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If you’re considering investing in a pair of binoculars, monocular or spotting scope to enjoy nature observation this guide is for you. Discover everything from the best binoculars for nature viewing, bird watching, wildlife scoping and more.
You can also enjoy our video reviews of the latest Zeiss SFL Binocular review video (2023). Our best buy binoculars table will help you choose from what can feel like a minefield of choices in order to find the perfect optics for any budget. Read more about the world’s best known optical brands including ZEISS, Swarovski, Nikon, Leica, Olympus, Canon, Steiner, Viking and Pentax.
Table of contents
Many of us enjoy outdoor pursuits, country walks and hikes to enjoy wildlife, landscape photography or simply to enjoy some time from our daily routine. A pair of binoculars or a spotting scope adds a new level of enjoyment to outdoor activities, enabling us to ‘zoom in on real life’ and observe animals in their natural habitat, with far greater detail than we are able with the naked eye.
Binocular technology brings a range of features to enhance our viewing experience, with lightweight and portable designs, which are ergonomically made for easy carrying and prolonged use. We can see much further into the distance with a suitable magnification to discover timid wildlife, and watch birds or other animals go about their business, as well as view crystal clear details of subjects from afar.
Photographers are known to bring a pair of lightweight binoculars in order to scope subjects and compositions, being easier and lighter than using an unwieldy super telephoto lens. We can also discover distant routes across the landscape, find places to set-up a wildlife camera or discover which direction to head for the action.
You can also find binoculars with a close minimum focus distance to enlarge details on nearer subjects, observing in a similar way to a macro lens. Digiscoping is also becoming increasingly popular, with accessories designed to mount a camera or smartphone to your optics.
These enable you to photograph images and record video of distant nature, the night sky including the moon and planets, through a scope or monocular at impressive magnifications. A monocular provides the ultimate low weight solution for distant viewing, favoured by ultralight hikers and outdoorsman.
If you’re in the UK every season offers unique highlights for viewing and experiencing nature in its element. Naturally we’ll be most comfortable during the warmest months from April through to September, which coincides with much of the natural world being at its most active, but colder seasons also provide plenty to observe.
During March, April and May nature springs into action and we’ll hear the dawn chorus as birds are nesting, swifts and bats return to our shores and mammals are born as food sources rejuvenate for the year ahead. Spring is a wonderful time to get closer to nature, with so much to experience and enjoy. It’s a particularly busy time for nature photographers who capture wildlife and landscapes, with insects, foliage and colours returning to a previously monotone landscape. Daffodils, anemones and bluebells mark spring’s progress with deer, rabbits and squirrels seen throughout forest locations. Spring is also a favoured time of year for stargazing with binoculars or a scope. Discover the best astronomy tools and photography gear, which offer a higher magnification, for viewing celestial objects and the Milky Way, which can be observed through to July.
The summer months provide a time of plenty which sees juvenile birds and mammals growing and discovering their role in nature. Dragonflies, butterflies and wildflowers are abundant as days get warmer and longer, which provides us with plenty of opportunity for viewing nature. Remember to bring some shade, sunscreen and a Walkstool Comfort seat to while away the hours comfortably. Look out for lizards, frogs, hawk-moths and other creatures in the undergrowth during this fabulous time of year.
As the days cool and grow shorter, wildlife remains active with incredible spectacles to enjoy. You can view the deer rut from a safer distance, and other mammals become increasingly active during their quest for mating and food. It’s a great time of year to keep an eye out for hedgehogs, squirrels and foxes during a time of increased activity. Mushrooms start appearing as migrations begin, with moths and warblers amongst those leaving the UK, all against a spectacular backdrop of autumn colour. It’s worth noting that an optic with a larger aperture gathers more light, which is recommended for twilight observation of these kinds of creatures. It’s the perfect time to try out new autumn photography ideas and understand how a thermal imaging camera works in order to watch the deer ruts.
Despite the cold, dark and shorter days, winter provides plenty of opportunities for us to enjoy quiet nature viewing. Some of the most incredible starling murmurations can be seen between December and March, along with mountain hares, owls, woodpecker, squirrels and of course Robin red breast to name just a few. If you can bear to get out during these cold and wet months you’ll be rewarded by plenty of natural scenes to witness with fewer people around to disturb the natural environment.
Binoculars have particularly technical features and naming conventions, with lots of brands to choose from, which can be overwhelming if you’re a beginner to using binoculars. These tips will help you to understand what the names mean and which features could suit your style of viewing when buying a pair. In some regards choosing binoculars follows a similar process as buying cameras lenses, with many manufactures designing both optics and lenses due to their similarities.
A good binocular enhances bird watching by allowing for more detailed observations, from greater distances. Viewing from further away means you are less likely to disturb birds and can watch for longer while observing their natural behaviour. Bird photographers will often use binoculars to locate and get nearer to their subject, without having to wield long lenses, gimbals, tripods and other equipment they bring.
As described with beginner binocular tips, choosing binoculars for bird watching primarily comes down to the most appropriate magnification and objective diameter for your subject and budget. Bird watching binoculars benefit from the inclusion of special elements which enhance the image, in order to observe small birds from a greater distance.
After choosing the magnification and objective size, other deciding factors include whether you intend to watch birds at a location where your equipment may get wet such as a reservoir, water-based nature reserve or during inclement weather. Waterproof binoculars, rugged construction and fog-free lenses are great features to look for in any of these situations. Many choose their equipment based on being lightweight for longer walks. It’s also essential to choose binoculars, which include a diopter to adjust fine focus on your subjects.
We’ve rounded-up some of the most popular optics, binoculars and scopes in this best binoculars in 2024 for nature viewing comparison. Any of these will provide a great viewing experience with different options suited to a range of applications for all budgets.
Model |
RRP |
Key features |
Weight |
£399.00 |
|
680g |
|
£499.00 |
|
725g |
|
£2,800.00 |
|
1020g |
|
£169.00 |
|
600g |
|
£249.00 |
|
440g |
|
£739.00 |
|
786g |
|
£1,649.00 |
|
1015g |
|
£1,149.00 |
|
1,200 g |
|
£1,090.00 |
|
730g |
|
£155.00 |
|
315g |
|
£1,539.00 |
|
640g |
|
£510.00 |
|
255g |
|
£659.00 |
|
575g |
The following new binoculars have been added to our range in 2024, arriving with the latest viewing technology for nature observation:
Watch our collection of binocular, scope and thermal imaging camera reviews, which include the Zeiss SFL 30 Binoculars and Zeiss DTI 3/35 & DTI 3/25 Review, all of which were released in 2023.
In 2023 we added the ZEISS Secacam 7 Trail Camera (£249.00) and ZEISS Secacam 5 Trail Camera (£199.00), which are two new wildlife cameras, which combine a compact size with ZEISS optical know-how.
If you’re new to using binoculars out in the field observing nature these tips will help you set-up and get started for brilliant results.
Park Cameras are fortunate to have wonderful customers and photography ambassadors contribute to our blog. We’ve published numerous wildlife and bird articles over the years which can inspire and teach us how to photograph wildlife and get the most out of viewing nature. These posts are sure to inspire you to get out into nature, so why not grab a cup of tea and take a moment to read some of these posts.
We’ve collated a list of external Wildlife observation resources to discover the best time to view wildlife, how you can get involved as well as inspiration to get us outside and enjoy the natural world.
The natural world around us provides unlimited benefits for our health and wellbeing as well as many hours of enjoyment simply observing. Whether you enjoy walks, hikes, sports or simply general outdoor activities, browse our range of binoculars from the most popular brands to find your perfect optic for nature viewing.
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By Nick Dautlich on 13/10/2024
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