Birding Optics

Binoculars and Scopes

Birding Optics

Michael and Diane Porter are avid birdwatchers. They've been reviewing binoculars and spotting scopes since 1993. See their new review of high-end binoculars, from the September, 2008, issue of Bird Watcher's Digest.

They've surveyed hundreds of binoculars and scopes, testing them for optical qualities and noting the fit-and-feel characteristics of each instrument. In each survey, a team of Iowa birders helped by trying out the optics and contributing their considered opinions.

Some of their articles and reviews are posted here.

SPOTTING SCOPES

Which Camera?
A reader writes: "I want to get into digiscoping. My problem is that I don't know which camera to get to go with a particular scope and digital camera adapter." Here are some suggestions.

Backpackable Spotting Scope (2007)
New miniature scope from Nikon gives full-size images of great clarity and brightness.

Birding Scopes: Angled or Straight (2005) lays out the advantages of angled scopes for birders.

What's New in Birding Scopes? From the March, 2003, Bird Watcher's Digest survey, "Taking a Complete Look at Scopes," by Michael and Diane Porter.

Scope Basics: How to Choose the Scope That's Right for You (2000) explains obective lens, eyepiece erecting prisms, aperture, magnification, eye relief, chromatic aberration, birding vs. astronomical scopes, and aiming devices. Scopes have changed since this peice was written, but the principles of picking a scope have not!

The First Telescope: a Historical Note tells how the telescope was invented, and what was the first thing anyone ever saw through a telescope.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

The Zen Art of Aiming points a birder in the right direction to find the bird in the binoculars.

Binocular Glossary defines binocular parts, and anti-phase-shifting coatings and explains "what does 7x42 mean?"

Warranties on Binoculars (2000) with the results of our informal survey of how well various manufacturers treated binocular owners when they sent their optics in for repair. Also explains what gray market goods are.

Some of these articles appear exclusively on the Birdwatching Dot Com webite. Others These are republished here with permission of Bird Watcher's Digest. Many have been updated since original publication.

BIRDERS & THEIR OPTICS

Jeffery Anderson looks pretty happy with his new Swarovski ELs and ATM-80 HD spotting scope.

Chris is smiling too. Maybe it has something to do with the Vortex Viper binocular her husband Rudy gave her.

ADVICE

Binocular Advisor
Questions from real people about which binoculars to buy, and Michael and Diane's suggestions.

Scopes Advisor
Michael and Diane answer questions and offer specific advice on which scope to buy.

BINOCULARS

LATEST ARTICLE

The Tripod Advisor
(March, 2010. A Birdwatching Dot Com exclusive)
What do I need in the way of a tripod to support my new spotting scope? Michael and Diane make brand-naming recommendations for the best tripods to complete your scope outfit.

High-end Spotting Scopes Review
(November, 2009, issue of Bird Watcher's Digest)
by Michael and Diane Porter
For this review, we surveyed 12 full-sized birding scopes, sent to us by manufacturers as their top-of-the-line scopes. The five or six best scopes in the world are included in this survey.

Mid-priced Spotting Scopes Round Up
(May, 2009, issue of Bird Watcher's Digest)
by Michael and Diane Porter
With the economic downturn, and with the price of top-end spotting scopes heading north of $3000, many birders are looking for something that fits a modest budget. This article reports our testing of 12 scopes priced under $900. Some were full sized and others were small scopes.

A Question of Alignment
(A Birdwatching Dot Com special)
by Michael and Diane Porter
If your binoculars are not fun to look through, if they give you a feeling of strain or a headache, they may be out of alignment. Here's how you can test your binoculars for alignment.

High-end Binocular Round Up
(September, 2008, issue of Bird Watcher's Digest)
by Michael and Diane Porter
What is the best birding binocular in the world? We studied 31 high-end binoculars, with prices btween $750 and $2095. Here's what we found out.

Midpriced Binocular Round Up
(November, 2007, issue of Bird Watcher's Digest)
by Michael and Diane Porter
If you are a birder with between $300 and $800 to spend on a new binocular, what can you get? Our team evaluated 56 mid-priced binoculars, from $300 to $80o. Here are the team's findings.

Binocular Picks for Every Price Range
(Updated Feb. 22, 2009)
by Michael and Diane Porter. Looking for an optical gift? Generally, the better the binocular, the more it costs. But there are good values in every price range. Here are Michael and Diane Porter's picks for the best binoculars at various prices.

10 Myths of Birding Optics (September, 2006)
by Michael and Diane Porter. Every subject has its myths, misconceptions, and urban legends. They spread and persist like gossip but are even more unreliable. Here's a little light on the the subject.

Eye Relief (December, 2006)
Getting to see the big picture ...People who wear glasses can get cheated out of part of the image they should be seeing through their binoculars.

Adjusting Your Binoculars (October, 2006)
If you don't know about the diopter adjustment on your binocular, read this short article. It will show you how to see more clearly with the binocular you already own.

Diopter Locking Mechanisms (November, 2006)
If you don't know about the diopter adjustment on your binocular, read this short article. It will show you how to see more clearly with the binocular you already own.

Mid-sized Binoculars (2005)
by Michael and Diane Porter. An overview of the new mid-sized (32mm) binoculars. Who they work well for. Which manufacturers are giving their mid-sized binoculars enough eye relief. Hand-on reviews. From January, 2005, Bird Watcher's Digest.

Why Get Pocket Binoculars? (2002) Here are the advantages and limitations of pocket optics, what features to look for, and which small optics the team liked best.

Advances in Full-sized Binoculars (2000) covers improvements in eyecups, skin-friendly coverings, lens caps, locking diopter adjustments, the weighty matater of weight, and close focus.

Birding Binoculars and How They Work explains Porro prism vs. roof prisms, coatings, binocular power and light, field of view, eye relief, comparing and choosing binoculars, and the future of birding optics.

Comparing Birding Binoculars (1995), one of Michael and Diane's first optical reviews for Bird Watcher's Digest, contains still-useful advice about how to pick the binocular that is right for you.