We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More \u203a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Serious bird-watchers, whose hard-earned life lists and ability to quickly and accurately identify specific species give them standing in the birding community, don\u2019t suffer sub-standard binoculars. They require optical clarity, peripheral crispness, precise focusing, and overall durability of their binoculars for bird watching. After all, the spot of a lifetime might come at last light, when you\u2019re facing directly into the sun, or after a long, eye-straining day, and that\u2019s when a premium pair of binoculars will make a difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n We tested the best bird watching binoculars in the field and with resolution testing to help serious birders and new enthusiasts find their next optic. Here are our picks.<\/p>\n Our test\u00a0is divided\u00a0into field evaluations and measurable objective assessments.\u00a0For the field test,\u00a0we gave the binoculars to a group of experienced birders as they participated in the annual\u00a0Audubon Nebraska Crane Festival<\/a>\u00a0in Kearney, Nebraska.\u00a0The birders used the optics to view thousands of sandhill cranes\u00a0along with\u00a0millions of snow geese and other migrating waterfowl. The crew also participated in a\u00a0prairie chicken lek<\/a>\u00a0viewing\u00a0that took place\u00a0in the feeble light of dawn and at relatively close distances.<\/p>\n Once\u00a0the binoculars for bird watching were returned, we put submissions through the same criteria we use in Outdoor Life<\/em>\u2019s\u00a0annual optics test where we decide on the best binoculars<\/a> of the year. First, we measure optical\u00a0resolution,\u00a0using the diminishing black-and-white lines of a\u00a01951 Air Force Resolution Target<\/a>\u00a0to score the optical performance of each submission. We also measure the low-light performance of each binocular by mounting them to tripods and focusing them as a group at 200 yards at a black-and-white resolution target at twilight, all\u00a0in order to\u00a0measure the brightness of the glass, an\u00a0important\u00a0consideration for birders looking for crepuscular species.<\/p>\n We break our 10-point scoring into four general categories: optical performance, mechanical performance, design, and value. The average of these categories is the basis of our grades, detailed below.<\/p>\n Optical performance includes the resolution and low-light tests plus the more subjective\u00a0assessments of\u00a0image quality and brightness.\u00a0Mechanical performance assesses the durability of the submission along with its controls: focus and diopter controls, eyecup extension\u00a0and\u00a0comfort.\u00a0Design\u00a0considers the exterior finish, interior blacking, tripod mount,\u00a0and\u00a0its innovation and versatility\u00a0along\u00a0with\u00a0its comfort.\u00a0We ask testers to evaluate this critical question: How long could you glass with this binocular?\u00a0And,\u00a0for the specific use of viewing birds, we ask testers to consider their attributes for birding, including ease of deployment, focus, field of view, and durability in\u00a0a variety of\u00a0conditions.<\/p>\n And then our price\/value score rates how\u00a0much optic\u00a0\u2014 along with warranty and amenities such as carrying case or harness \u2014 you get for your money.<\/p>\n Our 10-point evaluation adds up to a total numeric score, but we translate those to grades for each binocular.\u00a0The optical performance grade combines the\u00a0scores from\u00a0resolution,\u00a0low-light, image, and brightness.\u00a0Our mechanical performance grade aggregates the mechanics and durability score. The design grade considers construction, innovation, versatility, and comfort.\u00a0And then\u00a0the\u00a0price\u00a0grade is our value grade.<\/p>\n To earn an excellent grade, the average of that category must be\u00a09\u00a0or higher, which is extremely hard to achieve. Very good is an average score of 7 to 9. A good grade is 5 to 7. Our fair grade is 3 to 25, and poor is anything under 3.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> Score Card<\/strong><\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Zeiss brings two\u00a0very\u00a0appealing value propositions to this handy binocular that\u2019s purpose-built for birders. First is its extremely\u00a0light weight. The 1.5-pound build makes them the lightest premium\u00a0binocular\u00a0for bird watching on the market, and the weight\u00a0is further lifted\u00a0when the optic\u00a0is deployed\u00a0with a bouncy neoprene neck strap.<\/p>\n To put a fine point on the design, it\u2019s intended to appeal to frailing birders\u00a0who are\u00a0looking for alternatives to the heft of premium\u00a0optics,\u00a0but\u00a0who\u00a0still demand best-in-glass glass.<\/p>\n Andrew McKean<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The second attribute is the oversized focus wheel, which can riff from\u00a0an extremely\u00a0tight close focus of 4.9 feet out to infinity in just 1.4\u00a0rotations of the wheel.\u00a0That\u2019s a\u00a0huge\u00a0asset for birders, who use their optics to pick apart various distances,\u00a0and\u00a0who\u00a0often\u00a0are drilling\u00a0in on small birds in tight cover one moment and then\u00a0extending\u00a0their reach to view distant birds on the wing the next.\u00a0The focus wheel, sized to be used with smaller hands, moves as though it rides on ball-bearing tracks, so smooth and fluid is its travel.<\/p>\n The Zeiss SFL \u2014 the name stands for SmartFocusLightweight \u2014 is one of the most ergonomic binoculars in the field, its balance and grip enhanced by its open-bridge design.\u00a0Its weight and open-barrel design make single-hand operation easy, and testers\u00a0had high\u00a0praise\u00a0for\u00a0the binocular\u2019s tapered eyecups\u00a0that\u00a0are unexpectedly comfortable to use for extended periods.<\/p>\n The $1,500 SFL scored near the\u00a0top of the field\u00a0on our price\/value consideration. You\u2019ll pay north of $3,000 for Swarovski\u2019s excellent NL Pure or\u00a0for\u00a0Leica\u2019s stunning Noctovid. Zeiss, too, asks $3,000 for its marvelous Victory SF\u00a0binocular.\u00a0So\u00a0to\u00a0find\u00a0a binocular for bird watching that performs nearly on par with those flagship models\u00a0for\u00a0half the price is worth talking about.<\/p>\n Zeiss saves some money on its SFL model by importing this model from Japan; most of its premium optics\u00a0are made\u00a0in either Germany or Portugal.\u00a0And\u00a0it has found\u00a0some\u00a0additional savings in glass by using thinner lenses than it uses in its SF line. Those slimmer, more precisely ground lenses also allow the SFL to shave nearly half a pound from the SF in the same configuration.<\/p>\n But the image delivered by those halfling lenses is nearly as sharp and vibrant as those of Zeiss\u2019s other premium binoculars. The SFL posted one of the top resolution scores at this year\u2019s optics test, and testers raved about the vibrant image with rich contrast and stunning colors.\u00a0It lost points on disappointing low-light performance, which was\u00a0partly due to its diminutive 8\u00d740 configuration.<\/p>\n The reason the SFL is\u00a0here\u00a0in the top spot as a birding binocular is its field-worthy operation. Its focus is\u00a0fine\u00a0and precise, the\u00a0wide\u00a0field of view (420 feet at 1,000 yards) takes in an immense panorama, and its glass is\u00a0very good, though we must say\u00a0not\u00a0quite as good as that in Swarovski\u2019s NL Pure. Users found that they could glass all day behind the Zeiss,\u00a0which is\u00a0an\u00a0important\u00a0asset on destination birding\u00a0trips,\u00a0when you want to maximize your time sighting, identifying, and recording birds.<\/p>\n A\u00a0couple\u00a0testers wanted a bit more magnification from the Zeiss.\u00a0Happily,\u00a0there are SFLs in these configurations: 10\u00d740, 8\u00d730, and 10\u00d730.<\/p>\n Read Next<\/strong>: Swarovski AX Visio: The Most Advanced, and Controversial, Birding Binocular<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> Score Card<\/strong><\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Consider this an every person birding binocular. Priced accessibly at $400, the 8\u00d742 version of the C.1 gets pretty much everybody in the game with a durable optic that contains good glass and responsive controls.<\/p>\n Andrew McKean<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n It\u2019s a little unfair to compare this good binocular with some\u00a0of the\u00a0premium optics on the market, in the shape of the Zeiss, Leica, and Swarovski. But it\u2019s also unfair to the Maven to call it an entry-level binocular for bird watching. The C.1 is better than\u00a0you\u2019d expect, given its accessible price.<\/p>\n The heart of the C.1,\u00a0which represents\u00a0the brand\u2019s mid-level optic, is\u00a0very good\u00a0extra-low dispersion glass in the objective lenses and decent glass elsewhere. Coatings and overall handling are\u00a0very good, and testers especially like the highly textured oversized focus wheel that riffs from close focus (5.9 feet) to infinity with about two revolutions.<\/p>\n But the test team was divided on the handling of the C.1. Some\u00a0like\u00a0the heft and square build of the binocular, but others\u00a0thought the eyecups\u00a0are\u00a0too square to fit many eye sockets, and the angular frame didn\u2019t easily slip into and out of binocular harnesses.\u00a0If the 8\u00d742 version isn\u2019t quite for you, Maven offers the C.1 in 10\u00d742 ($425) and 12\u00d742 ($450).<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> Score Card<\/strong><\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Swarovski\u2019s NL Pure might well be the best binocular for bird watching if price isn\u2019t a concern. The wasp-bodied curves of its shapely barrels grip your hands, creating\u00a0a rock-solid\u00a0support for glassing with even the 12-power model. The field-flattener lenses create a picture-window view of the world. And the immense field of view \u2014 among the widest in the business \u2014 gives birders a lot to look at.<\/p>\n Andrew McKean<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n As might be expected, Swarovski brings its best class of glass \u2014 a fluorite recipe that tames aberrant light and intensifies colors and depth \u2014 to the NL Pure. But if the stunning image gets your attention, the mannerly controls keep you glassing. The oversized focus wheel turns\u00a0with precision, and the eyecups fit most brows comfortably. In short, it\u2019s a joy to use for extended periods,\u00a0which is\u00a0one of the best things you can say of a binocular at any price.<\/p>\n But\u00a0our\u00a0testers reported two shortcomings.\u00a0First is the magnification. The only evaluation model we had, a 12-power, was a bit too powerful for our testers, who said either 8- or 10-power models are better for their style of birding, which puts a premium on hiking, then using a wide field of view to take in panoramic sweeps of terrain and vegetation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 12-power was a bit much\u00a0to quickly find and focus close-up objects,\u201d noted tester Woody Baxter.<\/p>\n Testers also noted that it\u2019s not easy to mount the NL Pure to a tripod, though\u00a0they appreciated the availability of Swarovski\u2019s optional forehead rest that supposedly reduces hand-induced shake for extended glassing sessions.<\/p>\n It should be noted\u00a0that the NL Pure comes in a configuration to suit just about any need or preference, from 8\u00d732 to 8\u00d742, 10\u00d732, and 10\u00d742\u00a0in\u00a0addition to our 12\u00d742 version.<\/p>\n Our testers aren\u2019t particularly dissuaded by the high price of premium binoculars, but they noted that the $3,549 retail for the 12\u00d742 Swaros is pretty stratospheric.\u00a0That detail alone kept the\u00a0otherwise\u00a0excellent NL Pure from grabbing the best birding binocular accolade.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> Score Card<\/strong><\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n This eight-power version of an\u00a0OL\u00a0<\/em>optics test crew favorite\u00a010\u00d742, was a top pick among the\u00a0bird watching\u00a0testers. This 8\u00d742 hits the sweet spot between premium glass, a trim chassis,\u00a0all-day\u00a0comfort, and at around $1,000 street pricing, relative affordability for the category.<\/p>\n Andrew McKean<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Like other models in the test\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the Zeiss SFL and Swarovski NL Pure\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the Vortex has big, grippy barrels and an oversized focus wheel that\u2019s easy to deploy with a single hand and which ramps between close focus (6 feet) and infinity. The eyecups are thin and tapered to fit smaller faces, and the pull-to-turn locking diopter control is one of the best and most fluid\u00a0of all\u00a0submissions.<\/p>\n The class of glass that Vortex uses\u00a0in this Japan-made binocular is\u00a0very good.\u00a0It\u2019s one of the best examples of what the industry calls HD, or high-definition, glass. That\u2019s a relatively meaningless term, but Vortex claims to index-match the lenses\u00a0in order to\u00a0balance their performance, and the coatings further boost color fidelity and contrast.<\/p>\n Our birding evaluators were\u00a0a little\u00a0more critical of the $1,000 price tag than our past optics testers have been.<\/p>\n \u201cJust for the heck of it, I compared the Razor HD to my [Vortex] Diamondback HD, both in 8\u00d742, and at close distances, the Razor had slightly more clarity\u00a0but\u00a0at farther\u00a0distances\u00a0they seemed equal during most light conditions,\u201d reported tester Woody Baxter.\u00a0The Diamondback is a step down in Vortex\u2019s line in price and components. \u201cWhere the Razor HD was better was its controls, from its focus to its hinge tightness and its eyecups, and the Razor was noticeably brighter in low-light\u00a0conditions,\u201d as might be expected with its higher-level glass.<\/p>\n Vortex softens the $1,000 hit by including a premium GlassPak binocular case and harness with the Razor HD. And the company\u2019s legendary fully transferable lifetime warranty further makes the case for the Vortex not only as a capable companion on the birding\u00a0trail,\u00a0but as a good investment.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> Score Card<\/strong><\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n This\u00a0very capable\u00a0Steiner surprised the test team. The German brand has been designing its optics with what might be called Euro-tactical styling in the last few years. The HX, true to that design direction, looks like a B1 bomber, with swooping lines and a futuristic profile.<\/p>\n But inside that edge (and polycarbonate) chassis is a very good\u00a0binocular for bird watching,\u00a0with high-definition glass and excellent contrast-boosting coatings. One design element that hasn\u2019t changed over the last two decades is Steiner\u2019s distinctive bat-wing eyecups.\u00a0Our annual optics test team tends to roll its collective eyes over this feature, which we find gets in the\u00a0way,\u00a0and\u00a0even\u00a0when rolled\u00a0down\u00a0tends to pop back up at inopportune times.\u00a0But our panel of birders\u00a0absolutely\u00a0loved this feature.<\/p>\n Andrew McKean<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u201cThe eyecups allowed my eyes to\u00a0relax,\u00a0because they effectively block peripheral light,\u201d noted tester Terry Divoky. Fellow tester Woody Baxter offered that the eyecups posed no issue, but he did struggle with the floppy lens covers. Happily, the covers, which connect to the chassis through an innovative \u201cClic-Loc\u201d connection, can be removed.<\/p>\n Baxter noted that the HX bridge was a bit narrow for his large nose.<\/p>\n \u201cI graded\u00a0down\u00a0on comfortability because the\u00a0binocular\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0really\u00a0fit my face,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n But\u00a0optical resolution and low-light performance were both in the upper half of the loaded field, and testers liked the precision of the controls.\u00a0Weight is a little heavy; at 28\u00a0ounces\u00a0it\u2019s one of the heavier 10\u00d742 models in the test, but testers liked the 6-foot close focus and decent field of view.<\/p>\n The HX ships with a premium zippered\u00a0case,\u00a0neoprene\u00a0strap,\u00a0and is covered by Steiner\u2019s Heritage Warranty, which is fully transferable and valid for the\u00a0lifetime of the product.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> Score Card<\/strong><\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Externally, this\u00a0appears to be\u00a0a throwback optic, one\u00a0that dates from the high style of post-war Europe.\u00a0Its leather armor is tasteful and\u00a0talented,\u00a0in that it easily holds\u00a0even wet hands.\u00a0Its classic lines could win design awards for\u00a0tasteful, functional excellence. Like the little black dress of some fashion mavens, this binocular goes everywhere and goes with everything.<\/p>\n Andrew McKean<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n But you\u2019d be wrong to judge the Leica Trinovid only on its appearance. Under that elegant exterior and shapely aluminum chassis is Leica\u2019s excellent glass that makes images\u00a0vibrant,\u00a0and coatings that protect this investment from the elements.\u00a0Make no mistake,\u00a0it is an investment.\u00a0At nearly $1,500, it\u2019s an expensive binocular, especially in the unusual 7\u00d735 configuration.<\/p>\n We sent the Trinovid to Nebraska with our\u00a0birding-trail\u00a0evaluators, and they returned with mixed opinions.<\/p>\n \u201cI found the size too small for my hands. It was hard to grasp and a little uncomfortable,\u201d notes tester Woody Baxter, who prefers eight-power or 10-power binoculars for his birding purposes. \u201cThe eyecups were especially uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n But tester Terry Divoky said the seven-power magnification wasn\u2019t a turn-off. Instead, she noted that the\u00a0light weight\u00a0(20.8 ounces) of the Leica didn\u2019t settle in her hand.<\/p>\n All our birding contributors thought the best use of the Leica is as a travel binocular that they could deploy on impromptu birding opportunities. They gave it high marks on its design, portability, versatility, and overall styling.<\/p>\nHow We Tested the Best Binoculars for Bird Watching<\/h2>\n
Grading Bird Watching Optics<\/h3>\n
Best Binoculars for Bird Watching: Reviews & Recommendations\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Editor\u2019s Choice: Zeiss SFL 8\u00d740<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Best Value: Maven C.1 8\u00d742<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Best Premium: Swarovski NL Pure 12\u00d742<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Best for $1,000: Vortex Razor HD 8\u00d742<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Steiner HX 10\u00d742<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Best Classic: Leica Trinovid 7\u00d735<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Hawke Frontier ED-X 10\u00d742<\/a><\/h3>\n
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