The Best Binoculars

Binocular, optical instrument, usually handheld, for providing a magnified stereoscopic view of distant objects, consisting of two similar telescopes, one for each eye, mounted on a single frame. A single thumbwheel may control the focus of both telescopes simultaneously, and provision may be made for adjusting the focus of each separately to allow for varying characteristics in the two eyes. Binoculars are designed to give an upright view that is correctly oriented left-to-right. Because they allow use of both eyes in a natural way, they are more comfortable than single telescopes, provide depth perception, and improve visual acuity by giving the human visual system two sets of data to process and combine. Anyone looking to make far-away objects appear a bit closer should consider a good pair of binoculars. Binoculars that are great for birders are great for anyone looking to make things appear closer—whether you’re hunting, watching sports, or otherwise. No matter what you plan to gaze at, your binoculars need to do two things well: They need to make distant objects closer, and they need to make them clearer. The better the binoculars, the better you can see those birds up in trees, those athletes down on a field, the antlers of a deer crouching at the edge of a woodlot, or the butterflies gathering at a drying patch of mud along a trail. If you need a pair of binoculars, this list is for you!