How do you choose a pair of Binoculars?

For an average Indian what are the options to go shopping for a pair? A Camera shop somewhere or online – say Amazon or Flipkart. In a shop the salesperson won’t have a clue which is what and suited for which purpose (sadly true for most salesmen in India). The information on the online portal is sketchy at best.

The common brands available in India would be Nikon, Olympus, occasionally Bushnell, a few Pentax binoculars. Then there are the Zeiss, the Leicas and if you push it, the Swarovski. Sometimes with some specialized dealers, you can get Hawke or Celestron binoculars.

Lets take Nikon as an illustration. As a company, they have a fine tradition of making optical equipment and that includes binoculars and scopes. Their India website has porro prism binoculars for Rs. 10,000 or less to roof prism bins worth Rs 80,000.Makes choosing a complex task indeed

Another example is Pentax. You can buy the less expensive (made in China) models off Amazon. Their premium ZD line is however not available (Ricoh India apparently cannot decide on its warranty as there is no local repair unit. Internationally it carries a 30-year warranty).

Internationally most manufacturers have the actual manufacturing outsourced. Economics dictate China as the manufacturing hub. So the same Chinese factory is probably making bins for Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, Celestron, Hawke, GPO, Opticron, Maven, Bushnell, Leupold, and more. The Zeiss Terras are also made in China (but to Zeiss standards).So are GPO binoculars.

Here, quality depends on price point usually and in some cases, quality control standards set by the contracting company. What you can expect in an inexpensive binocular is plastic/ polycarbonate body, Chinese glass, often BK7 (at times BAK4 which however means different in different parts of the world). Sometimes weather sealed and nitrogen/ argon purged. Let us say a price range from 100$ to 400$. The pricier ones are likely to be better made. The warranty can be iffy. It is considered pointless to repair a 100USD bin. One might as well buy a new pair given that labour cost in repair will add up to the price of a new one. In factLeupolds and Mavens come with a lifetime replacement warranty. It goes bad you get a new pair, no questions asked.

Glass makes a difference The quality of glass, the manufacturing process, the degree of corrections against aberrations, anti-reflective coatings (which are proprietary), the phase coating on the prisms (again propriety) all impinge on the final performance and price. In reality, the glass that is most commonly used for binocular prisms is BK7. This is a Borosilicate Crown glass. Higher quality binoculars use BaK4 glass; this is a Barium Crown glass. It has a higher refractive index than BK7; this means that its critical angle is lower and that less peripheral light will be "lost" through non-total internal reflection. When light is lost through non-total internal reflection, it gives rise to blue-grey segments (‘cut-offs’ in the exit pupil)

Another marketing tool is to use the term ’ED Glass’. Different companies define ED glass differently. ED stands for extra low dispersion glass – glass that minimizes chromatic aberrations. Material matters (and so does design) In case of a Zeiss Alpha (or a Leica or Swarovski or even in Opticron, Nikon and Pentax high end bins), ED might mean use of calcium fluorite in their lenses –expensive. Pure fluorite crystal can be molded into lenses – but – would be extremely expensive. It has been done and used in bins and scopes though. Glass comes in infinite variety and just making two batches with the same optical performance is an art. The leading optical glass makers are Schott(part of the Zeiss Stiftung), HOYA and Ohara, Corning and of course a range of Chinese stuff.

The third marketing word is Coatings. Some will say ’coated optics’. Some will say ‘multi-coating’ which probably means all the glass-air surfaces are coated. Some will say HD. Look for fully multicoated bins. The coatings vary from company to company. A Zeiss SF is dark pink, the Conquest HD orangish pink, the Swarovski is greenish.

Next see if the glass exteriors have water and dust repellant coating. That is very helpful, given that ours is a dusty, rain prone country.Swarodur, Locutec, Aquadura are terms indicating proprietary dust / water repellent coatings.

The third group is European manufactured bins. Usually a magnesium alloy chassis, good rubber armoring; Excellent fit and finish and design; fine lenses, prisms, coatings, waterproof and inert gas purged (the prevents internal fogging when you step out in winter), good - great focusers, good carrying bag, strap and fine service.

Zeiss is no doubt the oldest name in optics. Their operation started in a German city called Jena. Jena came under American and then Soviet occupation after WW2. Then Jena went to the East Germans. Post WW2, Carl Zeiss Jena was among the most recognizable names in optics but there was also the Zeiss West Germany company. After unification, Doctor, another well-respected name in optics, bought CZ Jena and operated it manufacturing bins and more till they shut shop in early 2000s. The present day Zeiss business is in Germany, as we know it today.However they have a factory in Hungary. The first line of Zeiss Victory & Conquest binoculars was made in Hungary. The feedback was negative. Now Zeiss Hungary manufacture spectacle lenses, IOL etc.

The sheer amount of empirical research in optics and glass that Zeiss funded is mind-boggling. Those who are photography buffs would recognize terms like Sonnar, Tessar, Biotar – lens designs from the Zeiss stable – and still form the basis of many zoom and prime lenses. The HensholdtDialyt, the Zeiss Dialyt are some binocular designs that dictated how bins were to be made. Folklore states that the owner of Swarovski, loved outdoors and birds and used a Zeiss Dialyt. He wanted to make something better. War Time – German manufacturing was divided among Leitz (now called Leica), Zeiss and Swarovski (and some more smaller companies). In the late 1990s Zeiss went radical and introduced the FL – Abbe Koenig prisms, fluoride lenses,fibre reinforced polyamide body– the best that money could buy. Europeans called the body Plastic! Swarovski grabbed that upper end market (hunters and then birders) with the EL range.

Upper end bins are made today with magnesium alloy chassis. Zeiss Terra line, which we have talked of are Chinese in origin (Rs. 30000 – Rs. 40000). The Zeiss Conquest (Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 130000) and Victory Pocket (Rs. 55,000 or so) are Japanese made.The Zeiss SF (Rs. 1.5 lacs – Rs 2 lacs) and HT (Rs. 2 lacs) lines are German made. Some of you might have seen the SF and they are fantastic. 8.8 degrees (8x42), sharp, contrasty, with the eyepiece so designed to push the weight backwards – leading to great ergonomics. As a company they offer fine products and fine service. They have a workshop in Bangalore.

Swarovski bins are serviced in Austria – so your dealer shall have to handle that. Leica, given their long presence in India should be having a service centre here. Nikon and others do not have service centres here in India for bins. Modern bins need laser collimators and nitrogen purging systems and seal repairs – not the task for neighborhood dada.

There are some more European manufacturers – Meopta out of Czech Republic, Blaser of Germany etc. They make good binoculars. Japanese companies like Kowa, Opticron out of UK are some of the other well reputed manufacturers.

Check out what Nikon offers. They do have a wide range of products on offer. If birding/ wildlife is a profession – a tour operator, a researcher, a forester – invest in a good pair. It need not be Rs. 2 lacs but could be Rs 75000. Better made, more pleasure and comfort. No eye aches / headaches. Helps you identify subjects better in critical situations. Could save your butt from an elephant in musth stalking you. If you take care of it (there are no electronics to go bad), they will last 20 years or more if backed by great service. Rs. 75000 in 20 years translates to Rs. 300 odd a month. That is what – 2 plates of Biriyani?

Funnily enough the difference in performance in a 300USD bin and 800 USD bin will be striking. Sharper, more contrast, wider field, better built, easy to carry. The difference between 800USD bin and 2000 USD bin will be far less and not very easy to make out.

The photographer – does he need bins? That is a question he needs to answer himself. I feel yes, it helps spotting things that are far away, sometimes camouflaged. That camera – 800 grams, the lens – 2kg to 4kg, batteries, backpack -it could be too much. There are light-weight options. Look at 8x30, 8x32, 8x25, 10X25 - barely 300gm – 600 gm. In the light that you can photograph, these will do so very well. In good modern bins, the difference between a 8x32 and a 8x42 is actually minuscule – such has been the advancements in design and materials. In Rajasthan the light is far better. In Arunachal the light usually sucks. So 42mm vs 32 mm – you shall have to decide for yourself. An 8x is held to be good for birding. But a 7x will give a wider field and bigger depth of field. The 10X will be heavier, with a narrower field, may lead to hand shake but will show more detail and do better in low light. Preferences are individual. You may be ok with a narrow but very well corrected bright field. Someone else might prefer a wide field.

Herping, flowers, insects, butterflies. This is a niche area. You can use any bin. But do take a look at the Pentax Papilo II. Made in China, plastic, and not weather sealed. But superbly sharp and contrasty, these are reverse porro prism binoculars designed to watch things close and focus as close as 50cm. The detail it reveals is incredible. Comes in 6.5X21 and 8.5X21. You can use them for casual birding too at a pinch.

Now how do you chose between a High End Nikon – Rs. 80, 000 (say 8x42) and a Zeiss Conquest 8x42 Rs.80,000? Ask about post sales service, handle both of themif you can. See if it fits your hands comfortably. Check the case and strap. Invest wisely.Again, at the end of the day you shall have to decide what is best for you.

While using a binocular do hold them in line with your eyes. Adjust the hinge so that you see one image. There is usually a slight vision difference between 2 eyes. That is why Binoculars have a diopter correction. It is an additional wheel beneath the eyepiece on the right barrel (sometimes it is beneath the central focusing wheel). Focus your bins on a stationary, well-lit subject that has details/ contrast. Close your right eye. Look through the left and adjust focus till the subject is crisp. Then pull up the diopter adjustment ring. Then close the left eye and view through the right. Adjust the diopter ring till the image is crystal clear and sharp. Push down the diopter ring. It should stay set. When you lend the bin to a friend, he/she will change the interpupillary distance (we all have different faces), so you will have to change it back. Same is with the dioptre. Try not to float the binocular in the air while viewing.Anchor it on the bridge of your nose or beneath your brow. Be comfortable first and do be safe. Look where you are stepping.

These prices are what are available on the web. The table is just to give an idea how wide the range could be. If you know someone who knows someone else or the local dealer, you may expect a discount of MRP, anything between 10% to 20%. Red Dot, Blue Shield, Hawk emblem – flaunt it and make others envious.