Binoculars for bird watching need to be lightweight if you are going to carry them around your neck. If you are viewing from a hiding spot, the weight factor may not be quite as important. What is essential is the ability to see the birds you are looking at from a distance and to see the detail clearly.
The most important piece of equipment for bird watching is binoculars. To buy the best binoculars for bird watching you need to be able to understand what the specifications mean. A pair of bird watching binoculars may be labelled 8 by 30, 8 by 40 or even 7 by 21. (This is usually written as 8 x 30, etc but is called 8 by 30.) This is the power range of the particular binoculars.
The first number on the binoculars for bird watching relates to the magnification, so in a pair of 8 x 30 binoculars the object or the bird you are watching would appear eight times closer to you when you look through the lenses. Anything larger that eight will not necessarily be better because the lenses will be heavy and it will be difficult to hold them steady. Zoom binoculars are not a good idea if you want binoculars because then do not get enough light in through the lenses for you to see the detail well.
The second figure in the specifications of your binoculars for bird watching refers to the width in centimeters, of the largest lens. So your 8 x 30 binoculars have a 30 millimetre wide lens. The bigger the lens width, the more light will come in and the better you will be able to see what you are watching.
So 8 x 40 binoculars for bird watching are excellent for a dull day but they will also be heavier than 8 x30’s. The problem is getting a balance between the two which is up to the individual. The focus of these bird watching binoculars has nothing to do with magnification. It depends on how they are made and best way to tell is to look at something fairly close and see if you can focus on it and then try to focus further away and see how much you have to change the focus to get it clear. Too much alteration is not good.
Try your binoculars for bird watching out before you buy them because they need to feel very comfortable in your hands and should be easy to operate. Ask yourself if you can easily reach the focus control while keeping the binoculars in place on your eyes.
Finding the best binoculars for bird watching is a very personal thing and what suits one person may not suit another and that is why it is important to try them out first. Decide what specification you want to buy, remembering that 8 x 30 is about the smallest recommended lens size; otherwise you will not get enough light in to be able to observe the detail on the birds.