New Jersey Audubon's Pick of the Pack

by Pete Dunne

Pete Dunne, Director of the Cape May Bird Observatory, is an authority on the optic needs of birders. He was a two-term member of the Bausch & Lomb Birding Advisory Council, former equipment editor for Birding magazine, and has served as advisor to Nikon, Bausch & Lomb and Swarovski on new binocular design.

Periodically the Optikmeisters at CMBO run their hands through the river of glass and choose their favorites. These are the ones that nose out other optics in their price category on the basis of functional attributes.

We won't tell you that there aren't other instruments on the market that deserve your considered regard. We will tell you that these binoculars won our countenance. We are pleased to recommend them and sell them to our members.

1. Compare several makes and models. See what feels good in your hands and what fits your face.
2. Test and examine the instrument you buy. Don’t just rely on a company or a brand. There is variation in the quality, mechanical performance, and optical precision of all optics. We test all optics sold at NJAS stores for performance and quality, and encourage you to do the same.
3. Do not settle for a lower-priced glass if what you really want is outside your present budget. Tolerate the binoculars you are using now and save for the ones you really want. If you buy half-step optics, you will only replace them later with the ones you really wanted in the first place, and that is money wasted.
4. Although NJAS’s profit margin on optics is intentionally small, all profits support our research, education, and conservation efforts. Not only does your purchase of optics at NJAS bookstores assure quality and a perfect fit, it helps insure that you will have birds to look at.

NIKON 7 x 21 SPRINT III, $49.95 members

You want a starter binocular for incipient young birders? You got one. The Sprint offers optical quality and performance superior to some instruments costing three times as much. It also offers the three things necessary to make a glass that works for kids: (1) small size - small enough for small hands; (2) close interpupillary distance - narrow enough for the closest set eyes; (3) you can drop them! Really! You can drop them on your average earthen backdrop, pick them up, and use them. (But we don't recommend doing so!) Comes with neck strap and case.

NIKON 7 x 35 ACTION, $99 members

For as long as I can remember, the most commonly asked question in birding has been: "Can you recommend a good binocular for under $100?" Until recently, the answer was "No." Well, Nikon has changed that.

The Nikon 7x35 Action offers all the performance attributes birders demand -bright image, super wide (9+ degrees) field; quick, terse, silky smooth focus; optical quality that makes the sticker price of $99 read like a pricing error. It is, in short, A BARGAIN! Comes with neck strap and case.

SWIFT 8 x 32 & 8 X 42 ULTRALITE, $225/$235 members

If you are a serious birder, particularly one with small hands and one who wears eyeglasses in the field, then you will bond to these glasses. They are light (a mere 21 ounces). They are bright - the result of multi-layer antireflective coatings. They have a silky smooth focus wheel that is quick as well as responsive, and they carry a bargain price (includes strap, case and rain guard).

BAUSCH & LOMB CUSTOM COMPACT 7 x 26, $275 members

The butterfly watcher’s bargain! This light (11 ounces), close-focusing (6 feet!), and arcane looking binocular is the only "mini"-binocular that rates half a glance in the birding arena. Most mini-binoculars mandate a teacup grasp that exacerbates hand shake and destroys image quality. The function-driven design of the Custom Compact gives users a firmly anchored hold.

In fact, with a 386-foot field of view, responsive rear-bridge set focus wheel, and excellent optical performance, the only things small about this high performance specialty glass are size and price.

NEW SWIFT 8.5 x 44 AUDUBON, $300 members

When Humphrey ("Hop" to his friends) Swift said he was going to redesign the venerable old Swift Audubon he asked us what he could do to improve it. "Make it waterproof," we said. "And improve the close focus."

"And make it more ergonomic so that people with smaller hands can use it BUT," we added, "don’t do anything that will diminish the quality, performance or change the price point." Announcing the NEW Swift Audubon. Successors don’t get more worthy than this.

MINOX 8 x 32 BR, Call for Price

Leica introduced this line in 1999 and we liked it. A good, solid, compact, waterproof performer that is great in the clinches (focuses down to 4 feet!), and won’t break the bank. Then we discovered the instrument’s most amazing property — it’s a utilitarian silver bullet. People who have never found a binocular that worked for them bring this glass to their eyes and see things effortlessly. Comes with strap, case, and limited lifetime warranty.

BAUSCH & LOMB 7 x 42 & 10 x 42 DISCOVERER, $370 / $415 members

It was like meeting the person you’re going to marry. I saw this glass at a trade show, brought them to my eyes, and asked, "where have you been all my life?" This versatile, user-friendly, waterproof, performance package of a roof prism begs the question: "Why spend more for a binocular?" Since adding the 7 x 42 to our arsenal, there are a lot of owners out there who couldn’t find a satisfactory answer to that question. Comes with case, strap and rainguard.

Higher magnification really shows the shortcomings of instruments not in the high price category. The 10x Discoverer is an exception — a bargain priced 10x glass that truly performs. We're delighted to recommend it to those with high power aspirations and with a tight budget .

KAHLES 8 x 32, $570 members

The Kahles Company from Austria has been making binoculars for more than 100 years, and their fine products are now being distributed by Swarovski Optik. The 8 x 32 provides a field of view of 399 ft. and close focuses to about 5 ft., in a very comfortable package. They come with both twist-in eye cups and winged eye cups, and are waterproof, phase corrected and fully multi-coated. As these are new to our "Pick of the Pack," we will be watching to see how they hold up to rugged use. Come with strap and rain guard.

NIKON 8 x 32 SUPERIOR E, $635 members

This is the kid brother of the glass that prompted me to say, "You could found a religion on this binocular." The unique design of this porro prism makes it the most comfortable porro on the market, and the optical and mechanical performance are outstanding. Big brother is now considered the "reference standard" for 10x binoculars, and little brother lives up to the family heritage. Comes with soft case, rainguard and strap.

SWAROVSKI 8 x 30 MARK III SLC, Call for Price

If you are looking for a rugged, compact, supremely light (19 ounces), waterproof binocular that can perform in the birding arena, and you don’t want to spend $1,000, this is your glass. Many features incorporated in the SLC’s are found on more expensive optics: twist-retracting eyecups; snap-lock individual eyepiece adjustment knob; optics ground from the same glass used in Zeiss optics. This is the perfect binocular for birders who go to extremes or sportsmen who want to add new dimension to their appreciation of the outdoors. Comes with neck strap, rain guard, and snap objective lens cover.

BAUSCH & LOMB ELITE 8 x 42, $835 member

This is the ultimate combination birding and butterflying glass, with crystal-clear optics and close focusing down to 5 feet. A narrower depth of field is the price you pay for up-close encounters with nature, but in this case the overall performance of the Elite makes it our top recommendation for the well-rounded birder/butterfly watcher. The Elite is nitrogen purged for waterproof and fog-proof protection and offers excellent eye relief for eyeglass wearers. Comes with rainguard, neck strap and carrying case.

LEICA 8 x 32 BN, Call for Price

Some things just feel good—river-polished stones—the gear shift knob of an Austin Healy 3000—a lover’s hand. You can add to these the Leica 8 x 32. It just plain feels good—good and precise, good and comfortable—and it performs even better than it feels. Leica precise—quick and sure. Leica rugged. Drop them, use them, dunk them, use them. At 22 ounces they won’t break your neck or keep you from packing them along on business trips or on that birding trip of your dreams. Comes with strap, rain guard and three-year "unconditional passport" warranty.

SWAROVSKI SLC 7 x 42 B, Call for Price

When people set out to buy the best, they best give this binocular their considered regard. Austrian designed and built, fitted with the same glass used in famed Carl Zeiss optics, the Swarovski SLC 7 x 42 B (and SLC 10 x 42) cut the corner on price, not performance. In fact, in terms of field of view, close focus capability, and depth of field, the SLC 7 x 42 and the famous Zeiss 7 x 42 are nearly twins. Some eyeglass wearers actually find the Swarovski a better fit. The SLC is not as sleek as a Zeiss 7 x 42. It’s not as easy to one-hand bandy about. It’s also not quite as bright. But the SLC is more rugged than the Zeiss 7 x 42. Comes with strap and rain guard.

ZEISS B/GA T* 7 X 42, Call for Price

It close focuses down to 10 feet. It offers a panoramic view of 450 feet at 1,000 yards. It weighs 28 ounces. It has extraordinary depth of field and focuses so fast that getting on target seems like an afterthought. It is the binocular that, almost single-handedly, made it possible for birders to identify fall warblers in flight. In short and in sum, it is the most user-friendly binocular around. Comes with soft case, rain guard, and neck strap. Zeiss now warranties the 7 x 42’s to be waterproof.

LEICA 10 X 42 BN , Call for Price

Performance has a price. You can measure it in dollars — $960. You can measure it in weight — 32 ounces. But when it comes to measuring performance in a 10x binocular, you cannot do much better than measuring it against the Leica 10 x 42. This glass is the epitome of German optics.

Now even closer focusing than the original, if you want a glass to vault extreme distances and demand a binocular that is rugged and tough, you have just defined the Leica 10 x 42. Comes with case, neck strap, rain guard, and three year "passport" warranty.

P.S. Before you make your decision you might want to do a side-by-side comparison with the Swarovski 10 x 42 — another great glass that offers performance parity for around $985.

SWAROVSKI 8 x 50 SLC and 10 x 50 SLC, Call for Prices

I told them not to do it. I said a 50mm objective is too big and too heavy for today’s birding. I was wrong. Owing to the large objectives, these instruments offer the sharpest image in the shop. Hawk watchers and seabird watchers love them, and as for versatility, all the team members of the Cornell Lab’s World Series of Birding Team use the 10X as their primary birding optics!. Come with strap, case, rainguard and lens covers.

SWAROVSKI 8.5 x 42 EL and 10 x 42 EL. Call for Prices.

The committee consisted of Paul Lehman, Shawneen Finnegan, Claudia Wilds, me . . . and the optics engineers of Swarovski. The result: the 8.5 x 42 Swarovski EL. Swarovski quality — sharp as a Nikon Venturer LX — Zeiss 7x bright — offering a field of view of 390 feet at 1000 yards (330 in the 10x), close focus to 8 feet (in both), plus an ergonimically sleek design and a weight of 28 ounces — it is, very arguably, the ultimate birding binocular. One cautionary note: with 2 ½ revolutions of the focus wheel to go the range of focus, the EL is not as fast focusing as many other Alpha instruments. Comes with both soft and deluxe hard cases, strap, rain guard and lens caps.

Take a look at our Pick of the Pack for Spotting Scopes.

Glossary

Field of View: The measure of the distance from one side of a binocular’s image to the other as seen through a stationary binocular. Designated either in degrees of arc (e.g., 6°); feet at 1,000 yards (e.g., 415’ at 1000 yds); or meters at 1,000 meters.

Eye Relief: The optimum distance from the eye to the ocular lens in millimeters for maximum field of view. The eyes of eyeglass wearers are already set 10-18 mm behind a glass barrier. Eyecups that roll or twist down allow eyeglass wearers to compensate for this distance. How much eye relief you require depends on how your glasses fit your face. If your glasses fit close to your eyes you may require little or no eye relief. The further your glasses sit from your eyes the more eye relief you will need.

Close Focus: The distance from the binocular to the closest object that can be brought into focus. Anything closer will be out of focus. Most binoculars will focus from this distance to infinity.

Depth of Field: The distance that is in focus without adjustment from near to far (e.g., in a flock of shorebirds, the distance from the closest bird in focus to the farthest bird in focus without moving the focus wheel).