A Simple Guide to Buying Binoculars

OK, let’s face it, with over 350 binoculars and night vision to choose from alone on our website, the biggest question that always comes to mind is “Which binoculars should I buy ?” Answer some of these questions first and you may be surprised how easy it is, take a piece of paper and write this down:

  • What is my budget?
  • What do I need them for?
  • What size binocular do I want? (small compact binoculars for traveling and sports, or maybe a Mid-Size binocular for hunting and birding, or could it be I need a full size binocular for low light conditions and nighttime viewing …) Think about this because it really becomes a big part in your decision.

One thing that should relieve you a bit is that in the optics industry you generally get what you pay for and as the price goes up so does the quality. Compare it to a camera, if you buy a $10 throwaway camera you won’t get the same results as with a $1,000 35mm camera. Glass is glass, and the more refined the glass is the better the viewing experience. Now what happens to the glass and the manufacturing process along with numerous other details that go into the building and designing of the binocular will generally determine the price.

  • Waterproof / Fogproof / Nitrogen purged binoculars
  • Lens Coatings, single, multicoated, fully coated, etc.
  • Number Of Glass Elements
  • Quality of glass refining
  • Light Transmission
  • Prisms and Coatings

All of these bells and whistles add to the price tag as well as the quality of the binocular. So now that we have clarified that a bit, the next question is how do I choose the best for my money?

This is where it may get a bit more tricky, but not too confusing.

At OpticsPlanet we have built our site with a catalog that defines most needs. You’ll notice that we have broken down the shopping choices under into categories based on different uses or by price as well as by manufacturer if you already know what you may want.

This alone may not simplify it enough so the best method our customer service reps do is ask the callers what they generally will be using the binoculars for. Someone who goes to the theater and needs theater glasses will have an entirely different catalog of binoculars to choose from then someone who is an astronomer who views the nightlife in the sky. A boater will have different needs then a sports fan who needs binoculars for the cheap seats they bought.

So read through a bit in our binoculars buying guide and hopefully you will walk away with a bit more of an understanding of what your best choices are for buying and reviewing binoculars before you make your purchase.

Happy Viewing!