Birds In Your Backyard

This is part two of our short series on buying birdwatching binoculars.  This part covers the research of possible binoculars.  To see part one, which covered defining our needs and budget, click here.

Doing The Research

Once Pam and I decided what we wanted and how much we were able to spend I began to do the research to help us narrow the field.  Luckily there is a lot of information online that is very helpful.  Here is a list of the resources I used:

Cornell Lab Of Ornithology Binocular Review - The Lab Of Ornithology at Cornell University is one of the best resources available for birdwatchers.  They have an extensive site with all kinds of information.  In 2005 they published a review of birdwatching binoculars that has some great information on choosing the right binocular as well as reviews of all kinds of binoculars in different price ranges.

Binoculars.com- Binoculars.com is one of the largest online sources for quality binoculars and other optics.  Many of the product links on this site point to them because they have a large selection and very good prices. They also have a lot of information on how binoculars work and picking the best binocular for you.  There is even a series of videos explaining different concepts.  Click here to go  to their learning center.

Bird Forums- This is one of the largest online communities dedicated to all things birdwatching.  They have a Binoculars forum that has a lot of information in it on specific brands of binoculars.

The Choices

After visiting these sites plus a few others I came up with a “short list” of possible binoculars based on the factors we were looking for.  Your list might be completely different based on your needs and budget.

Nikon Monarch- This is one of the highest rated binoculars in the Cornell Labs article as well as on many other sites.  It has good eye relief and lists at $430 but is available for $250-$290.

Vortex Diamondback also Stokes Talon- This is one I came across in my research.  Many people seem to like it and it gets good reviews.  Eye relief is fine, it has a wide field of view, and the price is right at $200.

Bushnell Excursion- This is another binocular that people seem to like.  It has a nice wide field of view and good eye relief.  The price is good as well, right at $160 or so.

Vortex Fury- The Vortex Fury is at the very high end, actually over, our range at $350 but people seem to really like it.  It could be an option if we get one less expensive and one higher priced pair.

Pentax DCF HRc- This is right at $300 but is spoken of highly in the research I did.  The field of view is not as large as some of the others.

Minox BV 8×42 BR- The MInox is right at $290 but has good reviews, and a decent field of view.

Celestron Noble- The Celestron was well received in the Cornell Labs review.  It is $175-$250 most places.

Now that I’ve got my candidates I need to make my decision.  Stay tuned for the next part of the series to see what we ended up going with.