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Do you prefer a Binocular or Camera? (1 Viewer)

I see binoculars as the main tool birders use to enjoy their hobby. A birder without binoculars is like an amateur astronomer without a telescope. How can you see the feather details of a bird without them? How about behavior?

There is a term for those who prefer to go outside with a camera and rarely use binoculars -- they are called bird photographers, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

To be really good at both at the same time is exceptional.

Carlos
 
Camera every time for me, in fact my binoculars are used for watching the back garden 99.99% of the time.

A bit of fieldcraft, patience and stealth gets me easily as close as a pair of binoculars and feels more exciting. I've been sneaking up on fish for years so it just seems natural to me to watch birds the same way.

If the "proper birders" I saw today over a local site are typical (striding and marching purposefully around the site in bright coloured jumpers bellowing "Have you seen the **** ***** yet" at each other like it was the only bird in the world) then I pray to god I always stay just "someone with a camera"

Just my rookie opinion though, what do I know :-C
 
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Jos Stratford said:
Arrogance.

There is no definiton of what is needed to be a 'birder'. If they enjoy going out and watching birds, so be it, why denigrade them as having no hope, just being 'someone with a camera', same people, etc.

There is no required route necessary to enjoy the hobby, if photographing gives you the kicks, go out and do it first. If you prefer observing, get the binoculars first.

And before digital cameras, there werre still plenty of birders who were quite happy to criticise 'lesser' birders as lacking somewhat in the necessary skills, not doing their 'apprenticeship', etc, etc.
Click to expand...

:clap: What he said...
 
I'm firmly in the Bino camp. It's more birders/photography. Watch the moment or work to get the shot to keep forever?
Birders tend to watch birds and photograph second. Although it is 'labelling' categories and trying to put people into groups but...
I see it that both groups watch birds. Photographers take cameras to picture it, birders take bins to watch. A lot of people do both, including me (with my little point and click digital) but I would always take bins. They are a tool for watching the birds. A camera is a tool to photograph them.
 
I'm not saying you can't be a birder without binoculars, but they are a tool used for birders, who are aiming to watch. Cameras are for photographers. Many people are both
 
Keebs said:
Camera every time for me, in fact my binoculars are used for watching the back garden 99.99% of the time.

A bit of fieldcraft, patience and stealth gets me easily as close as a pair of binoculars and feels more exciting. I've been sneaking up on fish for years so it just seems natural to me to watch birds the same way.

If the "proper birders" I saw today over a local site are typical (striding and marching purposefully around the site in bright coloured jumpers bellowing "Have you seen the **** ***** yet" at each other like it was the only bird in the world) then I pray to god I always stay just "someone with a camera"

Just my rookie opinion though, what do I know :-C
Click to expand...

:clap: ...what he said...great description of birders too...:t:


EDIT: Answering the question, in a situation where you could only pick one piece of equipment, would you not be able to 'watch' a bird using the optical viewfinder on a camera. Plus you'd be able to photograph it at the same time. 2-in-1 really...
 
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I really need both

Bins first and then a digital shot

Walking around - I always carry my 7 x 42's ....sometimes with my 10 x 40's or 8 x 32's - depending on where I am going and the light - and 80% of my time with my D300 with a 70 300mm zoom or now 300mm f4

Out shopping with my wife it's just the Leitz 8 x 32 Trinovids

But I'm a newbie so I need lots of help
 
Andy Hall said:
Always keep a spare set of batteries! :)
Click to expand...

I'm going to have that tattooed on the inside of my eyelids. I've lost count of the times I've been in the position for a really good shot ( after checking through my trusty, indespensable, obligatory bins first :t: ) only to find the batteries are flat as a pancake. :-C

Chris
 
follownoone said:
The ideal for me would be; me spotting and a camera birder friend taking pics.
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I recently went out bird watching with my son who is home for a visit. I would spot the bird and he would take the picture. It was GREAT!

BillN said:
Walking around - I always carry my 7 x 42's ....sometimes with my 10 x 40's or 8 x 32's - depending on where I am going and the light - and 80% of my time with my D300 with a 70 300mm zoom or now 300mm f4

Out shopping with my wife it's just the Leitz 8 x 32 Trinovids
Click to expand...

Now this is an excellent idea. Please don't tell my husband I'm thinking of it, or he'll put a lock on the bank account. Ha!

I personally would choose my binoculars. I like the challenge of the hunt, the identification, and the pure pleasure of watching the bird.

I can spend hours just on one bird, no matter how rare or common it is.

And I think there is room in our hobby for both binoculars and camera and we should have the attitude of 'each to his own'. The question was bins or camera, and we should respect the answers of the individual without feeling we have to judge. :t:
 
Not that it matters one bit....I dont think there is any doubt that the 'better' birders are the ones that habitually use binoculars rather than a camera. If your objective is to become a better birder I would recommend going down the observation/bins/field notes route. If you just want to be able to identify what you've taken pictures of then the camera is fine.
 
If I had to choose, it would definitely be the binoculars. I often take a camera when I'm out birding, but it normally stays in the bag until I feel something really warrants taking a picture of, whereas the binoculars are always out and ready to use.
 
People are, of course, at liberty to enjoy birds/birdwatching in whatever manner they wish and using whatever tools they find compatible with their objectives. (Subject, of course, to the laws on the protection of wildlife, etc.) If it's their objective to take photos to enjoy at leisure when they wish then that's fine by me (although I'd suggest that they might get still more out of their hobby if they also knew what they were looking at). If it's their objective to improve their ability to identify birds in the field then I'd suggest leaving the camera at home now and again to concentrate on ID skills. Being overdependent on a camera as a modus operandi by which you get to know or identify birds can actually get in the way. So, in an ideal world it shouldn't be 'either/or' but 'both',
 
John Cantelo said:
People are, of course, at liberty to enjoy birds/birdwatching in whatever manner they wish and using whatever tools they find compatible with their objectives. (Subject, of course, to the laws on the protection of wildlife, etc.) If it's their objective to take photos to enjoy at leisure when they wish then that's fine by me (although I'd suggest that they might get still more out of their hobby if they also knew what they were looking at). If it's their objective to improve their ability to identify birds in the field then I'd suggest leaving the camera at home now and again to concentrate on ID skills. Being overdependent on a camera as a modus operandi by which you get to know or identify birds can actually get in the way. So, in an ideal world it shouldn't be 'either/or' but 'both',
Click to expand...
Actually this is an ideal world and with cheap Chinese bins and p&s or bridge cameras no real excuse for not having both!!Sadly todays cracking opportunites for good close record shots of Ring Ouzel and Nightingales went begging 'cos the bridge was at home!!
Russ
 
I usually choose binoculars, even though I came into birdwatching decades after I became interested in photography. I find it easier to get onto birds zipping about in bushes with bins and even when I've got the camera with me and out around my neck I'll usually have the bins around my neck too (will be bent double when I'm older I reckon!). I've used the camera for looking at birds before but I find it's nothing like as good as a modest pair of bins.

If I go to photograph birds I find I'll usually take some photos so I've got something 'in the bag' and then pause for a while just to watch the bird/animal before maybe taking some more. It's not really an either/or situation and I remember very fondly spending a couple of hours in a hide at Cley where I spent a little time taking photos (including by far the closest ones I've managed of a gorgeous Redshank just outside the hide) and long periods just watching the comings and goings. Doing that on a quiet day with no-one else around to disturb is wonderful, even with a freezing wind blowing through the hide. Very relaxing!
 
Bins

I don't have a super great camera for nature photography, and what's more it's a pretty vital piece of research equipment so I don't like risking it when I don't have to. I also find that I am a crap photographer, and have trouble enjoying the bird if I am too busy trying to get a good shot.
 
The problem with using a camera for bird field identification is that for some obscure reason the manufacturers all seem to optimize the viewfinder for framing and focusing photographs.

Tongue back out of my cheek, binoculars, at least in my experience, are vastly superior to a camera with telephoto lens for purposes of field identification. (Mine are really awful at taking photographs, though.) Since I am primarily a birder (or perhaps a (very) amature Ornithologist), I tend to see the purpose of photography as documenting a sighting, so I carry a superzoom bridge camera (with a TC atttachment until I can persuade my wife to allow me to upgrade to a SX-40) with isn't terribly good for serious photography but produces quite adequate documentary shots.

Will
 
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