Leica Noctivid 10x42 $2700 Amazon Zeiss Victory SF T* 8x42 $2850 Amazon Zeiss Victory SF T* 10x42 $2900 Amazon ** SPOTTING TELESCOPES - where those lenses REALLY matter ** At the higher magnification spotting 'scopes use, typically about 20 - 60x, economy-grade optics resolve less details than binoculars do, and mid-grade optics still won't fully focus on tiny details on distant birds. 'Scopes now come with angled and straight models. The angled 'scopes allow easier viewing with groups of users with varied heights; the taller viewers simply bend down slightly more to look through. Straight scopes requre every user to stoop or stretch up to get exact alignment with the eyes and 'scope. 'Scopes also come with fixed-power or zoom eyepieces. The zoom eyepieces allow one to scan through a flock of birds and then zoom in on a particular bird for closer look. My Alpen 788, $539 (Amazon), and the Nikon Prostaff, $600 with ED glass for visibly brighter colors, both have mid-grade 2-element lenses. They seem fine most of the time, viewing out to about 60 yards distance. But for smaller detail on more distant birds, they don't seem to come to full, sharp focus. To fix that, you need a more expensive 'scope. For steps up, 2009 Bird Watchers Digest article recommended the Vortex Viper, about $900, and then entering into premium optics with the three-element objective lens, the Vortex Razor, about $1,600 at Optics4Birding, which reviewers feel is almost as good as the elite models, but for the most distant, tiny details one must spring for the top-of-the-line fluoride-glass models by Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss and Kowa, costing about $2,350 to $4,090 (Sep '17). Both 65mm and 80mm (77mm up to 85mm) lens models are popular, but the 80mm models usually offer higher 60x magnification. These high-priced 'scopes can make out smaller details at greater distances, which is what a 'scope is for. SCOPES PRICE CHECK 9/8/17 (see list of sources and their website address URL's below) mid-grade optics, 2-element eyepiece and objective lenses Alpen 788 = 20-60x80mm angled 'scope $539 Amazon (A year ago it was about $415) Nikon ProStaff 20-60x82mm angled scope - about $600 Amazon 9/8/17 ED glass for brighter colors, especially in difficult lighting premium optics, ED glass : Vortex Razor 27-60x85 angled ‘scope $1600 Optics4Birding 9/10/17 - reviewers said this is almost as good as the top guns Zeiss Conquest Gavia 30-60x85 angled scope $2000 Optics4Birding 9/10/17 - probably better than the Razor - ? full fluoride-glass elite : (the top guns, the Big Four) With these, you have to buy 'scope body and eyepiece lens separately. I totaled both below for the whole 'scope price (not including shipping) Kowa TSN 883 25-60x88mm angled scope $2804 BWD store 11/24/17 Note that the Kowa ‘scopes might *possibly* be a bit less durable than the following models, but this cheapest of the elite 'scopes shares top review honors with the $4,090 Swarovski. Zeiss Diascope 20-60x85 T* FL straight model spotting scope $3,300 Adorama 8/31/17 apparently not available in angled model – Only Adorama has it. Optics4Birding and Amazon don't. A massive, heavy Zeiss 95mm model exists, with 25-75x magnification, and a higher price, if you can find it. (Swarovski also makes a 95mm model with 75x magnification.) Leica Televid APO 25-50x82 mm $3550 Optics4Birding 9/10/17 limited to 50x magnification. body 2700 eyepiece 850 => 3550 Swarovski ATX 25-60x85 mm modular $4090 Optics4Birding 9/10/17 If money is no object, this probably is the best, shares top reviews with the Kowa and possibly more durable. If money and WEIGHT are no object, consider the larger, heavier 95mm models by Zeiss and Swarovski with 75x top magnification. Here is a list of the internet vendors I checked - their names and their internet addresses (URL's) : Amazon - - - - http://www.amazon.com/ Optics4Birding - - - - http://www.optics4birding.com/ Adorama - - - - http://www.adorama.com/ B&H Photo - - - - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/ Bird Watchers Digest on-line store - http://store.birdwatching.net/ Optics Planet - - - - http://www.opticsplanet.com/ The review articles I found helpful have been mostly from Bird Watchers Digest (see on-line store listing above), with a couple of additional ones from Birder's World and from Cornell's Living Bird magazine. One can look these sources up with Bing or Google and search for their optics review articles. To sum it all up - - In good light with a dark background, a nearby bird will look about the same through any decent pair of binoculars (including the $30 7x35 porro models). It's the tiny details on distant birds, at higher magnifications, that demand more from the lenses, especially in spotting 'scopes. With the $30 porro models, you can get years of viewing pleasure. But - Most "serious" birders want better than the 7x35 porro models, and find the "sweet spot" between cost and image quality comes with the mid-grade group, about $90 - $400, which has a noticably brighter, sharper image at the higher magnifications, 8x and 10x, which the "serious" birders prefer for seeing more details and identifying their birds at greater distances. For most people, the smallest details resolved by this mid-grade group of binocular models are near the limit of human perception. Stepping up to the premium group ($1,000 and up) gets still finer detail if you can see it - only 20-20 vision or better can - and slightly better contrast for visibility in difficult lighting - backlit objects or looking into deep shadows. But the better models of the much cheaper mid-grade binoculars would present an image looking exactly the same to most people, most of the time. While the step up from economy to mid-grade is readily visible to most users, only a few can see improvement with the step up to premium optics, but those who do see it will probably want it. Optics are a long-term investment. If you expect to be using your binoculars (and spotting 'scope, if you buy one) frequently over the next 15 years or more, consider that for the price of a cheap used car, you could spring for the top-of-the-line binoculars and 'scope, and they would, with proper care, last longer than a brand-new car would. The pleasure they give you over the years may justify the expense of getting the best you can afford. I personally have used 10x binoculars of all three grades, economy, mid-grade, and premium, and have been satisfied with each, although I do prefer the mid-grade or premium optics if I can afford them. I've also used 'scopes in the two upper grades, mid-grade and premium, and been reasonably satisfied with both, but here I really do prefer premium optics for the most distant details, if I can afford it. On bird club field trips, I've seen that most birders are using mid-grade optics binoculars, which hit the "sweet spot" of near-perfection at a reasonable price. A smaller number are using economy-grade optics (usually porro prism models), and a still smaller number are using premium or elite-grade models. When it comes to 'scopes being used, a few are using mid-grade optical models, while the majority are using the top-grade expensive models, to get the tiniest details on the most distant birds, which is what a spotting 'scope is for. I did recently spring for the Kowa 'scope in that top group for that reason. My mid-grade Alpen is now a spare. See my full-length article for a listing of many more models and their specifications on field-of-view, eye relief, close-focus, weight, and prices as of March, 2015, along with a full explanation of those fancy lenses and how they work, and the meaning of terms like eye relief, chromatic dispersion, types of prisms - how they differ and how they work, coatings, etc., and for a listing of the comparison studies by Bird Watchers Digest, Birders World, and Cornell, which I used to get an idea of the quality of some of the models in my listings. - PW