How to Evaluate Binoculars
Evaluating binoculars to find the pair that best fits the activity you plan to use them for can be daunting. According to "Consumer Reports," binoculars buyers have more than a thousand models to choose from. To keep from going bananas or from "buying blind," use expert evaluations and rankings that focus on the features that matter most in the type of binoculars you need. Ready-made evaluations of this kind can be found online or in specialty magazines. Consult them or, lacking suitable ones, construct your own to narrow the field and help find the perfect binoculars for your sport or hobby.
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Instructions
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Ask yourself what you will be using the binoculars for. You have a choice of binoculars that are distinctly suited for birdwatching, astronomy, safaris, watching sports, marine use, hunting, theater or general use.
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Go to the specialized websites or publications for birdwatchers, amateur astronomers, hunters or boaters, as well as to binoculars sellers' websites that organize binoculars by category of use. See a partial listing in "Resources".
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Learn what matters most in binoculars for your intended use and why. For example, if you want to go birdwatching, light-weight, compact, and quick, precise focusing from near to far objects are the most desirable features. For stargazing, magnification, lens diameter and image stabilization matter more. The more you know about binoculars, the better your chances of making a best buy.
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Identify the top-ranked binoculars in your price range. If you can't find a ready-made, unbiased ranking matrix for what interests you, construct your own and fill it with the specs for models gleaned from websites or catalogs. See a sample, generic ranking worksheet, prepared with the Calc spreadsheet program, free from OpenOffice, under "Resources".
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Go to a store armed with your short list of top brands of binoculars and try them out. Never buy without first testing the feel, ease of use, image quality and compatibility with glasses if you wear them. Your favorite may not necessarily turn out to be the binoculars that scored highest in your initial ranking.
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Tips & Warnings
Check "Consumer Reports" consumer ratings and reviews at your local library for a "second opinion" on the binoculars on your short list. Concentrate your shopping on models that come highly recommended by more than one source, if possible. Don't judge binoculars quality by price. Inexpensive models have been known to outperform much pricier ones.
If you must get your binoculars online or by mail order, make sure the seller offers money-back returns so that you can try before you buy.
Beware of "expert" recommendations and rankings by sales clerks or online sellers; their priority may be to "push" models with higher profit margins but that may not be best for you.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit binoculars image by Kimberly Reinick from Fotolia.com
