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Step 1
Try the binoculars before you make your purchase. Find a dealer who allows you to take the binoculars out of the package and out of the store. This is the best way to find a match for your eyes.
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Step 2
Look for binoculars that display the images clearly both in the center and at the edge of the image. This is where the cheaper models disappoint the user: The off-axis resolution at the edge of the viewing image appears blurry compared to high-end binoculars.
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Step 3
Choose a model that displays vivid, high-contrast images. This is especially important for birding at dawn and dusk.
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Step 4
Notice whether the binoculars seem to provide a flat image. In cheaper models, the image may appear to curve at the outer edges.
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Step 5
Select a model that feels comfortable in your hands. Feel the weight around your neck, and imagine how this weight would feel after several hours in the field.
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Step 6
Pick binoculars that have easy-to-use focus knobs and nimble eyecup covers. If you are fumbling with the focus and struggling to remove eyecups when an Ivory Billed Woodpecker alights 50 yards away, you just missed the birding moment of a lifetime.
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Step 7
Consider the rugged conditions your birding binoculars must endure in the field. You must buy binoculars that are waterproof, not merely water-resistant. Nitrogen-filled binoculars won't steam up in humid weather. The toughest models won't even require a case for protection.
