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Best Binoculars on the Market

The binoculars are the second most commonly and widely used optics after the eyeglasses. The need for a good pair of binoculars is almost obvious to just any person and there are many instances where one may use them in daily life. I am an avid traveler, and I always make sure I pack a pair of binoculars before traveling. They come in handy when I have to sight see from a great distance. For example, when I went on safari in Africa, I was able to see lions and cheetahs hunting in the wild without getting to close to the action and whenever I am at home, they are always handy when staring at the stars and the moon.

Here is a list of the Best Binoculars on the Market

My hobbies and adventures have always revolved around events that required a good pair of binoculars and even though you may not have gone on safari or like to star gaze like me, I am sure you would enjoy life better with a good pair of binoculars. Like, they may actually save you some bucks while watching a live game since you may not need to grab the prime seats next to the action instead, you can watch from all the way up furthest from the action.

Before jumping to buy a pair just yet, my experience with binoculars has taught me that there are a few things to consider first before I make a purchase. Here are some of them;

  1. Magnification Power. This is arguably one of the first things to look out for. A high magnification power would make a pair of binoculars better than another pair but keep in mind that it does not necessarily guarantee a better image quality. Magnifications of roughly 6 times to 10 times are the most ideal for steady outdoor conditions where you mostly handle the binoculars by hand. For magnifications of 12 times or higher, hand movements may cause shaking and may interfere with the experience. A magnification power of 12 times would however, be ideal when star gazing and watching stars where your objects are fixed and you may use a tripod stand.
  2. Field of View. You may want to watch a game at a sports center and the sports field is large, the field of view of the pair of binoculars will be a very important factor to consider. A wider field of view will allow you to catch all the action without having to pan across the entire sports field every time the action shifts. For my case, I always pack a pair of binoculars while on safari with a wide field of view since during the cheetah chases, for example, the animals would dart off across great distances and binoculars with a narrow field of view just wouldn't make me enjoy the event.
  3. Eye Relief. First, if you are new to using optics, you need to know what the eye relief is. It is the distance between the surface of the eye piece lens to the point where the exit pupil is formed. Without getting into the technical details, this is important to consider if you wear eye glasses. It is recommended that a pair of binoculars have at least 15mm of eye relief so as to allow people with eye glasses to see the entire field of view without having to remove their eye glasses. If you don't wear eye glasses any eye relief measurement will do.
  4. Environment Proofing. This is very important if you are going to be exposed to the elements when you are using the binoculars. Manufacturers usually fill tubes with nitrogen or inert gasses like argon to eliminate the chance formation of fog or mist when the binoculars are being used in rainy or cold conditions. This also make the pair of binoculars water proof and airtight so foreign material cannot enter the tubes and cause damage or obstruction to the lenses.
  5. Price. This is a factor to consider greatly and almost by default. A more expensive pair of binoculars would be obviously better than a cheaper one. However, if you are new to optics, I recommend evaluating value for money; Which requires you to ask yourself, which pair of binoculars will offer the most features versus the price? When I was taking my first safari, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on binoculars and so this was the only feature I considered when making my purchase. It paid off as I was able to learn a lot about what I needed and I didn't have to break my bank for it.

There are many more factors to consider and it all comes down to personal preferences. However, I find that the best way to choose a good pair is by three main steps:

  1. By a five step process as I have outlined above.
  2. ​By specifications which caters for all other specifications aside from the ones mentioned above like close focusing distance, tube dimensions and construction quality.
  3. By purpose and scenes. This refers to the activity in which you will rely on binoculars which may be boating, hunting, bird watching, watching stars, watching sports, and traveling.

From the above considerations and my experiences, these are the top five best binoculars.

1 - NIKON Monarch 7 8x42 Binoculars

>>>View NIKON Monarch 7 8x42 Binoculars here<<<

Nikon are very good makers of optics and this list is almost incomplete without a Nikon optic. There are many options to choose from and all are rally well built, it is a Nikon trademark. The NIKON Monarch 7 8x42 binoculars was a purchase I made based on two things, its wide field of view and the crisp clear images I get when using it. It has extra low light dispersing glasses, fully multi coated optics and Multi-Layer dielectric prism coating. This enables it to harness all the available light that goes through it thus giving the crisp images. Because of this, it is always the pair of binoculars I carry when I go camping, bird watching and at times moon watching. The NIKON Monarch 7 8x42 binoculars are waterproof for up to 10 minutes and 1m submerged. The are fog-free thanks to O-ring seals and nitrogen filled tubes. They can also be fixed onto a tripod using an optional tripod adapter to provide steady viewing during high zooming instances.

Features

  • Magnification: 8 times
  • ​Objective diameter: 42 mm
  • ​Angular field of view (Real): 8.0 degrees
  • ​Angular field of view (Apparent): 58.4
  • ​Field of view: 140 m at 1,000m
  • ​Exit pupil: 5.3 mm
  • ​Relative brightness: 28.1
  • Eye relief: 17.1
  • Close focusing distance: 2.5 m
  • ​Length: 142 mm
  • ​Width: 130 mm
  • ​Depth: 57 mm
  • ​Weight: 650 g
  • ​Interpupillary distance adjustment: 56 to 72 mm
  • Type: Roof

NIKON Monarch 7 Binoculars Video Review


These binoculars are good for instances where you need a large field of view and since they give crisp clear images, they are good especially for bird watching. The NIKON Monarch 7 8x42 Binoculars can be purchased from Nikon's official website or from Amazon at approximately 480 dollars.

2 - NIKON 7x50IF SP WP Binoculars

>>>View NIKON 7x50IF SP WP Binoculars here<<<

Very few features differentiate the NIKON 7x50IF SP WP binoculars from the NIKON Monarch 7 8x42 binoculars. They are made from the same manufacturer and you can expect the same perfection when it comes to the quality of these products. However, I realized that since the clarity of the images was affected greatly influenced by the size of the objective lens, I sought out for the NIKON 7x50IF SP WP binoculars. I was not disappointed, they are even clearer due to a higher brightness and image contrast.

Features

  • Magnification: 7 times
  • ​Objective diameter: 50 mm
  • ​Angular field of view (Real): 7.3 degrees
  • ​Angular field of view (Apparent): 48.1 degrees
  • ​Field of view: 128 m at 1,000m
  • ​Exit pupil: 7.1 mm
  • ​Relative brightness: 50.4
  • Eye relief: 16.2 mm
  • Close focusing distance: 12.4 m
  • ​Length: 217 mm
  • ​Width: 210 mm
  • ​Depth: 80 mm
  • ​Weight: 1,485 g
  • ​Interpupillary distance adjustment: 56 to 72 mm
  • Type: Porro Prism

These Binoculars can be bought from Amazon and Nikon's official website.

3 - STEINER Ranger Xtreme 10x42 Binoculars

>>>View STEINER Ranger Xtreme 10x42 Binoculars here<<<

These are very extreme binoculars as the name might suggest. They are made especially for an ambitious hunter in mind and they do not disappoint. They are quite rugged and whenever I used them, I end up concentrating on my environment instead of worrying whether my binoculars are going to fall or not. They have a rubber armoring that in a way helps protect it from shock but is mainly to provide a firm grip while on the go. It can withstand water pressure of up to 3m while submerged and still stay water proof afterwards. This is especially good for those who work around water.

Features

  • Objective Lens Diameter: 42 mm
  • ​Magnification: 10 times
  • ​Weight: 790 g
  • ​Width: 125 mm
  • ​Height: 147 mm
  • ​Depth: 63 mm
  • ​Exit Pupil: 4.2 mm
  • ​Luminosity: 17.60
  • ​Twilight Factor: 20.5
  • ​Field of View: 108 m at 1000 m
  • ​Focusing System: Fast-Close-Focus
  • ​Close Focus Range: 1.9 m
  • High-Performance-Optics: High-Contrast
  • Waterproof: Water pressure proof up to 3 m
  • ​Nitrogen-Pressure-System: by 2-way-valve technology
  • ​Temperature Range: -20 degrees centigrade to +80 degrees centigrade
  • ​Eye cups: Ergonomic twist-up eye cups
  • ​Rubber Armoring: NBR-Longlife
  • ​Carrying Strap: Neoprene
  • ​Strap Attachment: ClicLoc
  • Objective Cover: Yes
  • ​Rain Protection Cap: Yes
  • Warranty: 10 years

This is an impressive pair of binoculars by all standards. It gathers light very well under low light conditions and I find that it can be used to pick up movements however small even while in the shadows. I can sneak up behind animals while hunting even during twilight conditions and using the STEINER Ranger Xtreme 10x42 binoculars, I am sure to have clear sight. This pair of binoculars can be bought from Steiner's official website or from Amazon for approximately 1200 dollars. There are cheaper binoculars out there for sure, however, none of the comes close to the STEINER Ranger Xtreme 10x42 binoculars in terms of quality of features.

4 - CELESTRON Skymaster 8x56 Binoculars

>>>View CELESTRON Skymaster 8x56 Binoculars here<<<

After getting used to using my first pair of binoculars, I noticed that I needed a different pair for night time stargazing. The CELESTRON SKYMASTER 8x56 were the perfect match. They have a large optical diameter lens that enables as much light to enter the binoculars as possible. I noticed that as much as I wanted to see many details of the stars and the moon, the CELESTRON SKYMASTER 8x56 only enabled me to scan through the sky rather than to observe actual features. It can however, do a good job observing the moon. I was impressed since it was well built and I recommend checking your needs before buying this scope since it has disappointed some of my friends.

Features

  • Objective Lens Diameter: 56 mm
  • ​Magnification: 8 times
  • ​Angular Field of View: 5.8 degrees
  • ​Exit Pupil: 7 mm
  • ​Eye Relief: 18 mm
  • ​Close Focus: 25 feet
  • ​IPD Max: 72 mm
  • IPD Min: 58 mm
  • Optical Coatings: Fully Multi-Coated
  • ​Weight: 38 ounces (1077 g)
  • ​Prism Glass (Type): BaK-4
  • ​Twilight Factor: 21.16
  • ​Relative Brightness: 49
  • ​Waterproof: Yes
  • Tripod Adaptable: Yes

CELESTRON Skymaster Binoculars Video Review


It is made to be mounted on a tripod and I find this handy when zooming over great distances. The CELESTRON SKYMASTER 8x56 can be bought from its official website for between 170 dollars to approximately 180 dollars.

5 - CELESTRON Nature DX 12x56 Binoculars

>>>View CELESTRON Nature DX 12x56 Binoculars here<<<

This was the first pair of binoculars I ever purchased. They are a great way to enter the world of optics according to the sales rep I found at the store and I agree totally. They are powerful and have a large objective lens. They promised to be very good on paper and honestly when I used them, they exceeded my expectations. I used them for watching the wildebeest migration and I was early but despite the low light conditions, I was able to see clearly. They are fully multi coated and with the large objective lens, I was able to pick up animal movements from very far away. I was thoroughly Impressed by the quality of manufacture too. Honestly, this pair of binoculars almost trumped some of my fellow travelers' and they had to pay almost double for theirs.

Features

  • Magnification: 12 times
  • ​Objective Lens Diameter: 56 mm
  • ​Angular Field of View: 5.5 degrees
  • ​Linear Field of View: 289 feet at 1000yds
  • ​Exit Pupil: 4.6 mm
  • ​Eye Relief: 16 mm
  • ​Close Focus: 9.8 feet
  • ​Optical Coatings: Fully Multi-Coated
  • ​Prism Coatings: Phase Coated
  • Prism Glass (Type): BaK-4
  • Twilight Factor: 25.9
  • ​Relative Brightness: 21.16
  • ​Waterproof: Yes
  • ​Nitrogen Filled (Fogproof): Yes
  • ​Interpupillary Distance: 56 to 74 mm
  • ​Diopter Compensation: +/- 3
  • ​Tripod Adaptable: Yes
  • ​Weight: 36.2 ounces (1028 grams)
  • Size (LxWxH): 165mm x 146mm x 65mm

The CELESTRON Nature DX 12x56 is an awesome pair of binoculars to start off with. It is a very good bargain as it provides impressive features from more expensive binoculars but doesn't cost as much. I would recommend getting it for any beginner. The CELESTRON Nature DX 12x56 binoculars can be purchased from the product's official website and from Amazon or other online stores for between 180 dollars and just over 200 dollars.

Conclusion


I have used these products for a very long time and every time I need a new pair of binoculars, there are very many products from different manufacturers that I have to consider. I suggest building up your own personal preferences and using them to select the best binoculars for your needs. These were mine and as you may have seen, there is no clear winner as the best one although each one outshines the others in one area or the other.


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