Binoculars

[Not that Bob]

What is a good "general purpose" pair of binocs? I want to do some bird watching from the porch, but I also want to use them at football games. I can never grasp the "field of view" concept. If a pair has a field of view of 1000 yards, does that mean I will see the LBJ Library and St. Edwards as well as Vince handing off to Ced? I think I need larger field of view for birding, but a narrower field of view for football. I have read the reviews on the net, but I need someone here to explain this to me in language that my aging mind can grasp.

 

[Lat22]

There's only one word you need to know - Zeiss.

 

[Mrmyke709]

Yeah, if you crap $100 dollar bills.

Go to Academy, they have an excellent selection of binocs at the Sporting Goods counter.
I always keep a pair in the car for bird watching.

 

[Lat22]

Judging from what I read on the football boards, we're all rich, arrogant Texans!

 

[Brak]

Actually, I think you want a wider field of view for football. Depending on where you sit (how far from the field), if your field of view is too narrow, it is difficult to watch the game because you cannot see enough of the field. It's like watching the entire game with the camera focused on just the player with the ball.

The first number is the magnification, the second is the field of view. The second number can also represent how many feet you can (width) see at 1,000 yards.

A common number is 7X35. I went with 8X40 for my upper deck seats. I can almost see sideline to sideline which allows me to see the plays unfold.

If you aren't a serious birder, get something best suited for football and you'll be OK in the backyard.

 

[NickDanger]

The higher magnification you get, the harder it will be to see through them. They will be hard to stabilize. Resist the urge to get 12x for example. I would think bird watching would want a narrow field of view to zero in on a bird. The better binoculars will "gather" light in low light conditions and give you a better view. Zeiss, Leica, Steiner, Swarovski, etc are good brands. As MM said, though, they are spendy. Bruton makes a decent binoc and Baush & Lomb has been the old reliable for decades. Ask the Academy guy to let you take some outside and do it around dusk. You ought to be able to get a decent pair for under $200. Porro prism have been the preferred style for some time, but they are always making innovations.

 

[HornTillDeath]

As far as bird watching, can't help you. All my bird watching is done down the barrell of a 12 ga.

For football watching, you can't beat the Bushnell Xtra-wide. I've got the 4x21 with 900 ft field of vision. The problem I found with other binoculars was:

1) limited field of vision (at 900 ft you can actually watch a pass play without dropping your binoculars and can see sideline to sideline)

2) Focusing. The Bushnell's are autofocus so you don't have to putz with a fly wheel.

3) Stabilization. If you are too zoomed in, any bounce/vibration gives you blurred vision. At 4x, you don't have stabilization problems. You won't be able to read "MOM" on their tattoos, but you can tell they have a tattoo.

Several people in our section have these based on them being passed around during previous seasons. Not sure who had them first, but we have 2.

Bushnell Xtra-wide

 

[NickDanger]

Yeah, I meant Bushnell as the old reliable.

Tasco is often not very good.

 

[accuratehorn]

I am an avid birdwatcher, and can say there are many considerations for buying a pair of binoculars. I had an inexpesive pair of Swift Audubons 7x35, and took them to football games. They got dropped and out of wack, I had them realigned (practically impossible) at the factory, and after the next football game they were out of wack again.
So I bought some Bruton's- 7xsomething, 42, I think, and they are great. They are rubber coated, and made for hunting. They can be dropped and work fine. The optics beat anything up to about $1000, and they cost about half that.
Cheap binoculars suck, they are throwaways. The really great ones have unbelievable optics, exotic lens coatings, and perform great in low light conditions, like right at dusk, looking at some tiny bird trying to see some obscure field mark. But the very best binocs can cost up to $2000, so if you want Zeiss, Szaworski (sp?), or the high-end Nikon or the Bruton new high-end (Elantra?), be prepared to pay.
I only wish I had gotten the 10 power Bruton's, but they are harder to hold still. Try some out at a store, or better yet, at a birdwatching festival that has a vendor's area. All the companies will be there with numerous models to try out.