Birdwatching is a national obsession, but you can’t do it (at least not properly) without the help of a pair of binoculars. A good pair can enhance your enjoyment of the great outdoors hugely; a bad pair can put you off for life. But how do you tell the difference? And are cheap binoculars always a bad move?
To help you make the right decision we’ve put together a list of the best binoculars you can buy, from a bargain basement £55 to the very best money can buy. And if you don’t know your objective lenses from your porro prisms, then read-on to get the full low-down on what features you should be looking for.
How to buy the best binoculars for you
To look at, one pair of binoculars would appear to be much the same as another. Some might be smaller than others but, by-and-large, they’re made up of a pair of barrels with lenses at either end, attached to each other with a hinge in the middle.
Dig deeper, however, and you’ll discover there’s a whole world of features and specifications that determine how good a pair of binoculars are, and the sort of spotting activities they’re suited to.
What type of binoculars should I buy?
You’ll probably have noticed if you’ve ever shopped for or used a pair of binoculars, that they all have a pair of numbers – like 8 x 42, or 10 x 25 – written somewhere on them.
The first number designates the magnification level. An 8x pair will enlarge your subject eight times while a 10x pair will make it ten times bigger. The second number tells you how large the objective lenses (the big ones on the end) are in millimetres.
The most important number is the magnification level. You might think here that bigger is better, right? Well, that’s not strictly true. While a 10x or 12x magnification will allow you see things further away that bit closer, higher magnification such as this has knock-on effects.
At higher levels of magnification, it's hard to hold binoculars steady enough to see a stable image. A higher magnification also usually means a narrower field of view. Field of view (or FOV), incidentally, is another figure usually stencilled on the binocular somewhere. It's normally expressed in degrees, and it refers to how much you can see from left to right when you’re peering through them.
The sweet spot for birdwatching and nature spotting binoculars is 8x. This gives you a reasonably broad field of view (usually around 7° to 8°) and magnification and allows you to hand-hold easily without getting too much distracting shake. If you’re more of a stargazer and need binoculars for looking at the moon and constellations, you’ll want a higher magnification level – 12x and up – but you'll need to thing about attaching them to a tripod.
What benefit is there to buying binoculars with bigger lenses?
The size of the objective lens is most critical to the quality of the image you see through your binoculars. The larger the lens, the greater its light gathering ability is. Too small, and the image will be murky and dim; too big, though, and the binoculars will be too bulky and heavy to be practical.
That’s why in this test we’ve mostly focussed on binoculars with 42mm objective lenses (and why most manufacturers do the same) because they strike the best balance between light gathering and practicality. If you want pocketable binoculars, choose a pair with 25mm lenses or 32mm.
Once again, though, if you’re mostly going to be stargazing or mounting your binoculars to a tripod, you can get away with larger lenses.
In summary, then, an 8 x 42 pair of binoculars 8x magnifies a scene eight times and has 42mm lenses; a 10 x 25 pair has 10x magnification and 25mm lenses.
Should I care about features such as prism types or ED glass?
The other terms you might hear connected with binoculars and see on specifications sheets are porro prism, roof prism and ED glass.
- Porro and roof prisms: All binoculars use prisms to keep the size down, otherwise they’d all be huge and look like a pair of telescopes strapped together. Prisms come in different flavours, though, and the type of prisms used dictates the shape and size of your binoculars.
- Traditional A-shaped binoculars use porro prisms. Porro prism binoculars tend to be larger and bulkier than roof prism binoculars, but slightly cheaper. More modern H-shaped binoculars use roof prisms. These are the most popular type in use today because they tend to be smaller and lighter than porro-prism optics.
- ED or HD glass: ED (extra low dispersion) glass (also referred to as HD glass by some manufacturers) is a special type of glass that’s designed to keep chromatic aberrations under control.
- You can spot chromatic aberrations by looking at a dark object silhouetted against a bright background – a kestrel against the sky, for example. It manifests as colour fringing around those objects. Binoculars with ED or HD glass tend to keep such fringing to a minimum and the image you see through them will be clearer and sharper as a result.
- ED glass is more expensive than standard glass, however, so you’ll tend to see it only in more expensive binoculars of above £200.
The other key features to look out for
- Close focus: Great for spotting insects and inspecting flowers from close range. The best binoculars let you focus from as close as 1.5m away
- Waterproofing: You’re going to be using your binoculars outside, so it’s best to be sure that they’re not going to let in if you’re caught in a rain shower. They'll fog up and condensation will form on the inner surfaces if this happens
- Fogproofing: To prevent binoculars from fogging up when transitioning from the cold outdoors to the warm indoors, manufacturers fill their binoculars with an inert gas (usually Argon or Nitrogen) that has no water content and thus inhibits condensation
- Eye relief: If you wear spectacles, binoculars with long eye relief and adjustable eye cups will make it much easier for you to see the full field of view while wearing your glasses. Look for binoculars with eye relief of 14mm or longer. The more the better, though, as this will give you more opportunity to tweak for the best view
The best binoculars to buy
Canon 12 x 36 IS III: The best binoculars with image stabilisation
Price when reviewed:£599
Canon 12 x 36 IS III: The best binoculars with image stabilisation
Price when reviewed: £599
Key specs – 12x magnification; 36mm objective lenses; 5° field of view; 14.5mm eye relief; non-adjustable eye cups; 6m closest focussing distance; image stabilisation; 726g (with strap and 3 x AA batteries)
Image stabilisation isn’t just for cameras; Canon has also built its shaky hands reduction tech into its range of binoculars, and it works incredibly well. Pop a pair of AA batteries into a compartment on the Canon 12 x 3 IS III's belly, press a small button on the top and, like magic, all handshake disappears, leaving you with a crystal clear, super steady image.
Normally we wouldn’t recommend using a pair of 12x magnification binoculars without a tripod but with stabilisation these work just fine, and optically the Canons are splendid. They present a sharp, bright image right out to the very edge of your field of view with neutral colour representation.
There are some downsides, though. The high magnification level means the field of view isn’t particularly broad – at just 5° you’ll spot less than you would with a pair of the much cheaper Celestron Trailseekers. These aren’t quite as bright to look through as binoculars much cheaper, plus there’s visible colour fringing around objects set against bright backgrounds. They don’t focus particularly closely, either, so they’re not great for peeking at insects and flowers. And eye-relief isn't very long at 14.5mm. Glasses wearers beware.
And we’re a little disappointed with the accessories supplied in the box. The strap isn’t padded, bizarrely you don’t get lens caps for the objective lenses, and the rubber, non-adjustable, roll-down eyecups won’t be to everyone’s taste either. Even the ocular lens caps aren’t tethered. However, for that stupendously good image stabilisation we’re willing to forgive a lot.
Key specs– 12x magnification; 36mm objective lenses; 5° field of view; 14.5mm eye relief; non-adjustable eye cups; 6m closest focussing distance; image stabilisation; 726g (with strap and 3 x AA batteries)
Celestron Trailseeker 8 x 42: The best binoculars under £200
Price when reviewed:£169
Celestron Trailseeker 8 x 42: The best binoculars under £200
Price when reviewed: £169
Key specs – 8x magnification; 42mm objective lenses; 8.12° field of view; 17mm eye relief; adjustable eye cups; 2m close focussing distance; 729g (with strap and lens caps)
The best all-rounders in the binocular business are light, practical and offer up a bright, sharp image with a wide field of view and the Celestron Trailseeker 8 x 42 delivers on all these fronts. The field of view is an impressive 8.12°, the “phase coated” optics deliver a crisp image (although it does soften a little at the edges of the field of view) and close focussing is an impressive 2m, so you’ll be able to observe insects and flowers close up as well as our feathered friends.
Despite this, and a comparatively reasonable price, the Trailseekers are well-designed and well-built and they come with a generous selection of extras. The tough-feeling green rubber housing is fully waterproof and the eyecups are adjustable in three stages, with eye-relief stretching all the way out to 17mm.
What’s most impressive, though is the range of accessories on offer here, with a neoprene-padded strap, high quality carry bag, lens cleaning cloth and even a shoulder harness all supplied in the box.
Key specs– 8x magnification; 42mm objective lenses; 8.12° field of view; 17mm eye relief; adjustable eye cups; 2m close focussing distance; 729g (with strap and lens caps)
RSPB Puffin 8 x 32: The best binoculars under £60
Price when reviewed:£55
RSPB Puffin 8 x 32: The best binoculars under £60
Price when reviewed: £55
Key specs – 8x magnification; 32mm objective lenses; 7.5° field of view; 13.6mm eye relief; adjustable eye cups; 2.5m (claimed) close focussing distance; 489g (with strap and lens caps)
The general rule is that the cheaper the binocular, the more difficult to focus and to see a clear image they get. These compact binoculars buck that trend spectacularly.
Typically sold at RSPB bird reserves, they cost a bargain £55 yet the image you see through them is clear and crisp with little distortion, and you won’t spend ages adjusting them thanks to the wide 7.5° field of view.
True, for £55 you don’t get such luxuries as extra-close focussing (take the 2.5m close focus claim with a large pinch of salt, it's actually longer than 3m), and they’re quite soft at the edges of the field of view. The strap and pouch are basic, and eye-relief is a low 13.6mm. Glasses weares would be well advised to try these out before buying.
However, the binoculars themselves feel solidly made, they’re light and portable and offer screw-out eye-cups – a lot more than you’d expect for the money.
Key specs– 8x magnification; 32mm objective lenses; 7.5° field of view; 13.6mm eye relief; adjustable eye cups; 2.5m (claimed) close focussing distance; 489g (with strap and lens caps)
Olympus 10 x 25 PC I: The best compact binoculars for close-up spotting
Price when reviewed:£90
Olympus 10 x 25 PC I: The best compact binoculars for close-up spotting
Price when reviewed: £90
Key specs – 10x magnification; 25mm objective lenses; 5.2° field of view; 15mm eye relief; adjustable cups; 1.7m close focussing distance; 278g (with strap and lens caps)
Compact binoculars are great to keep in the car or take on a trip when you’re travelling light and the Olympus 10 x 25 PC I are some of the best around. They weigh a mere 278g, even with the lightweight neck strap attached and fold up small enough to fit in a jacket hip pocket.
Despite this, the high 10x magnification and narrow 25mm objective lenses, image quality is exceptional – sharp and much brighter than you might expect.
They’re well built, too, with a smooth focus ring, twist-out cups with 15mm of eye relief, and close focus that lets you get nearer to your subject than most other binoculars. It’s advertised at 2.5m, but we were able to focus at around 1.7m. Coupled with the 10x magnification, this makes them excellent for insect and plant spotting.
The downsides of that extra magnification are that the field of view isn’t very wide – a mere 5.2° – they can be tricky to hold steady and the price is a little on the high side, but we love these compact binoculars. They’re superb.
Key specs– 10x magnification; 25mm objective lenses; 5.2° field of view; 15mm eye relief; adjustable cups; 1.7m close focussing distance; 278g (with strap and lens caps)
Canon 12 x 36 IS III: The best binoculars with image stabilisation
Price when reviewed: £599
Key specs – 12x magnification; 36mm objective lenses; 5° field of view; 14.5mm eye relief; non-adjustable eye cups; 6m closest focussing distance; image stabilisation; 726g (with strap and 3 x AA batteries)
Celestron Trailseeker 8 x 42: The best binoculars under £200
Price when reviewed: £169
Key specs – 8x magnification; 42mm objective lenses; 8.12° field of view; 17mm eye relief; adjustable eye cups; 2m close focussing distance; 729g (with strap and lens caps)
Olympus 10 x 25 PC I: The best compact binoculars for close-up spotting
Price when reviewed: £90
Key specs – 10x magnification; 25mm objective lenses; 5.2° field of view; 15mm eye relief; adjustable cups; 1.7m close focussing distance; 278g (with strap and lens caps)
RSPB Puffin 8 x 32: The best binoculars under £60
Price when reviewed: £55
Key specs – 8x magnification; 32mm objective lenses; 7.5° field of view; 13.6mm eye relief; adjustable eye cups; 2.5m (claimed) close focussing distance; 489g (with strap and lens caps)