Best Binoculars For Safaris

I often get asked: what are the best binoculars for safaris. This usually comes from people who don’t use binoculars very often, if at all and are obviously going on a safari holiday and need a good pair of binoculars. They need a good set, but a ones that will not break the bank as they will probably not use them all that often on their return.

So, a good pair of binoculars ideal for travel and wildlife observation at a great price:

Overall, I would say if you are looking for a good value binocular that is ideal for taking on safari, Steiner 10.5×28 Wildlife Pro’s or the Steiner 12×30 Wildlife Pro Binoculars are hard to beat.

Compact enough to easily carry in your luggage as well as with on a walking safari and take your camera along with as well. If you plan on a walking safari and want to take your camera with, I would suggest the smaller 10.5×28’s

Tough enough to survive the travelling a well as general bumps in the 4×4 on safari.

Excellent quality optics and workmanship from one of the best brands.

All at what I would call a reasonable price. So plenty of binoculars for your money.

More about Me

I used to work as a safari guide in South Africa and so used to use my own pairs as well as see those of the guests and comparing different brands and versions is what first got me interested in binoculars. Since returning to the UK from South Africa, I set up the binocular reviews website and have a section on the best binoculars for safaris. I also have a section on my Safari Guide Website, that will help: Safari Binocular Reviews: Best Safari Binoculars

I hope this helps and I hope that you have a great holiday.

Leupold Katmai Wind River Binoculars

Also known as the Green Ring range, all Leupold Wind River Binoculars are designed for the outdoors and wildlife observation. The Katmai series of Wind River binoculars are slightly different in that they are much smaller than full size binoculars, only slightly bigger than truly compact binoculars, yet they still offer almost the same performance of a full size binocular.

Configurations Available:

• 10×32 mm
• 8×32 mm
• 6×32 mm

The smaller 32mm diameter objective lens means that they are far more compact than the standard 42mm versions, yet not so small that they sacrifice performance.

Depending on which model you are looking at, they have a list price of between $470 and $550, but are usually available for sale at a far cheaper price and I seen them on Amazon and Eagle Optics for between $320 – $370

So in my opinion these make ideal travel companions, small enough to easily pack away into your luggage and simple to carry around with you.

For more information and where to buy, take a look at this in-depth review of Leupold Wind River Binoculars.

Brunton Echo Binoculars

I was introduced to a less well known Brunton brand of binoculars the other day that I think are well worth mentioning.

Brunton is an American company based in Riverton, Wyoming, that are best known for their top of the range outdoor and camping equipment, They produce items like high end portable stoves, solar heating devices and compasses.

Brunton Binoculars
Their flagship range are the Brunton Epoch binoculars that are good, but are probably out of the price range for most people, except a few that are looking for the best optics and even then I feel most people would probably end up choosing more recognizable brand, like a pair of Carl Zeiss or Swarovski binoculars.

This is why it is the series of Brunton Echo Binoculars that are for me most interesting. They sit just above entry level, but still have many features that you would probably expect to find in far more expensive optics, things like Bak-4 prism glass with fully multi-coated lenses. They are also fully waterproof as well as nitrogen filled to prevent fogging up.

There are 10 different binoculars in three sizes in the Echo Series, Full size, Medium and compact binoculars.

The medium 8×32 and 10×32 Echo binoculars are of real interest, especially to those looking for a pair to take on safari or other outdoor or wildlife adventure as I feel that they offer a good compromise between size, quality and brightness of image and of course price.

Whilst they are never going to compete with the quality of the Swarovski EL 32 binoculars, for my money some of the finest binoculars in the world, they are however FAR FAR cheaper.

A pair of Swarovski’s costs between $1500 and $2000, but at around $210 – $250, the Brunton’s are almost 10x cheaper, yet the Swarovski’s are definitely not 10x better.

Overall, I think the best way to sum up the Echo Range from Brunton, would be value for money.

They are not the best binoculars in the world and they are far from being the worst. But I do think that you get a pretty decent pair of binoculars for the amount you pay. If you are looking for the best, I am afraid you will still have to pay for it and get something like a pair of Swarovski’s. But if you are looking for a good dependable, take anywhere pair of binoculars, you could do far worse that a pair of Brunton Echo Binoculars.

USA Shoppers
Brunton Echo Binoculars on Amazon.com

Great Savings on Swarovski binoculars

Swarovski EL 10x32 Binocular on Sale

If you were thinking of purchasing a real quality pair of optics, now may be the time as whilst I researching the fantastic range of Swarovski EL Binoculars, I noticed that Eagle Optics currently have a sale on most of their Swarovski binoculars as well as their scopes.

For example the Swarovski EL 10×42 Binoculars which are ideal for birdwatching and wildlife viewing have a suggested retail price of $2187.78 and they are listed on Eagle Optics for $1749.00, saving you an impressive $438.78 (20%) or if you are after something a little more compact, the Swarovski EL 10×32 Binocular has a list price of $2098.89 and are listed on Eagle Optics for $1679.00, saving you $419.89 (20%)

For more details follow to my blog post on  Swarovski binoculars on sale at Eagle Optics on the Best Binoculars & Binocular Reviews Website.

Post Update
Since writing this post, i have now also reviewed the binoculars in the Swaroviski EL range, so for more information and full reviews on these binoculars, take a look at the following links below:

• Swarovski Binoculars
• Swarovski EL Binoculars

Discount Binoculars: Nikon Monarch ATB 8×42 Binoculars

Nikon 8x42 Monarch ATB Binoculars

One of the best value for money binoculars on the market, has just got even better. The Nikon Monarch ATB 8×42 waterproof binocular at it’s full asking price was always good value for money, with some excellent quality BAK-4 Prisms and fully multi-coated lenses combined with a tough, armoured exterior made these some of the best selling binoculars on the market.

Binoculars for Sale
Now the price has been highly reduced on some sites, I think that this is now one of the best deals on a quality pair of binoculars out there.
Amazon have taken almost 45% off the asking price, whilst Binoculars.com and Eagle Optics also have big discounts on them.

>> Check Prices

For a full review of these excellent optics, read the Best Binoculars & Reviews guide to the Nikon Monarch ATB 8×42 waterproof binocular as well as a guide to  Nikon Optics: Nikon Scopes & Binoculars.

Discount Binoculars: Canon IS Image Stabilized Binoculars

A few of the fantastic Canon Images Stabilized Binoculars are currently been discounted on some of the top binocular retailers.

One of the best innovations, especially in high powered binoculars is that of Image Stabilization. Image Stabilization Binoculars (or Image Stabilisation if you live in the UK) were pioneered by Canon and as such they produce some of the best available.

To make them work there is a button on top of the Canon Stabilized binoculars that you press if you want the image shake to stop whilst you are looking through them. Inside the binoculars there is a microprocessor and two sensors that detect horizontal and vertical shaking. The microprocessor then instantly adjusts the refraction angle of the incoming light to maintain a stable view for you to look at.

The range of Canon stabilized binoculars includes the Canon 8×25 IS, Canon 10×30 IS, Canon 12×36 IS II, Canon 15×50 IS All Weather, 18×50 IS All Weather and the 10 x 42L IS WP.

Discount Binoculars for Sale
As you could probably have guessed the combination of all this clever electronics and quality optics mean that the Canon IS rage is usually pretty expensive and whilst now I would not exactly call them cheap binoculars, they are definitely cheaper.

Canon 10×30 IS Image Stabilized Binoculars
These usually would cost you $530, you can now buy them from Amazon at $359
Canon 10×30 IS Image Stabilized Binoculars on Amazon

More Information
Take a look at these excellent pages on Discount Binoculars for Sale, Canon Stabilized Binoculars and the Canon 10×30 IS Image Stabilized Binoculars on The Best Binocular Reviews website.

Night Vision Goggles, Binoculars & Monoculars

We have often heard of Night Vision Devices, But How exactly does night vision work on a set of binoculars, monoculars or goggles?

Steiner 8×42 Merlin Binoculars: Excellent Birdwatching Binoculars

Steiner 8x42 Merlin Binoculars

If you are looking for a great pair of birdwatching binoculars, I think that you cannot go far wrong with these excellent Steiner 8×42 Merlin Binoculars.

They were specifically developed with help from experts from the American Birding Association as birding binoculars, but also have many features that make them ideal as everyday and nature or wildlife viewing binoculars.

They feature Steiner’s “Fast-Focus” system which allows you to go from close focus to infinite distance in only two full turns of the focus wheel. They are fully waterproof and come with a tough exterior that should handle any light knocks that are to be expected with outdoor use. Steiner also offer a full 10 year warranty should anything go wrong.

The body of the Steiner 8×42 Merlin Binoculars is fairly light and compact considering it’s very nice 42mm objective lens that will allow in plenty of light making them function very well in low light conditions, including forests which is an important birdwatching binocular feature.

Another great aspect of this binocular is the wide field of view that it has 0f over 300 feet at 1000 yards, which basically means that your view of the surroundings through the binoculars at 1000 yards will be over 300 feet wide. This is important as it helps keep fast moving birds within your view through the optics.

All in all I think these make one of the best binoculars for birdwatching.

You can read more on the Steiner 8×42 Merlin Binoculars on the Best Binoculars & Binocular reviews Website.

Laser Rangefinder in New ZEISS Victory binoculars

Aimed mostly towards hunters, but could also be interesting for other groups, including birdwatchers, the new Rangefinder series of binoculars from Zeiss have a built in laser range finder so that you can tell the exact distance away the object is that you are looking at.

“The Victory 8 x 45 T* RF and Victory 10 x 45 T* RF binoculars not only features very bright and powerful optics with LED displays, its integrated BIS™ ballistic information system also delivers the information required to correct the holdover in a fraction of a second.”

The Victory 8×45 T RF and Victory 10×45 T RF binoculars also feature a unique design that incorporates a folding bridge without separate transmission optics and boast fast rangefinding capabilities that can determine the distance from an object up to 200 meters (300 yards) away in less than one second with an accuracy down to one meter.

The digital rangefinding function uses a Class 1 invisible laser beam to make the measurement immediately after you press and release a button to minimize the effect of shaking. The distance information is then displayed on a self-illuminating, four-digit LED read-out designed to handle all lighting conditions.

All Victory RF models of binoculars feature a lightweight magnesium housing and shock resistant rubber armoring plus recalculated ZEISS optics featuring the company’s “LotuTec® coating” which transfers the surface characteristics of a lotus leaf to the lenses and eyepieces so that water beads off the lens without residue. Phew, that is quite a mouthful, but what it means in plain english is that they can be used in the rain and glass surfaces are easy to clean.

The ZEISS Victory binoculars also include removable eyecups that can be locked in four positions, a neoprene carrying strap and a Cordura carry bag.

The German recommended price for for the Victory 8×45 T* model is €2,550 with the 10×45 model set at €2,650.

Welcome to Best Binocular Reviews

The First post of a Binocular Reviews Blog

I am not sure what it is, but I find the first post to every blog the hardest to do. I suppose it is because you want to sum up or convey everything that the blog is going to be all in one post. I am not sure if that is possible as other blogs that I have worked on take a journey and in the end tend to have a life of their own. I guess though the best way to start is with the aims of the blog:

A blog about the best binoculars and reviewing them is obviously going to be different than a personal blog, yes I am hoping to make some money from this (being totally honest here) but at the same time I would like to pass on information as to what I feel are the best binoculars depending on your needs are.

Why Binoculars?

It started about 10 years ago with my trying to by a pair of binoculars for myself. I had no problem finding the many websites out there selling binoculars, what I found really difficult to find was any independent reviews of binoculars, something that would help me judge what pair of binoculars would be not the best, but good at what I wanted them for. You see I was about to go back to the continent of my birth … Africa, and to South Africa to be more secific and was about to spend some time studying to be a safari guide (or game ranger as I think you call it in America?) Anyway one of the most important tools to the job is a pair of binoculars and as such I needed a really good pair.

With equipment like digital cameras, I had no problem in finding information and review sites that really made the decision for my purchase much easier and that thought stuck in my mind.

Fast forward 10 years….

I am now back in the first world and I have now swapped working as a safari guide with working on the web, I build websites for a living. I had the thought the other day, I wonder if it is any easier to buy a set of binoculars today… and guess what the answer is not really! So here I am writing my first post on a blog in what I hope will be in the future a valuable resource for anyone lookning to buy set of binoculars.

Welcome to the Best Binoculars and Reviews Website – a bolggers guide to  optics.