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| A barn owl. One of those special encounters on a walk in the countryside. |
This is where the
majority of us use our binoculars most of the time, either visiting a
reserve, walking the dog or just doing the rounds of your local
patch. When birding in these habitats, and woodland especially,
never underestimate the benefit of a wide field of view in preference
to higher magnification. It can be very frustrating trying to keep
up with agile and fast-moving small birds such as migrant warblers at
relatively close range in hedges and trees. 7x or 8x magnification
is best for both light gathering and field of view.
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| Sharp, bright and wide, the Celestron Granite 7x33 ED |
The ultimate
all-rounder is probably the 8x42. These generally have the best
compromise between magnification, brightness, field of view and low
weight. In recent years more birdwatchers have been going for 8x32s,
which have many of the advantages of 8x42 but are lighter in weight.
Whilst 8x32s may not be as bright, they have sufficient light
gathering for most situations, especially those at the
top-of-the-range (e.g. Swarovski's EL 8x32) and are so light weight
that you feel more inclined to have them with you all the time.
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| The wary ring ouzel. a species best viewed with a scope. |
As always a good scope
can be a useful addition to you binoculars, and again the compromise
between weight and performance must be made. There is little point
in having a technically brilliant piece of equipment that is too
heavy for the purpose you want to put it to. To get the best ratio
between size, weight and performance a 60mm or 65mm scope is the
specification to go for. Whilst zoom eyepieces are tempting for
their flexibility and maximum magnification, you will often get a
wider field of view and a brighter and sharper image from a fixed
magnification eyepiece. Both have their advantages and it generally
comes down to personal preference which is best suited to you. Many
top-of-the-range scopes now have wide angle zooms available, the best
of which give you the best of both worlds.
