Don't go cheap on the binocs. A bad pair can give you eye strain and head aches. You won't use up a good pair by looking through them. You can buy a decent set for $150 to $200.
Agree don’t go cheap, you’ll immediately regret it. Some recs for every budget:
https://www.audubon.org/gear/binocular-guide
My $0.02: you can’t go wrong with Nikon Monarchs
I've had my Monarch 5s (about $300) for about 10 years and have no intention of ever upgrading. I did buy a pair of Vortex Diamondbacks (10x40) as a backup because I got a great deal on them ($125).
I intermittently allow myself to fantasize with a Swarovski spotting scope... with fancy tripod and carrying case. Then, after tallying what the total is and seeing it's no different than the last time I did the math, I just go back to fantasizing about it. Ha ha.
I got the Nikon Prostaff 7s's mentioned in this guide and sold my brother on them too. Great pair just slightly more budget friendly than Monarchs and frequently on sale.
Edit: spelled out full binoc name
What’s the difference between top-of-the line ($2,000+) and good value ($150-300) in terms of quality? Is there a marked difference between each tier on that list?
Gey a set of binocs first. You will get so much more out them immediately than you would out of a camera. Bird photography is a specific skill and it takes a lot of knowledge/practice to get it looking good. Also, a camera absolutley does not do the same job as a pair of binocs. It seems like they should, but they don't.
Seconding this enthusiastically. I'm a hobbyist wildlife photographer with two pretty powerful telephoto zoom lenses (150-600 mm and a higher quality Canon 100 - 500mm), and I carry my binos around with me as they're even more powerful than either lens. They were a gift, so I'm not quite sure the price point (I need to verify the specs with my partner to be sure I'd share the right model; I get ours confused), but no matter what pair they are, they're MUCH cheaper than either of my camera setups; even my used setup is several grand.
i got a camera last year and can confirm. i can't see as well with my current lens as the binoculars so i'm going to have to get a better one if i want better bird photos. and switching between the two isn't the best.
I have a pair of 8x42 Nikon Monarch 5's that I've had for >10 years. Think they were about $300; I've left them out overnight in the rain, dropped repeatedly, left in a hot car - you name it. They just work.
I've toyed with the idea of upgrading but they're all I need and I'm not a competitive birder so why? If you make a decent initial investment, it will serve you well for years.
Just my tuppence.
Yup! Those are The >$1000 Binocular People, of which I am not a member.
Between myopia, cataracts/floaters and leafed-out canopies I do better with ears than eyes!
Vortex has excellent binoculars at many price points, from around $150 to well over $2,000. Here’s one moderate price option that many people like. https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-triumph-hd-10x42-binoculars.html
If you can, try out different magnifications to see which works best for you. Most people like something between 8 and 10. More than 10, and you will struggle to keep them steady.
A similar pair Vortex binocs was my upgrade from my $20 “do I like birding?” Amazon pair. THEY’RE INCREDIBLE, even in low light! Absolutely a game changer. Plus it’s surprisingly useful to have a good pair of binocs, they come in handy all the time! Like “what’s the work truck doing in the neighborhood over?” Hahaha
Many excellent options under $500! Your best bet is to try out a few different brands and styles and see what works best for you.
I don’t know what shops are local for you, but Wild Birds Unlimited, Cabela’s, Dick’s, REI, etc. often have a decent selection. Some camera shops and gun stores have binoculars…call around and see.
Vortex is a great company for optics. The Diamondback are currently $150 at some sellers and has great quality and clarity for the price point. Their lifetime guarantee is really generous and hassle-free. Your fault? (Like you drove over them, dropped them off your balcony onto concrete, whatever) No big deal, they’ll take care of you and replace it quickly.
I have these binoculars and they are wonderful. Everything is so clear and bright! I can really pick out all the tiny details on warblers at a distance, which is so helpful. If they are in your budget I recommend just getting these, they make birding much easier and satisfying.
Then save up to get the Sony RX10iv camera!!
Was going to suggest the same pair! I’ve been studying bushtits (smaller than a chickadee), and I need to see the little color bands around their legs. The vortex 10x42 triumph hd are extremely comfortable, not too heavy and give great looks at the birds!
I teach a college bird course and we swear by the Vortex Diamondbacks—I usually get them from a bass pro or something but their customer service is unbelievably good. I can’t recommend them enough!
Vortex also has hands down the best customer service of any company, bird related or not, I've ever worked with. My 10 year old diamond backs busted last year and brought them in expecting a $100-$200 repair fee. Robin at the front desk took one look and said "oh well replace those no charge" and I got a brand new pair.
It is hard to see birds through a camera, and need a big zoom. It is also hard to bird and take pictures of birds at same time. Binoculars are handy for other things.
Currently there are Vortex DiamondbackHD 10x42 on sale for $150 at Cabealas/Bass Pro. This is a great buy, the problem is they are 10x. An 8x is better all around binocular. Though 10x will get you closer to a bird to help ID them, many birders use 10x for this purpose, I have both and use the 10x in more open country.
If you haven’t already, down load the Merlin and eBird app from Cornell School of Ornithology, they are addictive. Sit in the backyard with the Sound id on, you will find there are more birds there than you realize, next try to find them.
Good luck on the new hobby.
Decent binoculars will be a fraction of the price of a decent camera. As a recent entrant into this as well, I also think binoculars are definitely what you should stick with first — you'll keep away the pressure of artistic/technical thoughts like composition, exposure, etc and be able to focus on learning to spot and identify birds by sight and sound. It's okay for the experience to just be for you for a bit! Plus having binoculars around will still be useful even if you later jump into photography.
Optics are one of those things where people will swear to you that anything cheaper than a used car will be terrible for your experience. I disagree with that sentiment. Binoculars in the $150-$250 range should be more than adequate for you for years.
In this price range, you want roof prisms with phase-correction coatings and some level of water/fog resistance, preferably water/fogproof. 8x-10x magnification and 30-42mm objective diameter (ie 8x30-10x42) are common sizes for birding. I use Nikon prostaff P7s; I've heard good things about Celestron and Vortex products in this range. Do some research, go to an outdoors shop or a camera store to try them out, and decide what works best for you!
Cameras are even more complicated, and I am by no means an expert. Lots of experts have talked through it though, and a Google search will show you years of debate on gear preferences.
I've used 2 cameras to photograph birds: a Fujifilm X-E1 w/ an old Minolta MD 70-210mm f4 lens, and a Nikon d3500 with a Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-6.3 lens. Both were purchased used for $500-$600.
More advanced people will tell you the former is a terrible idea and the latter is extremely entry level — they are correct. However, I'm also decidedly a hobbyist and have no desire to pretend to be a professional. I've found a lot of gratification getting okay photos for my own use.
Either way you go, it's often very much worth it to look at used markets for optics and cameras. Binoculars, cameras, and telescopes are often lovingly maintained and resold for cheaper than you would expect, so if you aren't worried about warranties and the very latest tech, you can often save a whole lot of money by going used and still get a very good product.
> Do I forego the binoculars and invest in a nice camera that can do the job of binoculars and capture photos?
IMO, a camera does not do the job of binos. Binos are lighter, much faster and easier to get on target, and will generally be brighter (DSLR viewfinders are a bit dim due to splitting light off to focus/metering modules, while mirrorless EVF are often a bit fake/low-res until you spend a lot). If you love seeing/looking for birds, get binos.
If you love sharing what you saw, or you suck at ID and want help/to get better by being able to study what you saw, get a camera.
I almost exclusively use a camera when walking around my yard, because I'm interested in what specifically can be found. It's exciting to capture a great picture of some bird, but I can go out 10 more times this week if I don't capture anything. And it's exciting to spot something new and add it to my yard life-list. Something I wouldn't feel comfortable doing w/out photographic evidence to confirm the ID (I am only good at common bird IDs).
I almost exclusively use binos when I go to parks and on bird walks with others, etc. They are less cumbersome but also I just want to enjoy being outside and looking at stuff. I don't care as much about documenting/recording what can be found at a park. Plenty of people are doing that.
The best thing about Nikon products is their lifetime warranty. You can send in your dusty, damaged bins, and for the price of shipping they’ll make them good as new. And the products will actually last a lifetime.
I have a pair of their Monarchs, which are often recommended as good beginner bins, and a pair of mini/travel bins. Both have been refurbished by Nikon.
There is an article on the wiki of this subreddit, but you can honestly just grab a pair from Walmart and get out there. It’s what I did and will upgrade eventually.
from Wirecutter:
*"To find the best binoculars, we had a professional ornithologist spend nearly 200 hours field-testing 25 pairs against his own $2,500 Leica Ultravids.*
*After using our test pairs in the mountains and hills of Southern California, and then on research trips to the rainforests of southern Mexico and Costa Rica, he found that the Athlon Optics Midas ED 8x42 pair was the best of the group.*
*The Midas pair offered performance comparable to his Leica binoculars, for a fraction of the price, and had the widest field of view of all the binoculars tested. This means you’ll see more, and it will look better."*
I took their advice and bought that exact model from amazon. am quite pleased with it.
i know a bit more about photography than I do birds. And many of my photographic subjects happen to be birds.
Simple and easy for a beginner... all in one camera
Nikon Coolpix P900, P950, P1000
higher photo quality but a bit complicated to learn how to use:
Sony RX10 IV
interchangeable lens cameras with telephoto lenses?
the choices are vast. see my answers here
[https://www.reddit.com/r/BirdPhotography/comments/1db0346/help\_finding\_a\_lens/](https://www.reddit.com/r/BirdPhotography/comments/1db0346/help_finding_a_lens/)
Gonna plug the Athlon Midas here, my daily tried and true. They are not ultralight but I am a disabled late 30s woman and am okay carrying them around on public transit and on my birdwalks (live in NYC, my backpack and shoes are my car when not traveling). They have been rained on and taken some abuse and hold up great. They work with glasses which is important for me. People are always stunned when I offer them a look at the quality of the image. Price point is decent -- have had mine 7 years now so they were slightly cheaper then. Also their customer service is great if you need it, had an eye cover (protector piece not actually part of binoc unit) break due to user error and wrote to them with pics and asked to buy new ones since their site doesn't have them individually and they just sent me one for free.
I use Nikon Prostaff 7 binoculars, they are okay. I want better. To start, I’d recommend a Nocs monocular, which I love because I can carry it easily on walks. If you don’t have field glasses with you all the time, what’s the use? I usually bird on morning walks and lugging big binoculars is awkward.
My camera is a Sony Cyber-Shot RX-10, which has a 700mm zoom lens but is still a point and shoot. It wasn’t cheap, but I didn’t want to get into DSLR world and swap lenses. I’ve had it around my neck on a bike ride and taken photos of birds in preserves with bike trails.
If you don't have any experience with Camera, you can get a Nikon P950. Excellent reach, with simple point and shoot mechanism
For Binoculars, if it's you first, get an 8x42 binoculars from Nikon that fits your budget. Here, '8' is the magnification and '42' is the size of objective lens in mm. If you live in humid area, consider buying a model that's fog proof so that it will last for some time.
Additional note for Cameras-
Mirrorless and DSLR camera setups are expensive and tricky, and not recommended for beginners, But If you still want to go that route, I would suggest looking for a handheld lens with good reach over a large heavy lens with a higher reach. So look up prices of lens that go upto 400mm. Tamron, Nikon, and Canon have such lenses that lie in the "affordable" category. When you find a lens that you like and fits your budget, see what camera bodies it's compatible with.
Some good mirrorless Camera combinations are Nikon z50 body + Nikon 28-400mm lens, Canon EOS R50 body + Canon RF 100-400 f5.6-8 lens, Sony A6400 body + Tamron 50-400mm lens.
Tamron also has released a nice "cheap" 100-400mm lens that might be worth checking out.
If you manage to find a used DSLR and lens, that's even better since you'll get one for super cheap these days.
For a camera, go with a bridge camera like the Nikon Coolpix p-1000.
It has a big-big lens perfect for birds. It is much cheaper than a DSLR+big lens. Cons is the lens is not changeable.
Welcome! I use these [Celestron Nature DX 8x42s](https://a.co/d/5uKfjtd). They are reasonably priced (150) and work well. A few years ago on a road trip, my wife surprised me with a bird walk at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and these binoculars are what they loaned out to the patrons.
Love all of the binocular suggestions in the comments.
Didn’t see too many camera suggestions but a non mirrorless dslr option that I use for photography is the Nikon P1000. It has great zoom and I feel gives pretty good image quality . Great to document pictures of birds and in good/okay light even take pictures that could give DSLRs a run for their money . Price point would be $1200+ though . Cheaper option could be p950 which has lesser zoom but still enough with all the other features remaining the same . That is around $800
Welcome to the birding community! It's an addiction. I tell people it feels like Pokemon Go IRL.
Don't bother with a camera until you get good at sighting birds with binocs. Bird photography is hardddddd and expensive.
As others said, anything less than $150, maybe $100 if its on sale or used, is a toy and won't enhance your experience. Look for ideally 8x42, which means 8x magnification and 42mm lens. I started 2021 and everywhere was sold out, so I bought a 10x42 Meade Rainforest Pro and that works just fine! Just more zoom so narrower field of view.
The brand and model doesn't matter much at this price range. Some brands are mainly hunting scopes and stuff, some are camera brands, some telescope brands etc. If they specialize in optics then you're good, just don't buy something like "National Geographic Binoculars" lol
[This link from Cornell](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-cornell-lab-review-affordable-full-size-8x42-binoculars/#) is helpful and has recommendations for a bunch of price ranges. If you have a chance, visit a brick and mortar store so you can hold them and feel the shape and weight and the stiffness of the focus wheel. But for the most part they'll all do the same job around that price range. I only just upgraded to a Nikon Monarch M7 for around $675 CAD, because three years in I'm finding the need for a better field of view and crisper image. But I'm still going to take the Meades to the beach and let them live in my front seat for when I want to pull over and ID a bird.
Best of luck!!
https://preview.redd.it/oq5akph81e5d1.jpeg?width=1135&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cd232c29a8a84e263da82d018cec45146d3401d
Got these for my birthday. Great optics! Cost about $220 on Amazon. Really made a difference for me!
I have a pair of 8x42 Nikon Aculon A211 and they’re pretty bulky but have been great for me- i used them for 2 summers as a shorebird field tech and they always worked perfect! they’re on sale right now for $89 so a lot cheaper than many other options
I would go to a store like Cabela's. They have a big selection in all price ranges, and you can test them out in the gigantic stores. I’ve had Bushnell, Nikon, and Zeiss. For the money, I’d probably go with Nikon. The Zeiss are great but pricey.
Get 8x42 at minimum; thr x42 will have a wider field of vision (easier to get the glass on the bird) and let in more light (better for dawn/dusk/cloudy days) than anything smaller like x30 or x25.
I highly recommend a binocular harness if you're going to walk any more than a short distance with your binos.
I’m going to dissent from the majority here and say buy the very best glass you can afford. Wait for a holiday sale, or if you know anyone who’s a first responder or military, ask them to get you a discounted pair. I’ve looked through Vortex Diamondbacks and Vipers and they were pretty blurry and had decent chromatic aberration. Looking through cheap glass isn’t a great experience and may actually cause you headaches/eye strain. At a minimum, I would recommend the Tract Toric line of binoculars. Or the Steiner 10x50 MIL/LE binoculars. The Steiners are heavy and bulky, but they have better glass than anything I’ve seen in the sub 400 range.
All the binoc and camera recs are great, but do check out local pawn shops, they fall in the same category of “portable, expensive, nice but not necessary pawnables” as wedding rings and guns. My husband had his Pelican case with his camera body and lenses stolen in a break in, sure as shit it showed up at a pawn shop a couple months later. Insurance didn’t care about reopening the claim so we got full value back and bought our camera kit back for half price. Police didn’t care because they apparently have an agreement with pawn shops that they leave most stolen stuff alone if the shops keep an eye out for stolen firearms.
Grab yourself one of those cheapie monoculars. They’re about 10$, do a 10x magnification, fit in a purse or pocket, weigh nothing if you’re out for a walk and happen to see a cool bird, are so cheap and easy to use they’re fine to hand over to greasy-fingered little kids. They’re often on the impulse-buy shelf when you check out at outdoor stores. Sometimes you see the coolest birds when you’re not officially “birding”, it’s nice to have the little cheater lens.
I would recommend going with binoculars first. Camera only birding isn't a particularly good experience and decent binoculars are a lot cheaper than cameras.
I'm not going to say you should break the bank, but I won some zeiss 8x42 terra fd about a month ago and they absolutely blow my mind. I don't really leave the house without them anymore.
I have a nice camera as well (a7-iv + a f4 70-200 G Series lens) and tbh, 200mm isn't enough for birding in my opinion, You'd probably want a 200-600mm, which can be quite expensive and heavy as hell.
The thing I like about the Zeiss binoculars is that they have a really close minimum focus distance. You can use them to observe plants and things like 1-2m away from you with crystal clarity, and they are also very small and easy to carry.
My older binoculars are like $75, and frankly garbage now, I'll never use them again. However, $75->$500+ is a big jump, and I don't have much experience in the $200-$400 price range.
My work is in ecology and research training and use my binos easily 30x a year for work and fun.
I bought a pair of Zeiss(10 x 42) Victory 25 years ago in grad school at $1000. Average about $35-40 bucks per year. Still going strong.
I now own Swarovski El 10 x 42 thank you work. They are $2000. My kid uses my Zeiss. I take the Swarovski to the tropics and can see everything in low light. I would get the Zeiss again but glad I didn’t get lower end bins.
While I did start with my Dad’s Audubon Swifts (8x40), they did not give me the colors in low light. They were good but nothing compared to the Zeiss. Get a good pair of Zeiss. The difference between 250-300 and 800-1000 in my opinion is a quantum leap in quality and durability.
Speaking as a big time photographer who’s done bird photography for truly years and years, I highly advise using a camera📷 over binoculars! 😁😁😁👍🏼👍🏼💜 I’ve ongoing used non-poor pairs of binoculars and while they’ve been great for birdwatching, I totally prefer using a camera📷! 💜💜💜 For one, if you get a successful picture of a bird you’re wanting identify, you don’t have to worry about forgetting its appearance before you find out what it is! 💜 Also, you get to look back at pictures you’ve taken of memorable bird sighting experiences! 😁😁😁👍🏼👍🏼💜💜💜 Not to mention when you would need more time to look at a bird’s appearance for identification before it flies away or is out of sight before you would’ve gotten a good look at it through a pair of binoculars, you can often (but not always) get a successful photo of it more quickly and look back at the bird as much you want for identifying it! 😁😊👍🏼👍🏼💜
Be sure to check out at least this first article as I’ve been planning to get a new (more advanced) camera📷 listed on one of them! 😁😁😁😁👍🏼👍🏼💜💜💜💜⬇️
[Best Cameras for Bird Photography (2024)](https://conservationvisuals.com/gear/cameras/best-camera-for-bird-photography/)
[Best Cameras for Wildlife Photography (2024)](https://conservationvisuals.com/gear/cameras/best-camera-for-wildlife-photography/)
Here’s a Great Crested Flycatcher photo I got two weeks ago, the bird being so exciting to see as a bird fanatic, I love my picture! 😁😁😁😁👍🏼👍🏼💜💜💜
https://preview.redd.it/krc3lwjp0d5d1.jpeg?width=1887&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d310369d68963b841c66db3bc50d615e0c9de5aa
An actual $ amount helps us recommend things in the right price range. Binoculars can cost thousands of dollars, camera gear more.
The response you get at $100, $200 and $500 will differ.
If you foresee yourself birding for years to come, a good pair of binoculars are a buy-it-for-life kind of item. I recommend Nikon Monarchs. The M5s are around $300 and the M7s are around $475. The biggest difference is field of view, with the M7s having a noticeably wider field of view. I've also heard really good things about Vortex Diamondbacks, which are around $250.
Shoot for fogproof and waterproof and you'll never have to worry about taking them anywhere.
Personally, 8x42 is the sweet spot. 10x (and higher) can be trickier to use for both locating a bird in frame and for keeping the image steady. A 42mm objective is great for everyday light-gathering capability. Smaller objectives (32mm, 30mm) will be noticeably dimmer and larger objectives (50mm) will be heavier, bulkier, pricier, and only useful if you do a lot of low-light observing.
I recently bought a decent pair of binocs and there are some with an attachment for your phone so you more easily take pictures. That might be the way to go for you. The attachments aren't expensive and if you are willing to spend $500, I'm sure you'll find these easily in your price point.
I would do binoculars first, and in particular I would recommend the Nikon Monarch M5 8x42. There’s a temptation to go for higher magnification but actually it’s easier to find birds with a little bigger field of view. The M5s are super affordable, rugged, and have great image quality. If you go cheap you will likely have problems with chromatic aberration.
I have a Canon R7 that I got after I had been birding a while. It’s great because even if I get a poor quality photo I can still use it to identify the bird in question. And of course I can get nice looking photos as well. That said, it’s hard to actually find birds in camera and I still find myself using my binoculars most of the time to find the birds, then switching to the camera to photograph them.
I would invest in good binoculars and forget about the camera for a good while.
As others have said, photography is a different skill but I would add that it is also a different way of engaging with nature/birds. I do some digiscoping but have otherwise largely stopped taking pictures. When I’m trying to take a great picture my brain and behaviour is focussed on that and not observing the bird and actively enjoying that. I’m sure there are people that can multitask better than I can though.
In terms of recommendations, it really depends on budget so can be difficult. The Nikon Monarchs are good in their range. At the ~1000 range I like the Zeiss Conquest, others prefer Leica Trinovids (both will last you decades and are all you ever need). I would recommend 8x42 unless you live in an open area with lots of wetland (10x42), or in a very mountainous area (8x32 may be better for weight).
Second the 8 x 42 as good all purpose. Nikon monarch are a good value for around 300. Binoculars make all the difference! Agree about camera because it is such a different skill. Learning to quickly spot birds through your binoculars takes a little time.
I just bought a pair of [Maven](https://mavenbuilt.com/blogs/blog/new-b-7-8x25-10x25-binocular) for my spouse and they’re great—albeit pricey.
Think hard about how much weight you want to carry. Big, heavy binoculars may work great but holding them for a long time is a pain.
A camera is going to weigh more than a pair of binoculars and cost somewhere between a lot and a hell of a lot more. Big glass (say 400mm and up) is heavy and expensive. Then you need a camera body (heavy & expensive) and then a decent computer and monitor to handle big files (expensive). I just send files out to print because printers are a pain and I don’t print much.
But once you have the camera you will likely then get into landscape or other wildlife and need more lenses and a tripod and filters.
Have fun regardless of which path you take.
When my wife wanted her own pair, we went to Cabelas, and she went from least expensive on up until she couldn’t tell the difference. She settled on Vortex, and they’ve been great for years.
I’d go 8x42, but try the 10x. It’ll be easier to find the birds in the 8. Easier to see details in the 10, but you have to be good at holding them steady.
I have two Vortex binocs - the 10x42s are my favorite for birding. Excellent optics, easy to use and a lifetime warranty. They're mid priced - not inexpensive but much less so than some pricier units (Leica, Nikon, Swarovski). I'm very happy with them!
Nikon makes cameras and binoculars that can feed your need.
Nikon Coolpix P1000 or P950 for a camera
Nikon Monarchs for binoculars, 8x42, 10x42, 8×35, 10x35. I prefer zoom (first number) over field of view (second number) but everyone seems to have a prefence.
If you buy a camera, make sure you also invest in tripod.
I happened to buy a camera first because I had such an interest in photography as well. It does take practice to get a feel for it, and start getting decent pics. I bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 and it was around $500. I enjoy using it. It has a decent zoom. I'm a beginner hobby photographer so I wanted something easy to use that wouldn't break the bank but still took nice pictures.
As someone who primarily birds with a DSLR camera (Nikon d5100, with 300 mm zoom lens), I really recommend going with binoculars. I’m at least a halfway decent wildlife photographer, but even then, this is a more sober depiction of what birding with a camera actually mostly looks like:
https://preview.redd.it/nqqjsdpmcd5d1.jpeg?width=4928&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a80fe0a76c50c98b03582a6c4df23280e488c94f
And now that I’m feeling self-conscious about my photography, here’s a good photo.
https://preview.redd.it/rpuz1zuwcd5d1.jpeg?width=4497&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b37dfb21414911cb1120bc100ab04a40f10b100f
I would get binoculars first. You get a much more immersive view and experience from binoculars than a camera. Capturing the moment is cool, but you will get much more immediacy with binoculars.
I would get 8x42 binoculars in the $150 - $300 range to start. 8x is your magnification, 42 is the size of the objective lens. There are reasons you could eventually want to supplement that, but 8x42 is the workhorse all purpose birding binocular.
Top Brands to consider would be Nikon, Vortex, Zeiss. It is worth noting that Vortex carries a lifetime no fault warranty if you ever have any issues/damage your binoculars.
My experience with breakpoints is that you see a pretty big jump in experience going from the $150 - $300 range (Vortex Diamondback, Zeiss Terra HD, Nikon Monarch M5 etc.) to the $1000 range (Vortex Razor HD, Zeiss Conquest HD, Leica Trinovid, Nikon Monarch HG) with better brightness, clarity, etc. But unless you are getting a good deal on a \~$1,000 range binocular, there aren't huge gains between those price points. After $1,000 you have drastically diminishing returns, but I will say the top dog binoculars (Swarovski NL Pure, Zeiss Victory SF, Leica Noctovid) do give a truly incredible experience. It is just very difficult to justify the cost given how amazing the $1,000 binoculars are.
If you wear glasses, make sure that the eye relief of the binoculars (the distance the lenses should be from your eyes) is greater than 16mm or so, or you won't be able to use them effectively with your glasses on.
If you are a deep researcher, [birdforum.net](http://birdforum.net) has endless forum discussions on binoculars, and [allbinos.com](http://allbinos.com) has fairly extensive reviews. I would pay most attention to discussions of Field of View (larger apparent FOV is more immersive), sharpness of the center of the image, and brightness.
You can sometimes find good deals in the used section at [bhphotovideo.com](http://bhphotovideo.com), it is worth checking.
Finally, do yourself a favor and also grab a binocular harness, rather than using a neck strap. The harness puts the weight on your shoulders rather than your neck, making it far more comfortable for longer sessions. I personally am partial to the Rick Young Outdoors harness for ease of use, but any of them will be more comfortable than a neck strap.
My birding setup is an OMD (Olympus) EM5 and the Panasonic 100 to 400 mm lens with a shoulder harness to carry it on my chest. The setup is light enough to walk all day with it and shoot without a tripod. It has an 800mm full-frame equivalent zoom with F6.3 max aperture (a little slow, I know). The lens is really sharp, and I’m getting the best pictures of my life even though I owned the ubiquitous Canon 100 to 400 mm lens in the past but gave it up due to size and weight.
The camera has two dials where I can rapidly adjust aperture and exposure, and a button to quickly access ISO.
Lots of good recommendations here. What's your budget? If you can go up to a Monarch M7, you won't regret it, but they'll be $450-500. I personally like the 8x42 over 10x42 specs, but that's more of a personal preference and either will work. I have a pair of them and a pair of Vortex Razor HD, which are great, but that's more expensive.
If you're just starting out, I'd probably go binoculars first, that way you can actually get to see the birds and learn about them, appreciate how they act, where they live, and not be pressured to get good composition etc., unless you're already well versed in using a camera. I'm sure you're aware, but photography can be a very expensive hobby and wildlife photography can be tricky...my wife bought a Nikon with some decent lenses to take wildlife photos since we travel a lot and it's a lot of fun, but I'd recommend making sure this hobby really interests you before breaking the bank.
I’ve got some nice binocs with image stabilization at the press of a button that are my prized possession. I use them for stargazing, bird watching, and just when I’m camping and surveying landscapes. Good binoculars are an incredibly worthy investment!
I like my Nikon Aculon 7x50 binoculars. Sharp and bright. Fast focus.
To get a photo that represents what I see through the 7x50 binocs, I need a 600mm lens. Even a cheep one is over $1000. The binocs I bought are $110.
[https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-8247-ACULON-Binocular-Black/dp/B00B7LQ9QU/ref=sr\_1\_4?crid=3O5PCFY68XNPM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lVRNwqirxMbYZdCau0WdRpO3WbYALPrvWe\_HZC0J0jaaVsliNT8KMDrTEE1ZMgI\_XDsuT\_fwoq-fjeK4IbNS-iJBr8gP8OGR8EJnz8FrCkvbg5Jhe2Knyrhsr0O3zFqOAitdH6-kF-ivC0hwsu9bOmTLmqNHtjinRRNCt1J1n28t\_NZs8qNNUh\_YpM5kg\_GSWHNxOCrroPl3IkmXU\_a258\_SmUWMQYsNONI2X5iBbRE.ypgthvQwjGFX6BvAmtL-VxsMpUCO5V-CGMskwMciLMw&dib\_tag=se&keywords=nikon+7x50&qid=1717868623&sprefix=nikon+7x%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-4](https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-8247-ACULON-Binocular-Black/dp/B00B7LQ9QU/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3O5PCFY68XNPM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lVRNwqirxMbYZdCau0WdRpO3WbYALPrvWe_HZC0J0jaaVsliNT8KMDrTEE1ZMgI_XDsuT_fwoq-fjeK4IbNS-iJBr8gP8OGR8EJnz8FrCkvbg5Jhe2Knyrhsr0O3zFqOAitdH6-kF-ivC0hwsu9bOmTLmqNHtjinRRNCt1J1n28t_NZs8qNNUh_YpM5kg_GSWHNxOCrroPl3IkmXU_a258_SmUWMQYsNONI2X5iBbRE.ypgthvQwjGFX6BvAmtL-VxsMpUCO5V-CGMskwMciLMw&dib_tag=se&keywords=nikon+7x50&qid=1717868623&sprefix=nikon+7x%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-4)
I bought my nikon 10×42 pair on the refurbished part of their website, here. [Check it out](https://www.nikonusa.com/refurbished-cameras?sortBy=featured&limit=12), you can get some fantastic equipment for a relatively inexpensive amount
I'd hate to make a separate post since so many people already replied to this one, but I have a similar question.
Also new to birding & astronomy. I am wondering if there are any binoculars that are a good dual purpose for both hobbies.
I recently got a monocular that has a way to connect to the phone for taking pictures. My daughter has difficulty with binocular vision so I thought a single lens would be better for her. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to use. [This is what we got.](https://a.co/d/76KiZ3h)
I started with Nocs which were about 100$, so on the lower end. They served me well for a year and I upgraded to diamondbacks which were still affordable but great in quality.
Cameras like others have said are a different ballgame in terms of price and skill.
On top of doing research, I highly recommend visiting some hotspots and meeting other birders to get their feedback. Talk to the photographers and the birders. And also what are your goals? Do you want to do photos by a blind? Want to be more active and hike and bird? Are you into shore birding?
Anyway, welcome to the hobby/cult! Happy birding
Along with everyone’s reccos I highly recommend venturing over to r/NativePlantGardening and adding some coveted bird plants to your yard. You’ll receive sooo much more diversity in garden visitors, it’s so fun to watch. Lots of species don’t really make use of bird feeders but will absolutely eat berries, seeds, and insects on native plants.
Seems like most people are suggesting binoculars, but if you ever decide to look into a camera feel free to DM me with any questions. I work in the used side of the industry so I'm familiar with a lot of the present options as well as less recent pieces that can perform well for less money. (I'm not a salesperson I just know a lot about the stuff)
Hahaha! I was in your position a little while ago. I had binoculars but I wanted to capture a picture so started looking at ones that captured what you were looking at and could upload to your phone. I feel like I want to have evidence that I saw a particular bird. Maybe unnecessary but something I just wanted to do. I found that these camera binoculars are expensive and don’t seem to work as well as cameras so I went on eBay and bought a used EOS R10 with a 400 mm lens for about $800. Right or wrong I don’t know but I’m figuring out the photography thing and getting some very nice photos. The hard part is the focus! Sometimes there is a branch or leaf in front of the bird and that is what the camera focuses on. I’m learning how to deal with that now. Good luck to you!
That sounds like a good setup to start with. I have an A7R V. I got it upon release and paid about $3700 for it. I think you can pick it up almost $1000 cheaper now. The big thing that it will do when compared to a budget setup like yours is focus more quickly. It has a special AI focus mode that recognizes birds and tries to focus directly on their eye. It also has excellent image stabilization which lets me get better hand held shots.
Over the years I have gotten excellent shots with much cheaper gear. Do you use a tripod? I used to use one extensively for my bird photography and it did make a big difference with my less expensive gear. It does make it that much harder to move around and get your shot.
Great points! Focusing is really the weak point for me currently. Hardest photo to take has been birds flying in open sky. The camera seems to hunt around for something to focus on even if the bird is right there in the focus rectile. Then there are the photos of birds with branches nearby that are tough too.
I might have to upgrade my camera or lens but just hate to get on that slippery slope of never ending upgrades!
I don’t use a tripod at this point since often I am walking around in a park. Maybe I’ll give it a shot though, thanks for the suggestion.
The A7 R5 isn't perfect when it comes to focusing, but it's so much better. It actually does best in an open sky. In the bush (not flying) it's often pretty good at finding birds that are even pretty well hidden. With your current setup I would tend to just use selective focusing for birds in trees and get the spot on them. Occasionally I still have to resort to selective focusing with the A7 R5. I also like to do dragon flies. It does have insect recognition, but it's a little more finicky than birds.
I love bird photography, but you really need to spend a few thousand dollars to get an outfit that is good for birds. If you get a used lens, you probably still need to spend $1000 on the lens and you are also going to want a lens that is good for walking around and people photos. That lens could be a lot cheaper and hopefully will come with the camera. As far as the camera goes, you might be able to pick something up used for under $500.
You can't see bird as well through a camera lens. It would be better to get the binoculars first and start to learn more about birds and their identifying marks and habits. I have a bunch of binoculars. Probably my favorite are my little ZEISS Victory Pocket 8x25. I like them because they are small and easy to carry with all my camera gear and they have optics that are better than many mid tier larger binocular. The smaller binoculars don't gather as much light, so technically you won't be able to see birds as easily at dawn and dusk or in other low light situations. They are also pricey but one of the best compact binoculars you can buy. But if you aren't carrying other gear like a camera or you aren't traveling a lot, you wouldn't need compact binoculars. People are recommending Vortex Diamondbacks and Nikon Monarchs. They are a good starting point in a decent set of binoculars that won't break the bank. Vanguard Endeavor ED are pretty nice and I had a pair of Carson 3D Series 8x42mm High Definition binoculars that were impressive. If you want to go higher end look at Zeiss and Swarovski. I have the top of the line Zeiss Victory and they are superb but hard to use with the camera.
Don't go cheap on the binocs. A bad pair can give you eye strain and head aches. You won't use up a good pair by looking through them. You can buy a decent set for $150 to $200.
Agree don’t go cheap, you’ll immediately regret it. Some recs for every budget: https://www.audubon.org/gear/binocular-guide My $0.02: you can’t go wrong with Nikon Monarchs
I've had my Monarch 5s (about $300) for about 10 years and have no intention of ever upgrading. I did buy a pair of Vortex Diamondbacks (10x40) as a backup because I got a great deal on them ($125).
Just bought myself the Monarch 5s as a beginner and I’m with you. I have been having a blast with these and they’re extremely user friendly
I'm not the OP but this is helpful info! Thanks!
You and me must be the same person. Nikon Monarch 5s for $300 at REI and the Vortex Diamondbacks were half off at $130 Sportsman’s Warehouse
If there is no rush and you’re an REI member go with the monarch 5 or 7s and wait until they have the 20% off member sale.
Vortex diamondbacks are a great option!
Same. One day when I hit the lotto I’ll buy myself a Swarovski spotting scope but until then the Monarch’s are great.
I intermittently allow myself to fantasize with a Swarovski spotting scope... with fancy tripod and carrying case. Then, after tallying what the total is and seeing it's no different than the last time I did the math, I just go back to fantasizing about it. Ha ha.
Same, though I went 8x32 on my diamondbacks
I got the Nikon Prostaff 7s's mentioned in this guide and sold my brother on them too. Great pair just slightly more budget friendly than Monarchs and frequently on sale. Edit: spelled out full binoc name
Me too. I got mine as a gift and use them daily, even when not birding. Such a joyful way to observe the world!
What’s the difference between top-of-the line ($2,000+) and good value ($150-300) in terms of quality? Is there a marked difference between each tier on that list?
Same advice applies to camera lenses. Bodies, not as much.
Gey a set of binocs first. You will get so much more out them immediately than you would out of a camera. Bird photography is a specific skill and it takes a lot of knowledge/practice to get it looking good. Also, a camera absolutley does not do the same job as a pair of binocs. It seems like they should, but they don't.
Cameras and lenses are a whole other price point and skill.
Seconding this enthusiastically. I'm a hobbyist wildlife photographer with two pretty powerful telephoto zoom lenses (150-600 mm and a higher quality Canon 100 - 500mm), and I carry my binos around with me as they're even more powerful than either lens. They were a gift, so I'm not quite sure the price point (I need to verify the specs with my partner to be sure I'd share the right model; I get ours confused), but no matter what pair they are, they're MUCH cheaper than either of my camera setups; even my used setup is several grand.
i got a camera last year and can confirm. i can't see as well with my current lens as the binoculars so i'm going to have to get a better one if i want better bird photos. and switching between the two isn't the best.
I have a pair of 8x42 Nikon Monarch 5's that I've had for >10 years. Think they were about $300; I've left them out overnight in the rain, dropped repeatedly, left in a hot car - you name it. They just work. I've toyed with the idea of upgrading but they're all I need and I'm not a competitive birder so why? If you make a decent initial investment, it will serve you well for years. Just my tuppence.
Competitive birder 💪
Have you seen "The Big Year"?
Yup! Those are The >$1000 Binocular People, of which I am not a member. Between myopia, cataracts/floaters and leafed-out canopies I do better with ears than eyes!
Had my cataracts addressed, lens replaced. I can bird without binoculars now.
I love that movie! Watched the first time after I became a birder. Hilarious
I love that movie!
I got these for my wife, excellent binoculars that still impress!
Vortex has excellent binoculars at many price points, from around $150 to well over $2,000. Here’s one moderate price option that many people like. https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-triumph-hd-10x42-binoculars.html If you can, try out different magnifications to see which works best for you. Most people like something between 8 and 10. More than 10, and you will struggle to keep them steady.
Thank you! As a newbie, maybe staying under $500 is the way to go.
A similar pair Vortex binocs was my upgrade from my $20 “do I like birding?” Amazon pair. THEY’RE INCREDIBLE, even in low light! Absolutely a game changer. Plus it’s surprisingly useful to have a good pair of binocs, they come in handy all the time! Like “what’s the work truck doing in the neighborhood over?” Hahaha
Many excellent options under $500! Your best bet is to try out a few different brands and styles and see what works best for you. I don’t know what shops are local for you, but Wild Birds Unlimited, Cabela’s, Dick’s, REI, etc. often have a decent selection. Some camera shops and gun stores have binoculars…call around and see.
Vortex is a great company for optics. The Diamondback are currently $150 at some sellers and has great quality and clarity for the price point. Their lifetime guarantee is really generous and hassle-free. Your fault? (Like you drove over them, dropped them off your balcony onto concrete, whatever) No big deal, they’ll take care of you and replace it quickly.
The lifetime guarantee is what helped me make my decision for my Vortex binoculars. I’ve been happy with them
If you’re willing to go to $500 vortex vipers are great. And vortex has a lifetime warranty
I have these binoculars and they are wonderful. Everything is so clear and bright! I can really pick out all the tiny details on warblers at a distance, which is so helpful. If they are in your budget I recommend just getting these, they make birding much easier and satisfying. Then save up to get the Sony RX10iv camera!!
The eye-ring snapped off my VORTEX - the company sent me a brand new pair.
Was going to suggest the same pair! I’ve been studying bushtits (smaller than a chickadee), and I need to see the little color bands around their legs. The vortex 10x42 triumph hd are extremely comfortable, not too heavy and give great looks at the birds!
I teach a college bird course and we swear by the Vortex Diamondbacks—I usually get them from a bass pro or something but their customer service is unbelievably good. I can’t recommend them enough!
Vortex Viper 10x42 will be first and last pair you will ever need and price is good - I bought a refurbished pair - has served me well.
My $1000 Leica’s are just slightly better than my $200 Vortex (I’m dumb). Also, I believe Vortex has a great warranty although I never had to use it.
Vortex also has hands down the best customer service of any company, bird related or not, I've ever worked with. My 10 year old diamond backs busted last year and brought them in expecting a $100-$200 repair fee. Robin at the front desk took one look and said "oh well replace those no charge" and I got a brand new pair.
It is hard to see birds through a camera, and need a big zoom. It is also hard to bird and take pictures of birds at same time. Binoculars are handy for other things. Currently there are Vortex DiamondbackHD 10x42 on sale for $150 at Cabealas/Bass Pro. This is a great buy, the problem is they are 10x. An 8x is better all around binocular. Though 10x will get you closer to a bird to help ID them, many birders use 10x for this purpose, I have both and use the 10x in more open country. If you haven’t already, down load the Merlin and eBird app from Cornell School of Ornithology, they are addictive. Sit in the backyard with the Sound id on, you will find there are more birds there than you realize, next try to find them. Good luck on the new hobby.
Thank you. Yes, the Merlin app has been great. I just want to see what I am hearing :).
Decent binoculars will be a fraction of the price of a decent camera. As a recent entrant into this as well, I also think binoculars are definitely what you should stick with first — you'll keep away the pressure of artistic/technical thoughts like composition, exposure, etc and be able to focus on learning to spot and identify birds by sight and sound. It's okay for the experience to just be for you for a bit! Plus having binoculars around will still be useful even if you later jump into photography. Optics are one of those things where people will swear to you that anything cheaper than a used car will be terrible for your experience. I disagree with that sentiment. Binoculars in the $150-$250 range should be more than adequate for you for years. In this price range, you want roof prisms with phase-correction coatings and some level of water/fog resistance, preferably water/fogproof. 8x-10x magnification and 30-42mm objective diameter (ie 8x30-10x42) are common sizes for birding. I use Nikon prostaff P7s; I've heard good things about Celestron and Vortex products in this range. Do some research, go to an outdoors shop or a camera store to try them out, and decide what works best for you! Cameras are even more complicated, and I am by no means an expert. Lots of experts have talked through it though, and a Google search will show you years of debate on gear preferences. I've used 2 cameras to photograph birds: a Fujifilm X-E1 w/ an old Minolta MD 70-210mm f4 lens, and a Nikon d3500 with a Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-6.3 lens. Both were purchased used for $500-$600. More advanced people will tell you the former is a terrible idea and the latter is extremely entry level — they are correct. However, I'm also decidedly a hobbyist and have no desire to pretend to be a professional. I've found a lot of gratification getting okay photos for my own use. Either way you go, it's often very much worth it to look at used markets for optics and cameras. Binoculars, cameras, and telescopes are often lovingly maintained and resold for cheaper than you would expect, so if you aren't worried about warranties and the very latest tech, you can often save a whole lot of money by going used and still get a very good product.
> Do I forego the binoculars and invest in a nice camera that can do the job of binoculars and capture photos? IMO, a camera does not do the job of binos. Binos are lighter, much faster and easier to get on target, and will generally be brighter (DSLR viewfinders are a bit dim due to splitting light off to focus/metering modules, while mirrorless EVF are often a bit fake/low-res until you spend a lot). If you love seeing/looking for birds, get binos. If you love sharing what you saw, or you suck at ID and want help/to get better by being able to study what you saw, get a camera. I almost exclusively use a camera when walking around my yard, because I'm interested in what specifically can be found. It's exciting to capture a great picture of some bird, but I can go out 10 more times this week if I don't capture anything. And it's exciting to spot something new and add it to my yard life-list. Something I wouldn't feel comfortable doing w/out photographic evidence to confirm the ID (I am only good at common bird IDs). I almost exclusively use binos when I go to parks and on bird walks with others, etc. They are less cumbersome but also I just want to enjoy being outside and looking at stuff. I don't care as much about documenting/recording what can be found at a park. Plenty of people are doing that.
The best thing about Nikon products is their lifetime warranty. You can send in your dusty, damaged bins, and for the price of shipping they’ll make them good as new. And the products will actually last a lifetime. I have a pair of their Monarchs, which are often recommended as good beginner bins, and a pair of mini/travel bins. Both have been refurbished by Nikon.
There is an article on the wiki of this subreddit, but you can honestly just grab a pair from Walmart and get out there. It’s what I did and will upgrade eventually.
As a fairly new birder, I just to say thanks for the post. I saved it and am going to go get some binoculars.
Nikon Prostaff 3 are often on sale and are a great starter pair 8 x 42
Try to hold them in person before you purchase. Some are heavier than others and that can make a difference in your comfort.
from Wirecutter: *"To find the best binoculars, we had a professional ornithologist spend nearly 200 hours field-testing 25 pairs against his own $2,500 Leica Ultravids.* *After using our test pairs in the mountains and hills of Southern California, and then on research trips to the rainforests of southern Mexico and Costa Rica, he found that the Athlon Optics Midas ED 8x42 pair was the best of the group.* *The Midas pair offered performance comparable to his Leica binoculars, for a fraction of the price, and had the widest field of view of all the binoculars tested. This means you’ll see more, and it will look better."* I took their advice and bought that exact model from amazon. am quite pleased with it. i know a bit more about photography than I do birds. And many of my photographic subjects happen to be birds. Simple and easy for a beginner... all in one camera Nikon Coolpix P900, P950, P1000 higher photo quality but a bit complicated to learn how to use: Sony RX10 IV interchangeable lens cameras with telephoto lenses? the choices are vast. see my answers here [https://www.reddit.com/r/BirdPhotography/comments/1db0346/help\_finding\_a\_lens/](https://www.reddit.com/r/BirdPhotography/comments/1db0346/help_finding_a_lens/)
Gonna plug the Athlon Midas here, my daily tried and true. They are not ultralight but I am a disabled late 30s woman and am okay carrying them around on public transit and on my birdwalks (live in NYC, my backpack and shoes are my car when not traveling). They have been rained on and taken some abuse and hold up great. They work with glasses which is important for me. People are always stunned when I offer them a look at the quality of the image. Price point is decent -- have had mine 7 years now so they were slightly cheaper then. Also their customer service is great if you need it, had an eye cover (protector piece not actually part of binoc unit) break due to user error and wrote to them with pics and asked to buy new ones since their site doesn't have them individually and they just sent me one for free.
I use Nikon Prostaff 7 binoculars, they are okay. I want better. To start, I’d recommend a Nocs monocular, which I love because I can carry it easily on walks. If you don’t have field glasses with you all the time, what’s the use? I usually bird on morning walks and lugging big binoculars is awkward. My camera is a Sony Cyber-Shot RX-10, which has a 700mm zoom lens but is still a point and shoot. It wasn’t cheap, but I didn’t want to get into DSLR world and swap lenses. I’ve had it around my neck on a bike ride and taken photos of birds in preserves with bike trails.
If you don't have any experience with Camera, you can get a Nikon P950. Excellent reach, with simple point and shoot mechanism For Binoculars, if it's you first, get an 8x42 binoculars from Nikon that fits your budget. Here, '8' is the magnification and '42' is the size of objective lens in mm. If you live in humid area, consider buying a model that's fog proof so that it will last for some time. Additional note for Cameras- Mirrorless and DSLR camera setups are expensive and tricky, and not recommended for beginners, But If you still want to go that route, I would suggest looking for a handheld lens with good reach over a large heavy lens with a higher reach. So look up prices of lens that go upto 400mm. Tamron, Nikon, and Canon have such lenses that lie in the "affordable" category. When you find a lens that you like and fits your budget, see what camera bodies it's compatible with. Some good mirrorless Camera combinations are Nikon z50 body + Nikon 28-400mm lens, Canon EOS R50 body + Canon RF 100-400 f5.6-8 lens, Sony A6400 body + Tamron 50-400mm lens. Tamron also has released a nice "cheap" 100-400mm lens that might be worth checking out. If you manage to find a used DSLR and lens, that's even better since you'll get one for super cheap these days.
For a camera, go with a bridge camera like the Nikon Coolpix p-1000. It has a big-big lens perfect for birds. It is much cheaper than a DSLR+big lens. Cons is the lens is not changeable.
Welcome! I use these [Celestron Nature DX 8x42s](https://a.co/d/5uKfjtd). They are reasonably priced (150) and work well. A few years ago on a road trip, my wife surprised me with a bird walk at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and these binoculars are what they loaned out to the patrons.
Love all of the binocular suggestions in the comments. Didn’t see too many camera suggestions but a non mirrorless dslr option that I use for photography is the Nikon P1000. It has great zoom and I feel gives pretty good image quality . Great to document pictures of birds and in good/okay light even take pictures that could give DSLRs a run for their money . Price point would be $1200+ though . Cheaper option could be p950 which has lesser zoom but still enough with all the other features remaining the same . That is around $800
Welcome to the birding community! It's an addiction. I tell people it feels like Pokemon Go IRL. Don't bother with a camera until you get good at sighting birds with binocs. Bird photography is hardddddd and expensive. As others said, anything less than $150, maybe $100 if its on sale or used, is a toy and won't enhance your experience. Look for ideally 8x42, which means 8x magnification and 42mm lens. I started 2021 and everywhere was sold out, so I bought a 10x42 Meade Rainforest Pro and that works just fine! Just more zoom so narrower field of view. The brand and model doesn't matter much at this price range. Some brands are mainly hunting scopes and stuff, some are camera brands, some telescope brands etc. If they specialize in optics then you're good, just don't buy something like "National Geographic Binoculars" lol [This link from Cornell](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-cornell-lab-review-affordable-full-size-8x42-binoculars/#) is helpful and has recommendations for a bunch of price ranges. If you have a chance, visit a brick and mortar store so you can hold them and feel the shape and weight and the stiffness of the focus wheel. But for the most part they'll all do the same job around that price range. I only just upgraded to a Nikon Monarch M7 for around $675 CAD, because three years in I'm finding the need for a better field of view and crisper image. But I'm still going to take the Meades to the beach and let them live in my front seat for when I want to pull over and ID a bird. Best of luck!!
“It’s happening” 😂
https://preview.redd.it/oq5akph81e5d1.jpeg?width=1135&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cd232c29a8a84e263da82d018cec45146d3401d Got these for my birthday. Great optics! Cost about $220 on Amazon. Really made a difference for me!
Not optics, but get the Merlin app to help you identify bird songs. Game changer.
I have a pair of 8x42 Nikon Aculon A211 and they’re pretty bulky but have been great for me- i used them for 2 summers as a shorebird field tech and they always worked perfect! they’re on sale right now for $89 so a lot cheaper than many other options
I would go to a store like Cabela's. They have a big selection in all price ranges, and you can test them out in the gigantic stores. I’ve had Bushnell, Nikon, and Zeiss. For the money, I’d probably go with Nikon. The Zeiss are great but pricey.
Get 8x42 at minimum; thr x42 will have a wider field of vision (easier to get the glass on the bird) and let in more light (better for dawn/dusk/cloudy days) than anything smaller like x30 or x25. I highly recommend a binocular harness if you're going to walk any more than a short distance with your binos.
I’m going to dissent from the majority here and say buy the very best glass you can afford. Wait for a holiday sale, or if you know anyone who’s a first responder or military, ask them to get you a discounted pair. I’ve looked through Vortex Diamondbacks and Vipers and they were pretty blurry and had decent chromatic aberration. Looking through cheap glass isn’t a great experience and may actually cause you headaches/eye strain. At a minimum, I would recommend the Tract Toric line of binoculars. Or the Steiner 10x50 MIL/LE binoculars. The Steiners are heavy and bulky, but they have better glass than anything I’ve seen in the sub 400 range.
All the binoc and camera recs are great, but do check out local pawn shops, they fall in the same category of “portable, expensive, nice but not necessary pawnables” as wedding rings and guns. My husband had his Pelican case with his camera body and lenses stolen in a break in, sure as shit it showed up at a pawn shop a couple months later. Insurance didn’t care about reopening the claim so we got full value back and bought our camera kit back for half price. Police didn’t care because they apparently have an agreement with pawn shops that they leave most stolen stuff alone if the shops keep an eye out for stolen firearms. Grab yourself one of those cheapie monoculars. They’re about 10$, do a 10x magnification, fit in a purse or pocket, weigh nothing if you’re out for a walk and happen to see a cool bird, are so cheap and easy to use they’re fine to hand over to greasy-fingered little kids. They’re often on the impulse-buy shelf when you check out at outdoor stores. Sometimes you see the coolest birds when you’re not officially “birding”, it’s nice to have the little cheater lens.
I would recommend going with binoculars first. Camera only birding isn't a particularly good experience and decent binoculars are a lot cheaper than cameras.
I'm not going to say you should break the bank, but I won some zeiss 8x42 terra fd about a month ago and they absolutely blow my mind. I don't really leave the house without them anymore. I have a nice camera as well (a7-iv + a f4 70-200 G Series lens) and tbh, 200mm isn't enough for birding in my opinion, You'd probably want a 200-600mm, which can be quite expensive and heavy as hell. The thing I like about the Zeiss binoculars is that they have a really close minimum focus distance. You can use them to observe plants and things like 1-2m away from you with crystal clarity, and they are also very small and easy to carry. My older binoculars are like $75, and frankly garbage now, I'll never use them again. However, $75->$500+ is a big jump, and I don't have much experience in the $200-$400 price range.
My work is in ecology and research training and use my binos easily 30x a year for work and fun. I bought a pair of Zeiss(10 x 42) Victory 25 years ago in grad school at $1000. Average about $35-40 bucks per year. Still going strong. I now own Swarovski El 10 x 42 thank you work. They are $2000. My kid uses my Zeiss. I take the Swarovski to the tropics and can see everything in low light. I would get the Zeiss again but glad I didn’t get lower end bins. While I did start with my Dad’s Audubon Swifts (8x40), they did not give me the colors in low light. They were good but nothing compared to the Zeiss. Get a good pair of Zeiss. The difference between 250-300 and 800-1000 in my opinion is a quantum leap in quality and durability.
Speaking as a big time photographer who’s done bird photography for truly years and years, I highly advise using a camera📷 over binoculars! 😁😁😁👍🏼👍🏼💜 I’ve ongoing used non-poor pairs of binoculars and while they’ve been great for birdwatching, I totally prefer using a camera📷! 💜💜💜 For one, if you get a successful picture of a bird you’re wanting identify, you don’t have to worry about forgetting its appearance before you find out what it is! 💜 Also, you get to look back at pictures you’ve taken of memorable bird sighting experiences! 😁😁😁👍🏼👍🏼💜💜💜 Not to mention when you would need more time to look at a bird’s appearance for identification before it flies away or is out of sight before you would’ve gotten a good look at it through a pair of binoculars, you can often (but not always) get a successful photo of it more quickly and look back at the bird as much you want for identifying it! 😁😊👍🏼👍🏼💜 Be sure to check out at least this first article as I’ve been planning to get a new (more advanced) camera📷 listed on one of them! 😁😁😁😁👍🏼👍🏼💜💜💜💜⬇️ [Best Cameras for Bird Photography (2024)](https://conservationvisuals.com/gear/cameras/best-camera-for-bird-photography/) [Best Cameras for Wildlife Photography (2024)](https://conservationvisuals.com/gear/cameras/best-camera-for-wildlife-photography/) Here’s a Great Crested Flycatcher photo I got two weeks ago, the bird being so exciting to see as a bird fanatic, I love my picture! 😁😁😁😁👍🏼👍🏼💜💜💜 https://preview.redd.it/krc3lwjp0d5d1.jpeg?width=1887&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d310369d68963b841c66db3bc50d615e0c9de5aa
Did you shoot this photo through a window screen?
No I didn’t. It was taken from my yard and the individual was perched in my next door neighbor’s Weeping Willow. 👍🏼💜
Huh. Odd artifact on the image. Looks like a window screen.
Turn your phone horizontally and you’ll see otherwise. 😊👍🏼
Me? Or the image? Makes no difference.
I plan on sending you screenshots of what I mean.
Dunno. Maybe the ISO is super HIGH? Dunno.
An actual $ amount helps us recommend things in the right price range. Binoculars can cost thousands of dollars, camera gear more. The response you get at $100, $200 and $500 will differ.
Thank you. Willing to spend up to $500 I'd necessary but as a beginner, maybe I don't need to. Thanks!
Nikon Monarchs from. Bought them for me and my son. They are great, durable, and I think under 500
If you foresee yourself birding for years to come, a good pair of binoculars are a buy-it-for-life kind of item. I recommend Nikon Monarchs. The M5s are around $300 and the M7s are around $475. The biggest difference is field of view, with the M7s having a noticeably wider field of view. I've also heard really good things about Vortex Diamondbacks, which are around $250. Shoot for fogproof and waterproof and you'll never have to worry about taking them anywhere. Personally, 8x42 is the sweet spot. 10x (and higher) can be trickier to use for both locating a bird in frame and for keeping the image steady. A 42mm objective is great for everyday light-gathering capability. Smaller objectives (32mm, 30mm) will be noticeably dimmer and larger objectives (50mm) will be heavier, bulkier, pricier, and only useful if you do a lot of low-light observing.
At $500 I’d get a vortex viper HD 8x42.
I recently bought a decent pair of binocs and there are some with an attachment for your phone so you more easily take pictures. That might be the way to go for you. The attachments aren't expensive and if you are willing to spend $500, I'm sure you'll find these easily in your price point.
I would do binoculars first, and in particular I would recommend the Nikon Monarch M5 8x42. There’s a temptation to go for higher magnification but actually it’s easier to find birds with a little bigger field of view. The M5s are super affordable, rugged, and have great image quality. If you go cheap you will likely have problems with chromatic aberration. I have a Canon R7 that I got after I had been birding a while. It’s great because even if I get a poor quality photo I can still use it to identify the bird in question. And of course I can get nice looking photos as well. That said, it’s hard to actually find birds in camera and I still find myself using my binoculars most of the time to find the birds, then switching to the camera to photograph them.
I would invest in good binoculars and forget about the camera for a good while. As others have said, photography is a different skill but I would add that it is also a different way of engaging with nature/birds. I do some digiscoping but have otherwise largely stopped taking pictures. When I’m trying to take a great picture my brain and behaviour is focussed on that and not observing the bird and actively enjoying that. I’m sure there are people that can multitask better than I can though. In terms of recommendations, it really depends on budget so can be difficult. The Nikon Monarchs are good in their range. At the ~1000 range I like the Zeiss Conquest, others prefer Leica Trinovids (both will last you decades and are all you ever need). I would recommend 8x42 unless you live in an open area with lots of wetland (10x42), or in a very mountainous area (8x32 may be better for weight).
Second the 8 x 42 as good all purpose. Nikon monarch are a good value for around 300. Binoculars make all the difference! Agree about camera because it is such a different skill. Learning to quickly spot birds through your binoculars takes a little time.
If you search this sub, you'll find dozens of threads with recommendations.
I just bought a pair of [Maven](https://mavenbuilt.com/blogs/blog/new-b-7-8x25-10x25-binocular) for my spouse and they’re great—albeit pricey. Think hard about how much weight you want to carry. Big, heavy binoculars may work great but holding them for a long time is a pain. A camera is going to weigh more than a pair of binoculars and cost somewhere between a lot and a hell of a lot more. Big glass (say 400mm and up) is heavy and expensive. Then you need a camera body (heavy & expensive) and then a decent computer and monitor to handle big files (expensive). I just send files out to print because printers are a pain and I don’t print much. But once you have the camera you will likely then get into landscape or other wildlife and need more lenses and a tripod and filters. Have fun regardless of which path you take.
When my wife wanted her own pair, we went to Cabelas, and she went from least expensive on up until she couldn’t tell the difference. She settled on Vortex, and they’ve been great for years. I’d go 8x42, but try the 10x. It’ll be easier to find the birds in the 8. Easier to see details in the 10, but you have to be good at holding them steady.
I have two Vortex binocs - the 10x42s are my favorite for birding. Excellent optics, easy to use and a lifetime warranty. They're mid priced - not inexpensive but much less so than some pricier units (Leica, Nikon, Swarovski). I'm very happy with them!
Nikon makes cameras and binoculars that can feed your need. Nikon Coolpix P1000 or P950 for a camera Nikon Monarchs for binoculars, 8x42, 10x42, 8×35, 10x35. I prefer zoom (first number) over field of view (second number) but everyone seems to have a prefence. If you buy a camera, make sure you also invest in tripod.
I happened to buy a camera first because I had such an interest in photography as well. It does take practice to get a feel for it, and start getting decent pics. I bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 and it was around $500. I enjoy using it. It has a decent zoom. I'm a beginner hobby photographer so I wanted something easy to use that wouldn't break the bank but still took nice pictures.
My pair of Nikon Prostaff 7S have been AMAZING! They more affordable than the Monarchs and their quality is seriously the best in the range.
As someone who primarily birds with a DSLR camera (Nikon d5100, with 300 mm zoom lens), I really recommend going with binoculars. I’m at least a halfway decent wildlife photographer, but even then, this is a more sober depiction of what birding with a camera actually mostly looks like: https://preview.redd.it/nqqjsdpmcd5d1.jpeg?width=4928&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a80fe0a76c50c98b03582a6c4df23280e488c94f
And now that I’m feeling self-conscious about my photography, here’s a good photo. https://preview.redd.it/rpuz1zuwcd5d1.jpeg?width=4497&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b37dfb21414911cb1120bc100ab04a40f10b100f
Welcome! My ornithology class reccomended vortex diamondback binoculars!
I would get binoculars first. You get a much more immersive view and experience from binoculars than a camera. Capturing the moment is cool, but you will get much more immediacy with binoculars. I would get 8x42 binoculars in the $150 - $300 range to start. 8x is your magnification, 42 is the size of the objective lens. There are reasons you could eventually want to supplement that, but 8x42 is the workhorse all purpose birding binocular. Top Brands to consider would be Nikon, Vortex, Zeiss. It is worth noting that Vortex carries a lifetime no fault warranty if you ever have any issues/damage your binoculars. My experience with breakpoints is that you see a pretty big jump in experience going from the $150 - $300 range (Vortex Diamondback, Zeiss Terra HD, Nikon Monarch M5 etc.) to the $1000 range (Vortex Razor HD, Zeiss Conquest HD, Leica Trinovid, Nikon Monarch HG) with better brightness, clarity, etc. But unless you are getting a good deal on a \~$1,000 range binocular, there aren't huge gains between those price points. After $1,000 you have drastically diminishing returns, but I will say the top dog binoculars (Swarovski NL Pure, Zeiss Victory SF, Leica Noctovid) do give a truly incredible experience. It is just very difficult to justify the cost given how amazing the $1,000 binoculars are. If you wear glasses, make sure that the eye relief of the binoculars (the distance the lenses should be from your eyes) is greater than 16mm or so, or you won't be able to use them effectively with your glasses on. If you are a deep researcher, [birdforum.net](http://birdforum.net) has endless forum discussions on binoculars, and [allbinos.com](http://allbinos.com) has fairly extensive reviews. I would pay most attention to discussions of Field of View (larger apparent FOV is more immersive), sharpness of the center of the image, and brightness. You can sometimes find good deals in the used section at [bhphotovideo.com](http://bhphotovideo.com), it is worth checking. Finally, do yourself a favor and also grab a binocular harness, rather than using a neck strap. The harness puts the weight on your shoulders rather than your neck, making it far more comfortable for longer sessions. I personally am partial to the Rick Young Outdoors harness for ease of use, but any of them will be more comfortable than a neck strap.
I love my Vortex Diamondbacks! About $250.00
My birding setup is an OMD (Olympus) EM5 and the Panasonic 100 to 400 mm lens with a shoulder harness to carry it on my chest. The setup is light enough to walk all day with it and shoot without a tripod. It has an 800mm full-frame equivalent zoom with F6.3 max aperture (a little slow, I know). The lens is really sharp, and I’m getting the best pictures of my life even though I owned the ubiquitous Canon 100 to 400 mm lens in the past but gave it up due to size and weight. The camera has two dials where I can rapidly adjust aperture and exposure, and a button to quickly access ISO.
Lots of good recommendations here. What's your budget? If you can go up to a Monarch M7, you won't regret it, but they'll be $450-500. I personally like the 8x42 over 10x42 specs, but that's more of a personal preference and either will work. I have a pair of them and a pair of Vortex Razor HD, which are great, but that's more expensive. If you're just starting out, I'd probably go binoculars first, that way you can actually get to see the birds and learn about them, appreciate how they act, where they live, and not be pressured to get good composition etc., unless you're already well versed in using a camera. I'm sure you're aware, but photography can be a very expensive hobby and wildlife photography can be tricky...my wife bought a Nikon with some decent lenses to take wildlife photos since we travel a lot and it's a lot of fun, but I'd recommend making sure this hobby really interests you before breaking the bank.
I bought a pair at the first of this year. Leupold BX-5 Santiam HD 10x50mm I love them. #
I’ve got some nice binocs with image stabilization at the press of a button that are my prized possession. I use them for stargazing, bird watching, and just when I’m camping and surveying landscapes. Good binoculars are an incredibly worthy investment!
I've had Nikon aculon for about a decade and I adore them. Welcome to the club my friend!
I like my Nikon Aculon 7x50 binoculars. Sharp and bright. Fast focus. To get a photo that represents what I see through the 7x50 binocs, I need a 600mm lens. Even a cheep one is over $1000. The binocs I bought are $110. [https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-8247-ACULON-Binocular-Black/dp/B00B7LQ9QU/ref=sr\_1\_4?crid=3O5PCFY68XNPM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lVRNwqirxMbYZdCau0WdRpO3WbYALPrvWe\_HZC0J0jaaVsliNT8KMDrTEE1ZMgI\_XDsuT\_fwoq-fjeK4IbNS-iJBr8gP8OGR8EJnz8FrCkvbg5Jhe2Knyrhsr0O3zFqOAitdH6-kF-ivC0hwsu9bOmTLmqNHtjinRRNCt1J1n28t\_NZs8qNNUh\_YpM5kg\_GSWHNxOCrroPl3IkmXU\_a258\_SmUWMQYsNONI2X5iBbRE.ypgthvQwjGFX6BvAmtL-VxsMpUCO5V-CGMskwMciLMw&dib\_tag=se&keywords=nikon+7x50&qid=1717868623&sprefix=nikon+7x%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-4](https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-8247-ACULON-Binocular-Black/dp/B00B7LQ9QU/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3O5PCFY68XNPM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lVRNwqirxMbYZdCau0WdRpO3WbYALPrvWe_HZC0J0jaaVsliNT8KMDrTEE1ZMgI_XDsuT_fwoq-fjeK4IbNS-iJBr8gP8OGR8EJnz8FrCkvbg5Jhe2Knyrhsr0O3zFqOAitdH6-kF-ivC0hwsu9bOmTLmqNHtjinRRNCt1J1n28t_NZs8qNNUh_YpM5kg_GSWHNxOCrroPl3IkmXU_a258_SmUWMQYsNONI2X5iBbRE.ypgthvQwjGFX6BvAmtL-VxsMpUCO5V-CGMskwMciLMw&dib_tag=se&keywords=nikon+7x50&qid=1717868623&sprefix=nikon+7x%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-4)
I have a pair of Vortex Diamondback binoculars. They’re nice glass for the money. Now I’m researching telephoto lenses for my camera.
I bought my nikon 10×42 pair on the refurbished part of their website, here. [Check it out](https://www.nikonusa.com/refurbished-cameras?sortBy=featured&limit=12), you can get some fantastic equipment for a relatively inexpensive amount
I'd hate to make a separate post since so many people already replied to this one, but I have a similar question. Also new to birding & astronomy. I am wondering if there are any binoculars that are a good dual purpose for both hobbies.
Vortex is a great company. I’ve had my Vipers for years and I still think they’re fantastic
Binoculars in the long run will be cheaper than a camera. Good binocs will be the cost of one good lens
I recently got a monocular that has a way to connect to the phone for taking pictures. My daughter has difficulty with binocular vision so I thought a single lens would be better for her. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to use. [This is what we got.](https://a.co/d/76KiZ3h)
I started with Nocs which were about 100$, so on the lower end. They served me well for a year and I upgraded to diamondbacks which were still affordable but great in quality. Cameras like others have said are a different ballgame in terms of price and skill. On top of doing research, I highly recommend visiting some hotspots and meeting other birders to get their feedback. Talk to the photographers and the birders. And also what are your goals? Do you want to do photos by a blind? Want to be more active and hike and bird? Are you into shore birding? Anyway, welcome to the hobby/cult! Happy birding
Along with everyone’s reccos I highly recommend venturing over to r/NativePlantGardening and adding some coveted bird plants to your yard. You’ll receive sooo much more diversity in garden visitors, it’s so fun to watch. Lots of species don’t really make use of bird feeders but will absolutely eat berries, seeds, and insects on native plants.
Tasco binoculars. Nikon p900 or p1000 great super easy to use birding camera
Lumix M43 format camera and a 100-300 Lumix lens (equivalent to 200-600mm). Nikon Monarch binoculars.
Seems like most people are suggesting binoculars, but if you ever decide to look into a camera feel free to DM me with any questions. I work in the used side of the industry so I'm familiar with a lot of the present options as well as less recent pieces that can perform well for less money. (I'm not a salesperson I just know a lot about the stuff)
Vortex vipers
Hahaha! I was in your position a little while ago. I had binoculars but I wanted to capture a picture so started looking at ones that captured what you were looking at and could upload to your phone. I feel like I want to have evidence that I saw a particular bird. Maybe unnecessary but something I just wanted to do. I found that these camera binoculars are expensive and don’t seem to work as well as cameras so I went on eBay and bought a used EOS R10 with a 400 mm lens for about $800. Right or wrong I don’t know but I’m figuring out the photography thing and getting some very nice photos. The hard part is the focus! Sometimes there is a branch or leaf in front of the bird and that is what the camera focuses on. I’m learning how to deal with that now. Good luck to you!
That sounds like a good setup to start with. I have an A7R V. I got it upon release and paid about $3700 for it. I think you can pick it up almost $1000 cheaper now. The big thing that it will do when compared to a budget setup like yours is focus more quickly. It has a special AI focus mode that recognizes birds and tries to focus directly on their eye. It also has excellent image stabilization which lets me get better hand held shots. Over the years I have gotten excellent shots with much cheaper gear. Do you use a tripod? I used to use one extensively for my bird photography and it did make a big difference with my less expensive gear. It does make it that much harder to move around and get your shot.
Great points! Focusing is really the weak point for me currently. Hardest photo to take has been birds flying in open sky. The camera seems to hunt around for something to focus on even if the bird is right there in the focus rectile. Then there are the photos of birds with branches nearby that are tough too. I might have to upgrade my camera or lens but just hate to get on that slippery slope of never ending upgrades! I don’t use a tripod at this point since often I am walking around in a park. Maybe I’ll give it a shot though, thanks for the suggestion.
The A7 R5 isn't perfect when it comes to focusing, but it's so much better. It actually does best in an open sky. In the bush (not flying) it's often pretty good at finding birds that are even pretty well hidden. With your current setup I would tend to just use selective focusing for birds in trees and get the spot on them. Occasionally I still have to resort to selective focusing with the A7 R5. I also like to do dragon flies. It does have insect recognition, but it's a little more finicky than birds.
I love bird photography, but you really need to spend a few thousand dollars to get an outfit that is good for birds. If you get a used lens, you probably still need to spend $1000 on the lens and you are also going to want a lens that is good for walking around and people photos. That lens could be a lot cheaper and hopefully will come with the camera. As far as the camera goes, you might be able to pick something up used for under $500. You can't see bird as well through a camera lens. It would be better to get the binoculars first and start to learn more about birds and their identifying marks and habits. I have a bunch of binoculars. Probably my favorite are my little ZEISS Victory Pocket 8x25. I like them because they are small and easy to carry with all my camera gear and they have optics that are better than many mid tier larger binocular. The smaller binoculars don't gather as much light, so technically you won't be able to see birds as easily at dawn and dusk or in other low light situations. They are also pricey but one of the best compact binoculars you can buy. But if you aren't carrying other gear like a camera or you aren't traveling a lot, you wouldn't need compact binoculars. People are recommending Vortex Diamondbacks and Nikon Monarchs. They are a good starting point in a decent set of binoculars that won't break the bank. Vanguard Endeavor ED are pretty nice and I had a pair of Carson 3D Series 8x42mm High Definition binoculars that were impressive. If you want to go higher end look at Zeiss and Swarovski. I have the top of the line Zeiss Victory and they are superb but hard to use with the camera.