A pair of binoculars is the most important equipment to
a birdwatcher and greatly increases the number of birds that you will see. Buy the
best pair you are comfortable with. A pair may not be suitable for you, no matter
how expensive it may be. The one that causes a strain on your neck and arms and in no time
will tire you out. It may be too large and heavy to carry for long trip that it is a
burden on you that it tends to become useless. Hence, it does not always mean the
higher the price tag, the better.
Any pair with a magnification of 7X or 8X would be
suitable and is generally used by most birdwatchers. The magnification and light
gathering properties of a binoculars are stated as 7 X 40 or 7 X 50, i.e. the
magnification of 7 times and the diameter of the front lens (objective lens) 50
millimetres.
Good care must be taken for your binoculars.
Always keep your binoculars in a cool dry and dust-free place. Do not touch the lens
with your fingers. Use only very soft cloth or lens cleaning tissue to clean the
lens of your binoculars and if you are using them on wet days, protect them from the rain
water. Do not drop your binoculars as this would cause it to be misaligned.
And, remember : do not look directly at the sun or extremely bright lights through your
binoculars.
