Binoculars aren't like light-switches - you must practice to use them well (1 Viewer)

Thank you for starting this thread Terry. I have enjoyed in half an hour 3 years or so of debate. Not sure I'm going to be buying x16 at the end of it but I am sure that I will be using my binoculars more efficiently.

I have a pair of binoculars that are far older than me (no need for anyone to persue this please) and they seem to be as good optically as anything up to £400 that I have had the opportunity to test. Where they obviously fail to match up is with depth of field - but I hope better technique as described at the beginning of the thread will help.


Finally - I particularly enjoyed #49 - had a good laugh with (not at) the contributor there. I look forward to the day I can go out and treat myself like that !

Best wishes.

Mr Arkwright said:

I have enjoyed in half an hour 3 years or so of debate. Not sure I'm going to be buying x16 at the end of it but I am sure that I will be using my binoculars more efficiently.

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Good to hear - that was why I started this thread.

The quality of binoculars are essential for bird watching. I find digital camera binoculars are perfect as they combine both a digital camera and a pair of binoculars allowing you to take photos of birds at distance.
I found this site to be useful, and gave a few good pointers when choosing digital camera binoculars for bird watching. http://www.best-binoculars.org/Digital Camera Binoculars.html

Maybe too late to jump here....
My curiosity leads to ask how you mates hold your binoculars.
I mean the position of the arms, angle of elbows, grip on bin with fingers...something like that
http://www.astunit.com/tonkinsastro/binoculars/binhold.htm

TIA

One tip I've been told is to move right to left when scanning a tree or shoreline. This was a trick used by WWII plane spotters. The theory is that as we read left to right, the brain is more likely to pick up something unusual by moving in the opposite direction.

I have NO IDEA if it works but it's a sound theory.

JeffMoh said:

Another useful piece of advice was to bring the binos into focus and to stop there, rather than to go back and forth searching for the sharpest view. Apparently tests with cameras have shown that the best focus is normally the first one that your eyes see as really sharp; from that point, going back and forth to optimize the focus tends to result in a less sharp focus.

Jeff

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Like the sound of this, I'm terrible for the back and forth type focussing. Will give this a try next time I'm out.

Perry

Thanks StokeOwl
I'll give it a try ASAP

daberti said:

Maybe too late to jump here....
My curiosity leads to ask how you mates hold your binoculars.
I mean the position of the arms, angle of elbows, grip on bin with fingers...something like that
http://www.astunit.com/tonkinsastro/binoculars/binhold.htm

TIA

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Very cool link - thank you!
I normally use position 1 (the WRONG way) But the next time I need to do some extended viewing from a stationary position - like watching shorebirds across a lake or a kettle of distant raptors - I will try position 3 with the rifle sling stability. It sounds like it will definitely help.

StokeOwl said:

One tip I've been told is to move right to left when scanning a tree or shoreline. This was a trick used by WWII plane spotters. The theory is that as we read left to right, the brain is more likely to pick up something unusual by moving in the opposite direction.

I have NO IDEA if it works but it's a sound theory.

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Its highly effective at Porthgwarra as the birds are almost always passing left to right, so scanning the opposite way increases apparent movement and highlights birds.

So for seawatching I would suggest scanning opposite to general passing direction rather than specifically right to left. Anyway, what are Hebrew or Japanese scholars supposed to do according to the theory?

John

I have tried both 10X to 6X and have always felt that the best binos are between 7-8X, but its refreshing to heard that you can with practice learn to use pairs as high as 16x. I own a pair of Nikon Monarchs 8x36 and could not be more happy. They are prefect if you are traveling, or enjoy birding while wilderness backpacking. They are lightweight, and the image is clear and bright (i even had somebody be disappointed that he spent so much money on his Swarovski 8x30's after he looked through a pair of monarchs). I plan on purchasing a higher magnification sometime but currently cant justify the expenditure.

For practice with "binocular skills" though I always used to play this game with fellow birders at a feild site I was working at. A bunch of people would locate an individual swallow or a swift and follow it with our binoculars untill we lost sight of it. Whoever kept it in there site long enough one. Towards the end of the field season we were having a full on tournament.

Terry your choice of 16x bins interests me greatly. I am a novice birder, got in to it late in life. I was born with congenital cataracts, probably never checked for or corrected in the early 50’s. I can’t handle glare or very bright light and always have to wear a cap when birding and drive with the sun shield down, can’t see colours clearly with a bright background. I purchased a pair of Nikon action X 8x40 early this year, revues were good and I thought they would be OK until I knew exactly what was best for me. I wish I hadn’t bought them. I can not get close enough to see clearly with them and identification is always a guess. Friends have looked through them and say they are superb, but I am struggling. I bought some 12x50 no make from a boot/yard sale and looking through them I know they are rubbish but I can get closer and actually see more of the bird. I am a big strong guy and holding the 12x steady is no problem. So I am thinking, with my eye problems a pair of 16x50 good quality might not be a bad idea along with the Nikons. I know a scope is the next step and intend to buy one when I have looked through as many as possible at forthcoming field days at nature reserves. I figure it’s a trade of for me, 8x is very bright and a wide field of view makes a lovely picture but I can’t see the bird? So I need to be closer and don’t care about the weight. What 16x do you use Terry, what would you recommend? I am not foolish enough to buy before I try but a pair of 8X over one shoulder and a pair of 16X over the other may not be a bad thing for me. I know I am inexperienced and may be thinking along the wrong lines but if you can’t see you need all the help you can get. Regards to you all, Dave.