Luxury birding binoculars

Luxury birding binoculars

In addition to outstanding precision and durability, the best birding binoculars provide the brightest, clearest images. They're also so comfortable that you never have to think about the binoculars, you're only aware of the image. As Cornell Lab's Ken Rosenberg says, they're "simply a joy to hold and use." He notes that three companies make the best high-end binoculars: Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss.

A clear consensus among current reviews ranks the Zeiss Victory 8x42 T* FL (*Est. $1,800) as the very best birding binoculars, and they are highest ranked at Cornell Lab: "When one of our survey judges looked through the new Zeiss Victory FL, he said it was as if the binoculars weren't there at all, but that he had been magically transported up close to what he was looking at." In an in-depth review at BetterViewDesired.com, Wayne Mones calls them "the finest all-round birding binocular in the world today." Field of view for the Zeiss binoculars is 405 feet, and close focus is 6.6 feet. The "FL" stands for the fluorite prism glass designed to enhance light transmission and color accuracy, superior to the Bak-4 glass usually used in high-quality binoculars.

The Zeiss Victory T* FL series includes binoculars in five sizes ranging from the lighter-weight 7x42 (*Est. $1,700) to the 10x42 (*Est. $1,900), but the 8x42 binoculars are the favorite in comparative reviews. In a test of eight high-end 8x42 binoculars at the hunting website 24HourCampfire.com, almost all reviewers choose the Zeiss model as the best. In his article summarizing the study results, Rick Bin writes that with the Zeiss 8x42, "Eye-strain was nonexistent, even after prolonged use. Color fidelity and contrast were superlative, and edge-to-edge sharpness was superb." In a review of the Zeiss 7x42 published in Birding (and reproduced at the Zeiss website), Derek Lovitch states that "The quality of the image - with the brightness, the sharpness, and the vividness - has set a new standard." All Zeiss binoculars have a transferable lifetime warranty, which means they are not only a good long-term investment for personal use, but they have higher resale value than most binoculars.

Comparing the Swarovski EL binoculars to the Zeiss Victory T* FL binoculars, reviews usually say the Zeiss come out ahead. A comparative review at Better View Desired notes that the Zeiss 8x42 binoculars had sharper resolution, especially in low-light conditions. Many other reviews agree that the Zeiss Victory binoculars are definitely brighter and focus faster, with a better warranty. However, the Swarovski EL binoculars are easy to hold and focus with one hand, and the Cornell Lab review says their depth of field makes them a little easier to focus than the Zeiss T* FL.

Testers at the Cornell Lab give the highest ratings on all the subjective factors -- including "overall feel" -- to the Swarovski EL 8.5x42 binoculars (*Est. $1,900). The reviewers at 24HourCampfire.com agree; this model "stole the show in terms of ergonomics." A review at Optics4Birding notes, however, that the Swarovski EL binoculars are not as comfortable for people with large hands.

Leica Ultravid BR 7x42 binoculars (*Est. $1,800) rank in third place at the Cornell Lab review, sharing the Zeiss Victory's perfect score for image quality, but ranking lower for close focus (11 feet) and eyeglass-friendliness. The Leica Ultravid 8x32 BR (*Est. $1,600) model is described as "one of the best mid-sized, 8x32 binoculars we've ever seen" at Birdwatching.com. Overall, the Leica Ultravid binoculars get good reviews from other sources, including a "Best of the Best" award at Field & Stream, but they're top-rated a bit less often than the Swarovski EL binoculars, and much less often than the Zeiss Victory FL binoculars. The Leica Ultravid binoculars have no tripod socket.

Reports say that the Nikon Premier LX L (*Est. $500 to $1,400) binoculars and Brunton Epoch (*Est. $550 to $1,750) binoculars are challenging the top three brands. Experts add both series are not only good for eyeglass wearers, but focus very smoothly as well. Reviews give the Nikon Premier LX L series higher marks for image quality, but praise the Brunton Epoch binoculars for their innovative variable speed focus. For expeditions and other travel, the Brunton Epoch binoculars also offer an outstanding warranty, with quick replacement or loaner binoculars shipped anywhere in the world. The Nikon Premier LX L binoculars are priced slightly lower than the equivalent Brunton Epoch binoculars, and they get more uniformly positive reviews, especially when it comes to image quality. The Cornell Lab review rates Nikon's image quality higher than that of the Brunton Epoch binoculars, but not as high as Zeiss, Swarovski or Leica.

The Nikon Premier LX L 8x42 binoculars (*Est. $1,000) are the unanimous 2005 Editor's Choice for full-size binoculars at Outdoor Life, which praises their "very clean, classic design." In a review published by Bird Watcher's Digest, birding binocular experts Michael and Diane Palmer report that "At our binocular trials, our judges wanted to try the new Nikons over and over again." The Nikon Premier LX L 8x42 binoculars carry a lifetime warranty (with $10 no-fault repair) and have nice lens caps but no tripod socket.

BetterViewDesired.com says the Nikon Premier LX L binoculars also meet the "you don't know they're there" criterion for top-notch binoculars, finding the balance and overall feel comparable to that of the more expensive Zeiss Victory T* FL. The review finds the Nikon Premier LX L binoculars easy to use with one hand and praises their color accuracy and smooth, fast focus. In addition to the 8x42 size, Nikon Premier LX L binoculars come in 10x42 (*Est. $1,400) and 10x32 (*Est. $1,100) sizes, as well as compact versions (see above). Obviously, if your budget for binoculars is over $1,000, you'll want to test drive all of these binoculars for yourself, since overall comfort is entirely subjective.

Another less expensive luxury brand, Minox, is receiving good reviews. In the test of 57 binoculars at Birdwatching.com, the Minox HG 8.5x32 binoculars (*est. $800) rank third overall. Michael and Diane Porter state, "In our optical quality tests, the Minox HGs were excellent. They also have some of the nicest-feeling engineering and smoothest-turning focus knobs we've found in any binocular." In the test at Birdwatching.com, the Vortex Razor binoculars (*Est. $700) receive the same overall score as the Minox HG. According to the Porters, "Of all the binoculars we tested, no binocular excelled the Vortex Razor for optical quality."

A new line of high-end binoculars from Nikon, the EDG line, is due on retailer's shelves very shortly. They come in 8x32, 10x32, 7x42, 8x42 and 10x42 models. Prices range from $1,750 to $2,000. These binoculars have not yet been reviewed.