do you use binoculars to help spot wildlife?

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wotan1

wotan1

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I am curious to know whether people use binoculars in the field to aid in finding wildlife subjects? If so, when and what kind?

I have been debating getting a new pair of binoculars and have considered Swarovski but have been repelled by the steep prices. On a recommendation of a friend I picked up a pair of Maven b1.2 8x42 binoculars for a third of the price of a comparable Swarovski. According to my friend they are close to Swarovski performance.

I have not previously employed binoculars during a field photo shoot but I was amazed at how useful they were in spotting birds. Or maybe it is my old (pre-cataract surgery) eyes needing help.

Anyway I am curious if anyone uses binoculars during wildlife field trips.

I am NOT talking about taking photos through binoculars, only using them for spotting subjects.
 
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I do. I find them helpful in both locating birds and animals at a distance so I can figure out a way to get closer, and also for precise identification. For example, recently, Ebird checklists in my area were reporting Eurasian Wigeons, as well as American Wigeons. Binoculars make it easy to scan a raft of ducks to determine if it contained any of the Eurasian version.
 
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As above ^, for birds it makes no sense to me to use binoculars if I'm out photographing birds (and I'm not much of a birder -- e.g. concerned about simply 'seeing' the bird; sightseeing through the binocs). However, when I was shooting mammals, bigger game, when I lived in the mountainous west, binocs were helpful when hiking with camera -- e.g. spot the animals at a great distance and then hike toward them to get within photo distance. That said I rarely actually wound up taking my binocs and tend, still, to simply scan over distance with the long lens to 'spot' animals to move toward. Then to quality, for my purposes, I worry only about the portability of the binocs and that their resolution is good enough that I know what I'm looking at :) versus having great optics to 'observe' the animals through the glass.
 
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Yes, almost always. As others have said, I carry them mainly to spot and ID birds, but sometimes just to pause, put down the camera, and use them to watch and observe the birds and their behavior in their natural habitat. I sometimes carry a small spotting scope for the same reasons. I have two pairs of Nikon binoculars—and older 8x42 Monarch 5 and a smaller 8x30 Pro Staff 7S.
 
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I use 10x25 binoculars whose carry case attaches to my belt or can fit inside a jacket pocket or a water bottle pocket on a backpack. They weigh only 12.4 ounces and so having them hanging off my neck while holding a camera and telephoto lens is not a problem. There are binos with 20mm objectives but one saves little or nothing in weight or cost and the 25mm objectives have 56% more surface area for light transmission. The 10x helps with details as compared to an 8x.

I also use the Merlin bird song ID app on my phone to detect small birds that are not in sight. If I know something is in the scrub or the trees I can take the time to spot the bird.
 
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I use them often, unless I have too much other equipment to schlep. They’re a great help in scanning open meadows and valleys for wildlife, so that I can better anticipate animal behavior and position myself accordingly. For example, when I’m in Yellowstone, I like using them to locate pronghorn, wolves, coyotes, and smaller mammals, then figuring out how best to get in place without spooking the animals. I also like using them to scan for owls, which are often difficult to see with the naked eye (for me at least).
 
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wotan1 said:
I am curious to know whether people use binoculars in the field to aid in finding wildlife subjects? If so, when and what kind?

I have been debating getting a new pair of binoculars and have considered Swarovski but have been repelled by the steep prices. On a recommendation of a friend I picked up a pair of Maven b1.2 8x42 binoculars for a third of the price of a comparable Swarovski. According to my friend they are close to Swarovski performance.

I have not previously employed binoculars during a field photo shoot but I was amazed at how useful they were in spotting birds. Or maybe it is my old (pre-cataract surgery) eyes needing help.

Anyway I am curious if anyone uses binoculars during wildlife field trips.

I am NOT talking about taking photos through binoculars, only using them for spotting subjects.
Click to expand...
I have a spotter…my bride is excellent at finding them for me…well, with the exception of the li'l tiny birds in the trees, they're known to us as Taunty Birds.
 
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Since I have never used binoculars, I'm just wondering how they aid you above just looking through the camera with your long lens on. Better magnification?
 
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i use them when I am out, just because I'm curious about what's out there at the edge of my eyesight. I have a harness used by hunters that holds the binolculars close to my body when I'm not using them so they are out of the way of my camera, which I carry on a sling.
 
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I use binos to find & identify birds across large distances where my lens doesn’t have enough reach. Helps me pick out/decide if I want to devote more time to getting closer to that species, especially during migration season, when that small bird in the foliage could be another chickadee or a Blackburnian Warbler.

That, and constantly scanning through the camera (Z8) eats up battery. Plus, it’s much easier holding up tiny binos vs. a camera/lens.

“If you need binoculars to ID a bird, you’re too far away for a good shot”. Technically yes, but that’s when you put in some effort and get closer 😉
 
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I don't use them, if I can't see them with my eyes they aren't worth taking a photo. Even if I see them, they are often too far away. On occasion, I'll use a thermal scanner, it seems better at finding critters than eyesight.
 
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Yes, especially when we are scouting new areas. You can spend a lot on binoculars and to a degree, there is some performance improvement at the high end, especially in terms of light gathering/brightness. However, for the money, the Nikon Monarch M7's are an excellent choice.
 
I use them. And not dinky opera editions. Nikon 10X50’s. I don’t like waving a long lens around using the camera as a spotting scope. This epiphany came to me many years ago when I saw stupid hunters checking out other hunters with their rifle scopes.😳 Yup, the woods are full of them it should come as no surprise to anyone. For me personally, they never get in the way because I’m used to having them along.
 
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It depends - I have them sometimes depending on the situation. For instance, in Africa I may use them to spot distant subjects and then instruct the driver to head to that location. It's also nice sometimes just to see a distant animal, even if you can't take a photo.
 
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I always have a set in my truck. If I am planning to leave the vehicle, I carry Swarovski 8x25 CL pocket binos. If staying in the truck for sure, I have a set of Swarovski 8X42 binoculars. Yes, the Swarovski are expensive, but I have learned after owning many pairs of "good for the price" optics, plus 22 years of using military binos, that nothing replaces quality optics. Those two sets of binos should last me the rest of my life. Many of us try to buy the best lenses we can afford for our cameras, then cheap out on binoculars. You get what you pay for IMHO.
 
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wotan1 said:
I am curious to know whether people use binoculars in the field to aid in finding wildlife subjects? If so, when and what kind?

I have been debating getting a new pair of binoculars and have considered Swarovski but have been repelled by the steep prices. On a recommendation of a friend I picked up a pair of Maven b1.2 8x42 binoculars for a third of the price of a comparable Swarovski. According to my friend they are close to Swarovski performance.

I have not previously employed binoculars during a field photo shoot but I was amazed at how useful they were in spotting birds. Or maybe it is my old (pre-cataract surgery) eyes needing help.

Anyway I am curious if anyone uses binoculars during wildlife field trips.

I am NOT talking about taking photos through binoculars, only using them for spotting subjects.
Click to expand...
I do. They’re attached to my wife who’s a great spotter and ider. We use razor vortex us. They’re a little heavy but an improvement over the monarchs and near if not equal to swarovski quality, but less expensive.
 
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I use them all the time. Wide open spaces out here in Wyoming so even big animals can look small. Helps to locate them and then forge a plan to get closer.
I also use Maven optics. They're manufactured right up the road from me.
 
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For me a good pair of binoculars is indispensable, without them I would see and photograph 1/10th of the animals.
I use a 10x32 if I need to look for small subjects, an 8x42 for larger subjects or if I need to observe for a long time
 
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