As an outdoor enthusiast or birdwatcher, having a good pair of binoculars can make all the difference in your viewing experience. However, choosing the right binoculars, especially for beginners, can be a nightmare if they don’t have the basic knowledge.
I know that when you don’t have the basic information, then you make decisions by the looks of binoculars which ultimately makes your decision or headache. It is quite easy to make mistakes that can impact the quality of your viewing experience.
In this blog post, I will be discussing 5 common mistakes that beginners make when choosing binoculars. If you have been using binos for years and know, this guide is not for you. But if you are new to optics, then it’s crucial to understand these mistakes so that you can make an informed decision.
Common Mistakes Committed by Novices in Choosing Binoculars
The purpose of making this website was to provide information to those people who are unaware of technical things. I just wanted to be a helping hand. But today, when I see individuals regretting their choice actually hurts me.
There are a few things that you will have to be very careful of, otherwise, your purchase will haunt you in your dreams. In binoculars, you either buy perfect optics or buy regrets by spending money. So, in the section below, I will give you some insight into common mistakes that many newbies make and you should avoid them.
1- Higher Magnification
I don’t know why but it is a common perception that choosing higher magnification gives better visual quality and viewing limit. Yes, when you choose binoculars with higher magnification it helps you see father, but it affects your viewing experience badly.
The binos with higher zooming power become too sensitive to the small movements of hands. So during use, when your hands slightly shake, you feel the shakiness in the visual due to the sensitivity of your binoculars. Higher magnification makes your binoculars sensitive to small movements of hands.
So, choosing moderate magnification like 8x or 10x is going to be a wise call. With this magnification power, you will get perfect stability, along with a decent viewing limit.
2- Specificness of Binoculars
Before going to the market, you should keep in mind that every binocular is made for specific use. For example for hunting you will need 8×42 binoculars, but on the other hand, for astronomy or long-range hunting, your needs will shift towards binoculars with a higher power in terms of objective lens and magnification.
So, think twice about the purpose of your purchase. Are you going to use binoculars for hiking? Then go with binoculars that are lightweight and compact. But if you’re good at choosing binoculars for stargazing, then opt for binoculars with bigger objective lens sizes.
3- Not all Binoculars Good for Lowlight Usability
It is a myth among people that all binoculars have the same lowlight usability which is totally wrong. Look, lowlight usability is directly associated with the objective lens size. When you use binoculars with bigger objective lens sizes, then your binos capture more light from the surroundings and give you better visual brightness.
On the other hand, choosing binoculars with smaller objective lens sizes will never give you good low-light usability. In fact, these binoculars capture less light and give you the image with diminished effect. So choose an objective lens wisely.
4- Buying Binoculars with a Digital Camera
In the previous guide, I guided you about the worth of digital camera binoculars. Well, binoculars with cameras look cool. Are they not? I mean they attract and give you two options in one binocular. Newbies think that they spend the money on binoculars and they will get the features of cameras as well.
Is this approach right? Absolutely NOT! Choosing binoculars with a built-in camera is a risky move. According to my experience, most digital camera binoculars are of low quality and you will struggle in getting top-notch visual quality.
If you’re new and have a limited budget, don’t fall for the fanciest of digital camera binoculars. Instead, go for binoculars that give you the ability to the objects with excellent zooming power. Trust me or not, built-in cameras in binoculars are just kind of a gimmick.
5- Cheaper is not Always Profitable
Most of the newbies are taken away towards the cheaper binoculars which ultimately makes them regret it it. Look, when you choose cheaper binoculars, it means you trade on the quality and many features. For example, many binoculars come without FMC lenses but their prices are too low.
Choosing such binoculars will be a nightmare and the visual quality of these optics will be really bad. Although you will save a few bucks, you will buy regret that will tease you every time you use binoculars. So, have a handsome budget of at least $200 and make informed decisions. Don’t look to save money, and compromise quality.
What Should You Do if You Choose the Wrong Pair of Binoculars?
To be honest, there are very limited solutions in case you’ve already made a bad call while purchasing binoculars. But don’t worry, as it happens to all of us when we start anything new. There are possibly two solutions which are listed below.
Use your social media platform and ask your friends if anyone wants to exchange binoculars with you. It is possible that anyone also made mistake while choosing binoculars. If you find such a person, then you can give your binoculars to him, and take his binoculars as collateral.
Another solution is to resell the binoculars. If your binoculars are brand new, and you have not used them much then I suggest you go to the optical store and offer them your binoculars at a slightly lower price than the brand new binoculars. Chances are high that they will take your binoculars and give you money.
Although these solutions are not perfect, they are good in controlling or reducing the impact of your bad selection.
Conclusion
Seeing someone sad due to bad selection is painful for me. In this guide, I’ve explained some basic mistakes that beginners make. Keep in mind the above-mentioned factors are very important for the performance of binos. Compromising on any of them will buy you regret. I hope that this guide will be helpful for newbies and beginners who are just starting out their outdoor journey.
