It just happened again. The one thing that drives me absolutely, inconsolably, froth-at-the-mouth crazy about too, too many birders.
This is their penchant for using optics that are, even when the most generous standards are applied…
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I was co-leading a bird walk. We were seeing lots of stuff. There was this older birder and her forty-ish daughter. They were seeing…
Nothing.
In a very leaderly fashion I walked over and discovered that they were sharing a pair of cheap mini binoculars that were impossible to hold steady (because there was no way to hold them comfortably), were resistant to any change in focus (because the focus wheel was too small to find or turn) and offered an image so lousy that it was actually enhanced by closing your eyes.
So the question becomes: “Why were two intelligent people who were interested in seeing birds using an instrument that precluded this possibility?”
The answer is, they didn’t know any better. They had a binocular. It made things look bigger. What else (they apparently concluded) do you need to know or have?
Well!
What they needed to know was that a big, LOUSY image has no advantage over a small, indiscernible image.
They needed to know that the biggest problem beginning birders have isn’t seeing a bird, it is finding the bird (and that the binocular they were using was to ease of function what genocide in Darfur is to a Noble Peace Prize).
The Nikon Monarch 8×42 is a great birding binocular and retails for around $300.
But what they needed most of all, was a binocular that was USER FRIENDLY and SPEC’D TO BIRDING. How can a person discern this? How can you tell?
You bring them to your eyes.
You see things quickly and easily.
That’s it!
It is supposed to be that easy. There is no reason why it shouldn’t be that easy.
I take that back. There is a reason. It is because many manufactuers of
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are not interested in you seeing birds. They are only interested in getting you to buy their product.
So how do you fix this problem?
Easy, you buy a binocular that works.
Is that expensive?
The Leica 10×42 BL will cost you less than a Mercedes-Benz and comes with an unconditional Lifetime, Passport warranty.
Maybe. If $100 trips the expensometer on your budget, then decent, entry-level birding binoculars are expensive. But for around $100 there are binoculars out there that really, really work. For around $300 there are binoculars that excel in the birding arena. For four figures you can buy the binocular equivalent of a Mercedes Benz.
And it doesn’t need periodic tune ups. And if it ever does have a mechanical problem (because you drove it over a cliff) in the four-figure range, they fix binoculars for nothing. But back to…
One Hundred Dollar Binoculars.
It’s dinner for two without wine (and maybe dessert) in Cape May.
It’s a Saturday round of golf.
It’s three tanks of gas (depending on what you drive) (or two in California).
All for an instrument that is going to confer supernatural intimacy with the natural world. A magic look-through something that is going to give you a lifetime’s worth of fun and excitement and discovery.
So…is there a name for this miracle impregnated $100 binocular?
The Leupold Yosemite 6×30 retails for around $100 and is a perfect fit for young birders and your wallet.
Uh, huh. In fact there are several makes and models that might fall within this bargain, entry-level category.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that for every single $100 that works for birding there are fifty that are
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Which is which?
There are two ways to tell. #1 - Trust your eyes. #2 - Trust us.
How do you know we can be trusted?
Easy. If we’re going to go to the trouble of taking you on a field trip to see birds, why would we fit you out with a binocular that makes it impossible?
Birding is supposed to be easy. That means easy for field trip leaders, too.
Looking for new optics and you are in the Cape May area? Stop in at one of CMBO’s centers and speak with our optics specialists. They can help you find a pair that suits you and your budget! For hours and directions click here CMBO Center Information.
If you are the type who would like to field test a few pairs of optics before making a final decision–stop in at the Northwood Center on Cape May Point and ask about our Optics Loaner Program.