Safari Binocular Reviews | Night Vision Binoculars

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Firstly it is important to note that as a field / safari guide who has taken many guests out into the bush on safari, I would say with out doubt a good pair of binoculars for your safari is essential. No matter how close you get to the wildlife, there is always so much detail you will miss out on without binoculars.

Self-focusing binoculars, night vision binoculars, german military binoculars, infrared night vision binoculars, swarovski binoculars, hensoldt binoculars, the list goes on and on and then were not even getting into different sizes, prices and magnifications of binoculars! So which do you choose and more importantly which pair is the best suited for a wildlife Safari in Africa?

Welcome to my Safari Binocular Reviews:

In this Binocular guide for Safaris, I will attempt to point you in the right direction and list pairs of binoculars for sale that I recommend that you should buy, all the binoculars listed on this page are being sold by Amazn.co.uk, they have literally hundreds of binoculars on their site, these are the ones that I feel are suitable and why.

What do the numbers mean?
What are two numbers that you always see when looking at binoculars, such as 12 x 50, 10 x 26?

The first number (12, or 10) is the magnification power of the binocular.

The second number (26 or 50, for example) is the diameter of the objective lens in millimeters, that is the big lense up front.

Usually, the larger the objective lens, the brighter the view as it lets in more light into the binocular. So when you see a set of binoculars that are 10 x 26, it means they are 10x magnification with a 26 millimeter objective lens. So why don't you just get a binocular with the largest magnification and objective lense possible? You can, but binoculars with high magnification and a large objective lens are large and weigh alot, fine if you are only planning to use them from a vehicle on game drive for example. It is when you want a compact set that are easy to travel with, take on safari walks and still have a good magnification and let in enough light to get a nice bright image things get tricky and there is always some sort of trade off.

The Ultimate Safari Binocular

Steiner Wildlife 10.5x28 Official blurb: The perfect combination of shock resistance, visual performance and comfortable handling. Designed with glare and UV blocking ability to offer clear, distortion free images in bright sunlight. The High-Contrast Optics offer excellent visual experiences at a very reasonable price (approx £179 / $299) Why I say it is the ultimate safari Binocular: Price - Not the cheapest out there, but far from the most expensive Quality- Steiner is a quality German brand Robust - I have dropped my personal pair often, left them in the rain in the landrover overnight, had them covered in dust and sand and they keep coming back for more! Size: Compact enough for for fitting into your hand luggage and more importantly for taking with you an that walking safari without having to leave your camera behind! Stats: Excellent magnification (10.5) even for bird watching and lets in plenty of light (28) compared to other binoculars this size. UK Readers: > > Buy now on Amazon.co.uk US Readers: $299.00 (List Price:$499.00 - 40.09% savings) > > Binoculars.com, the largest sports optics selection online!

Readers in the US: > > Binoculars.com $299.00 (List Price:$499.00 - 40.09% savings)

Price of Binoculars
How much should you pay? This is a pretty hard question to answer, because everybody has a different idea of what is "allot of money"

The old saying of "you only get what you pay for" is very true for binoculars, I have used very cheap binoculars in the past, sure they magnify an image but when you compare them side by side with a more expensive pair there is NO comparison, because the more you pay, the higher the resolution, the finer the detail and the greater the pleasure. So dont skimp too much and go for that £12.99 ($10) pair, you will regret it when your sitting on the back of that landrover looking at all that game in the distance! That also does not mean that you have to buy that £1000+ Swarovski binoculars, if you do have that kind of money to spend and you are going to use you binoculars often go ahead, Swarovski and Leica make incredible binoculars and you will be buying the best.

The value for money binoculars - excellent binoculars at an affordable price

Steiner 10 X 26 Safari Binoculars Why I say it is the best value for money binocular: Price - At around £73 (hover over the image to get current price) I think for what you get this is pretty had to beat. Less than half the price as the Ultimate Binoculars above but I dont think you get less than half the quality here, so I reckon this is a good deal. Quality- Steiner is a quality German brand another great binocular from Steiner (Sory I have to admit I have a bit of a soft spot for Steiners and I use them myself.) Robust - Still has that tough rubber exterior as the more expensive models Size: Compact enough for for fitting into your hand luggage and more importantly for taking with you an that walking safari without having to leave your camera behind! Stats: Excellent magnification (10) even for bird watching and still lets in enough liget (26) to catch that last look of the lion in the distance as the sun fades behind the horizon! UK Readers: > > Buy now on Amazon.co.uk US Readers: > > Binoculars.com, $129.00 (List Price:$229.00 - 43.67% savings) and free shipping on orders over $50

US Readers: > > Binoculars.com, $129.00 (List Price:$229.00 - 43.67% savings) and free shipping on orders over $50

Money is no object binoculars, I just want the best!
Canon 10 x 42L Image Stabilising Water Proof Binoculars with Neck Strap & Case Manufacturer's Blurb: The 10x42L IS WP binoculars are the first from Canon to be engraved with the hallowed red L-series ring: a mark until now reserved for Canon's finest professional photographic lenses; the pinnacle of Canon's 60 year heritage in precision optics design and manufacture. Raising optical performance standards, the binoculars feature 2 Ultra-low Dispersion glass (UD) lens elements on each side.
Developed by Canon, these elements are effective in eliminating chromatic aberration - the rainbow-like distortion that affects lesser quality binoculars. The result is super bright, high contrast, 10x magnification viewing clarity.To suppress vibrations caused by viewing hand-held, on moving vehicles or boats, the 10x42L IS WP binoculars include Canon's Vari-Angle Prism (VAP) Image Stabilizer (IS). Tiny gyros detect the slightest movements, while a microprocessor controls a special prism to correct the refraction angle of incoming light. Designed to survive the toughest outdoor conditions, the 10x42L IS WP binoculars are fully waterproof. The design incorporates a distinctive easy-grip for wet conditions, and a robust rubber coating to withstand all your adventures.To prevent fogging on internal lens elements caused by the ingress of moisture, all exterior surfaces are treated with a special metallic coating. This works in concert with special O-rings and use of waterproof adhesives on all external contact points to prevent water molecules permeating the outside casing.All the lens element surfaces are treated with Canon's Super Spectra coatings. These ensure vivid high contrast images with accurate color balance by eliminating unwanted internal reflections that cause 'ghosting' (secondary images) and 'flare' (low contrast, washed out images). The exceptionally large 4.2mm exit pupil allows a bright field of view in low light conditions.Every aspect of the 10x42L IS WP binoculars is designed around viewing comfort. A wide 65 angle of view gets plenty of horizon into view, while a 16mm Long Eye Relief minimizes vignetting (or the 'tunnel effect') that can affect prescription glasses wearers. A correction lock prevents unintentional dioptric correction errors, and the extending eyecups can be rotated for customized fitting.! My take on it: I have never tried these out but based on all that is said above, if it were not for the rather hefty price tag (Approx £1,160) these would probably be the ultimate safari binoculars! if you have a pair or have used a pair and would like to comment, please contact me so I can add it here. > > Buy now on Amazon.co.uk

How to Focus Binoculars
That depends on which type of binoculars you have. The "center focus" is the most common type, and has a knob in the center to focus on your subject. You need to calibrate them for your vision once and from then on it is only a matter of focusing on the subject when you view it.

Here's how you do it:

1. Start by shutting your right eye and leaving your left eye open
2. Use the center knob to focus on an object about 10 meters away
3. Open your right eye
4. Next, shut your left eye and leave your right eye open
5. Using the focus ring on the right ocular lens (the one nearest your eye) focus on the same object until you can see clearly
6. Look through the binoculars with both eyes open, and you should have a clear, crisp view of the object.

Done! The binoculars are now calibrated for your vision.

Self Focusing Binoculars Review
Some times known as "auto focus binoculars" or "focus free binoculars" or even "in focus binoculars". They are actually permanent focus binoculars and have been around for over 10 years. There is alot of misconception about "self focusing binoculars" and how they work which has mostly been perpetrated by the advertising industry and marketing, infact they are not "self-focusing binoculars" or "auto focus binoculars" at all, they are permanent focus binoculars and everything from about 40 feet to infinity remains in focus with no aditional adjustments needed. Thiss is acomplished by sophisticated optics which use your eyes natural ability to focus.

Sounds great, but permanent focus binoculars do have their down sides you need to have perfect vision, or your vision needs to have been corrected or you will not be able to see clearly through them and they do not have an effective close range. So when that safari guide gets you nice and close to that rhino and you want to see the detail of his horn, or the texture of his skin, you'll be missing out.

On the plus side, if you are sharing a pair of binoculars with someone who does not have exactly the same vision as you, when you pass it back and forth, you wont have to keep on correction the focus.

Self Focusing Binoculars (permanent focus binoculars)
Bushnell PermaFocus 12x50 Binoculars Manufacturer's Blurb: Don't miss the action while you're fumbling to focus! Bushnell 12x50 PermaFocus® auto focus binoculars feature focus free operation for convenient viewing. Just aim, and your subject comes into clear view! The 12x50 PermaFocus® offers a wide, 265-foot field view – wider than that in most 12X binos – allowing you to see more of your subject. Quality optics are fully coated for bright, crisp images, and ergonomic, rubber armoring provides durability and a slip-resistant grip, even for gloved hands. * 4.2mm exit pupil * 9mm eye relief * 265-foot field of view * Fixed focus * 2-pound field weight	US Readers, buy here: Binoculars.com - 12x50 PermaFocus Focus Free Wide Angle
* Note: Focus-free models are designed for viewing distant subjects. The close focus limit is subjective and dependent on the user’s eyesight. My take on it: The 12x50 gives you excellent magnification and alot of light entering the binoculare, so even viewing in low light wont be a problem. Bushnell is a quality brand in the world of optics. Probably a bit to big for long game walks, but fine for game drives and at around £90 I think these are pretty well priced. UK Readers, buy here: > > Buy now on Amazon.co.uk US Readers, buy here: Binoculars.com - 12x50 PermaFocus Focus Free Wide Angle
Compact Self Focusing Binoculars (permanent focus binoculars)
Bushnell 8x25 PermaFocus Binoculars Manufacturer's Blurb: Don't miss the action while you're fumbling to focus! Bushnell 8x25mm PermaFocus® auto focus compact binoculars feature focus-free operation for convenient viewing. Just aim, and your subject comes into clear view! The 8x25mm PermaFocus® compact offers a wide, 330-foot field view – wider than that in many8X compacts – allowing you to see more of your subject. Quality optics are fully coated for bright, crisp images, and ergonomic, rubber armoring provides durability and a slip-resistant grip, even for gloved hands. * 3.1mm exit pupil; * 10mm eye relief; * 330-foot field of view * Fixed focus, * 1-pound field weight.	US Readers: Binoculars.com - 8x25 PermaFocus Focus Free Compact $42.90
My take on it: Nice and compact, so perfect for travelling and game walks, but as always to make binoculars small there is a trade off with the amount of light entering the lenses but these are more than adequite and at around £40 and from a quality brand these my pick for compact permanent focus binoculars. UK Readers: > > Buy now on Amazon.co.uk US Readers: Binoculars.com - 8x25 PermaFocus Focus Free Compact $42.90 (List Price:$55.95 - 23.33% savings) Bushnell 8x25 PermaFocus Binoculars: Review on YouTube:

Looking for cheap night vision binoculars?
Check out my night vision binoculars review

Thats it for my Safari Binocular Reviews, I hope that you found it usefull.

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