Binocular Buying Guide

We specialize in Nikon,  Vortex,  Swarovski, and Zeiss birding binoculars, with many models standard in stock. Special orders are available, deposit is required. We price match Canadian online and brick-motor stores (including any shipping charges). ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

Start the process of picking the best binoculars for your needs & budget by reviewing our buying guide below. Sort the table by the category most important to you, whether it be brand, price or size (see more about that in our tips section below). Reset the table by refreshing the page.

….. Or give us a call at 780-439-7333. We’ll help narrow down your selection & set up an appointment for you to try a few models out. Please call to discuss spotting scopes.

[table “06-15-2021” not found /]

Tips for choosing the best binoculars for your needs & budget:

The first number (eg. 8x) is the magnification power. As the magnification increases the size of the subject (eg. bird) increases. 10x power magnification helps you see a subject that is further away.

The second number (eg. 42) is a measurement (in mm) of the diameter of the objective glass (aka the front piece opposite your eyes). As the size of the objective piece increases, the binoculars will gather more light which is better in dimmer conditions.

The most common choice for birding is 8×42 (“Standard” in the above table).

Why not just get a pair of super high power binoculars with huge objective lens?

Like anything in physics, there are trade-offs. As magnification increases, the field of view becomes narrower, leading to difficulty in image stabilization making it harder to follow little birds in flight. Also, as the magnification increases, the binoculars will gather less light and the field becomes darker, making it harder to distinguish colours.

As for the objective size, as it increases the binoculars will tend to get heavy and harder to hand hold. (Glass is actually quite heavy). The cost also tends to climb significantly with larger objectives.

All of this means that 8×42 is usually the optimum for bird watching. But…. there’s always a “but”.
Going to 10x power is fine too and is somewhat better for longer distance birds like shorebirds.
Larger objectives can be good for use in low light, so long as they don’t get too heavy.

Objectives of 21 or 25 are considered “Compact” and good for small hands, perfect for travel and concerts/events, but quality glass is again expensive.

*A special note on the Pentax Papilio II 8.5 x 21: This optic has a close focus of 0.5m, making it perfect for botanists & bug lovers.

The approach we usually suggest is to start by testing an 8×42 in your budget, and then adjust size and magnification (if need be) to best suit your specific needs. We will be more than happy to walk you through all the choices so that you get the BEST optic for YOU.