Mid-size binoculars

Mid-size binoculars, $200 to $500

While an objective lens size of 42mm has a lot of light-gathering power, it does increase the size and weight of the binoculars. Mid-size binoculars with a 32mm aperture have a dimmer image (especially in low light), but they are lighter and more compact. For all-day birding or hunting use, 8x32 or 6x32 binoculars may be a better choice simply because of their comfort.

The compact, lightweight Leupold Wind River Katmai 6x32 binoculars (*Est. $300) weigh just 18.2 ounces and fold down to a compact 4.5 inches wide. They focus down to 4.9 feet, nearly twice as close as the Nikon Monarch ATB 8x42 binoculars, and the Katmai binoculars' 425-foot field of view is nearly a hundred feet wider. This makes it easier to track moving objects like birds or a quarterback rushing down the field. Unlike the Nikon Monarch ATB binoculars, they come with excellent caps for the objective lenses, plus a rainguard for the ocular lenses (the ones closest to the eye). The Cornell Lab review ranks these 6X binoculars just above the Nikon Monarch ATB 8x42 binoculars for image quality (even though they use Bak-7 prism glass), close focus and field of view. A review at Optics4Birding finds their optics good, albeit with "the tendency for straight lines to bow inward at the edges of the field" and a very slight yellowish color bias.

Cornell Labs and Bird Watcher's Digest note that the Katmai binoculars are not very comfortable for people with small hands, and despite their 16.6mm eye relief, eyeglass wearers don't find them very comfortable. While Leupold also makes 8x32 binoculars in the Katmai series (*Est. $330), the Cornell review finds their focus not as sharp, also noting that they feel flimsy in comparison with the Katmai 6x32 binoculars. All the Leupold Wind River Katmai binoculars carry a lifetime, non-transferable warranty, but without any accident protection.

Like the Wind River Katmai binoculars, the less expensive Celestron Noble 8x32 binoculars (*Est. $230) are easy to carry because of their compact size and light 19-ounce weight, though their 393-foot field of view is narrower. They have fully multicoated lenses, Bak-4 prism glass and are waterproof, fogproof and rubber-armored. The Cornell Lab review ranks them below the binoculars discussed above, but Celestron binoculars still make the top ten and cost less than most. In a large comparative review for Bird Watcher's Digest, Diane Porter says that the Celestron Noble 8x32 binoculars "were an absolute joy to pick up and use -- I had to fight with my testers to return them." As with all 32mm-aperture binoculars, the Celestron binoculars are dimmer than larger 42mm-aperture binoculars, but they are good for daytime use.

The Celestron Noble 8x32 binoculars offer 19mm eye relief with twist-up eyecups, and while some reviews say they're good for eyeglass wearers, the Cornell Lab review rates them quite a bit lower for "eyeglass-friendliness" than the Nikon Monarch ATB or Wind River Katmai. If you do wear glasses, it's a good idea to try them for yourself first (or buy from a store with a good return policy). Overall, the more expensive Wind River Katmai 6x32 has better image quality, but the Celestron binoculars are a good value.