You hear a melodious chirping of a bird. But you cannot locate it. You know it is one of some high branches of the tree in front. But you cannot see the beautiful creature with naked eyes from such a long distance. But don’t worry, binoculars have always been synonymous with bird watching. Nikon Aculon A211 Binocular is the best binocular in India, with crisp and clear views even in low light. Apart from Nikon, you can also check binoculars from reputed brands like Celestron, Olympus and Bushnell, which are popular among bird watchers, stargazers and travellers.
To give you a clear idea, now I will compare and review these binoculars for 2024 according to their features like magnification, objective lens diameter, view, and eye relief with pros and cons. Let’s spot some birds!
The Best Binoculars in India For Long Distance (2024)
| Binoculars | Lens Diameter | Magnification | Prism | Ideal For | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikon Aculon A211 Binocular | 42-50 mm | 8-22x | Porro | Long distance Bird watching Astronomy | 9.2/10 |
| Olympus 8-16x40 S Binocular | 50 mm | 10x | Porro | Long distance Birding Travelling | 9.1/10 |
| Celestron 71256 G2 Binocular | 35-50 mm | 7-20x | Porro | Birds and wildlife Long distance Stargazing Travelling | 9.1/10 |
| Nikon Prostaff 3S Binocular | 42 mm | 8x | Roof | Travelling, hiking Bird watching Nature observation | 9.0/10 |
| Celestron Cometron Binocular | 50 mm | 7x | Porro | Long distance Astronomy Birding | 8.8/10 |
| Bushnell Powerview Binocular | 21 mm | 8x | Roof | Travelling Trekking Hiking | 8.5/10 |
| Krevia Comet Binocular | 40 mm | 8x | BaK-4 | Sightseeing Casual use Bird watching | 8.0/10 |
| Cason Professional Binocular | 40 mm | 8x | BAK-4 | Travelling Casual use Birding | 8.0/10 |
1. Nikon Aculon A211 Binocular 8×42, 10-22×50
Product Highlights
How Useful Is Nikon Aculon Binocular?
Besides cameras, Nikon is the best brand for manufacturing binoculars. Nikon Aculon A211 has three models with a magnification of 8x, 10x, 10-22x and objectives lens diameters of 42 mm and 50 mm for a better view angle and eye relief. While 8x is good magnification for following fast-moving birds, 10x is ideal for looking at distant wildlife. Sounds interesting? Indeed!
This porro prism binocular comes with multi-coated eco-glass lenses that produce bright and crystal clear views of birds in almost every light condition. For the same reason, you can use it for general astronomy purposes. From the outside, its body is coated with a layer of rubber for a firm grip and usage under wet conditions.
Besides such useful features to hold and operate the binocular, rubber eyecups are present with a turn-and-slide feature. As the centre focus knob is available at the fingertip, zoom in with ease and enjoy the view.
If you prefer an advanced 8×42 binocular, Nikon Monarch 5 is a perfect alternative to the Nikon Aculon with roof prisms, higher angle of view, better field of view and excellent eye relief. However, it is costlier, which is justified by the advanced features.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Why Should You Choose Nikon Aculon Binoculars?
This binocular is one of the best options for bird watching from a long distance in 2024. You can enjoy clear views of wildlife and distant objects due to adequate magnification and diameter of the objective lens. The price of this binocular is not very high either. Be it 8×42, 10-22×50 or 10×50, Nikon Aculon is a great choice to give you value for money.
2. Olympus Binocular 10×50 S
Product Highlights
How Useful Is Olympus Binocular?
Powered by porro prisms with anti-reflection properties, Olympus binoculars can help you watch long-distant birds, wildlife or objects that are not clearly visible with bare eyes. Just use the focusing knob that is present in the middle of the eyepieces to focus and magnify upto 10x with ease. Enjoy zooming in the trees for birds like never before.
The angle and field of view with improved brightness in low light conditions help to get a clear sight of your target. Be it the purpose of observing nature, wildlife, birds or even concerts, Olympus has got your back.
Besides, the body has a rubber coating for a better grip and more comfortable handling. Unlike the previous binocular from Nikon, this Olympus binocular is very lightweight, and you can easily hold it for a longer time. Overall, it is a good choice for bird watchers and animal lovers to spot them in the wild.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Why Should You Choose Olympus Binoculars?
If you find 1st pick from Nikon costly and require a more budget-friendly gadget under ₹10000, this Olympus binocular is your perfect choice. The porro prism guarantees crystal clear images with a high light gathering ability ensured by its 50 mm objective lens. Use the binoculars for birding, sports, wildlife, and anywhere you wish.
3. Celestron 10×50 Wide Angle Binocular
Product Highlights
How Useful Is Celestron Wide Angle Binocular?
Unlike the previous binoculars listed, this one is more affordable with almost similar specifications. Beside the 10×50 version, this binocular is also available with 20×50, 7×35 and 8×40 designs.
Celestron Wide-Angle Binocular has its body crafted with durable aluminium and coated with rubber. There are finger ridges and thumb indents on the outer area that allow the user a better grip and efficient handling. No fear of the device slipping from your hand and getting damaged.
The BK7 Porro prism, along with the 10x magnification, produces crystal-clear views of objects and creatures. So go bird watching in the early hours of dawn and enjoy it to the fullest. In case you love trekking and hiking and want to see the mountains from a long distance, it will not disappoint you either.
How good a binocular is can be judged by its low-light performance. Having multi-coated 50 mm objective lenses, it is not only suitable for low light conditions, but you will also be able to spot stars, planets and galaxies like Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Moon, Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy. Overall, I have found this binocular value for money under ₹5000.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Why Should You Choose This Celestron Binocular?
If you are looking for the best binoculars for birdwatching in India, this is the ideal one for you. You can use it for bird watching, sports, concerts and even for astronomy. Enjoy the crystal clear images and get a closer look at everything.
4. Nikon Prostaff Binocular 3S 8×42
Product Highlights
How Useful Is Nikon Prostaff Binocular?
Unlike all other binoculars I have picked, Nikon Prostaff is more compact and lightweight. These features add to the portability of the device. Thus, you can easily pack it inside your handbag or wear it during your trip.
Get a fabulous view of the birds on the top branches and cherish the beauty due to its 8x magnification and 42 mm objective lens. During bird watching, do not worry about stability and your eyes’ comfort due to its enormous eye relief and angle of view.
Nikon uses durable aluminium to craft this binocular’s body and coats it with rubber for improved usability. One of the best things about this binocular is that it is fog-proof and filled with nitrogen. So, you will get high clarity of the subjects every time.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Why Should You Choose Nikon Prostaff Binocular?
This binocular comes with the brand name Nikon. It is a pioneer in optical devices, and this binocular is a testament to the same. You get clear and stable imagery when watching birds or objects at a long distance.
5. Celestron Cometron 7X50 Binocular
Product Highlights
How Useful Is Celestron Cometron Binocular?
If you are looking for a binocular to see distant objects that are not clearly visible to the naked eyes, Celestron Cometron is a good option. The brand has designed this binocular for gazing at the distant stars, passing comets, and birds hidden in the trees.
The binocular provides an extensive view with its 50 mm objective lenses in low light. If you wear glasses like I do, you can easily watch your target, as the 13 mm eye relief is pretty reasonable. Together with a wide field of view, comfortable eye relief and large magnification, Celestron Cometron ensures high clarity of images.
The binocular body is crafted using durable aluminium material. Along with that, a thick rubber coating is present on the binocular’s body to make handling easier for the user. Carrying this binocular for your next birding or hiking trip is easy because it is lightweight, compact and portable.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Why Should You Choose Celestron Cometron Binocular?
If you are a beginner in bird watching or stargazing, there is no better option than Celestron Cometron at a price of around ₹5000. As the brand is well-reputed, you can trust it for high longevity, durable design, user-friendly controls and value for money.
Pro Tip: If you are dedicatedly looking for the best binoculars for astronomy in India, check out Celestron 25×100 SkyMaster Astro Binocular. Along with 25x magnification, it has a large 100 mm objective lens with a sharp focus, suitable for watching planets, stars, galaxies and comets at long distances in extreme low light conditions.
6. Bushnell Powerview Roof Prism Binocular 8×21
Product Highlights
How Useful Is Bushnell Binocular?
If you are a frequent traveller and looking for the top quality binoculars for travelling and sightseeing purposes, Bushnell Powerview is a very good choice. It is lightweight, compact and easy to carry on your trip. Besides travel requirements, you can use it for bird watching, sports, etc.
The binocular is designed with 8x magnification along with roof prisms. As a result, you will get clear and good-quality images. However, as the objective lens diameter is only 21 mm, its light-gathering ability is comparatively lower than our top pick Nikon Aculon. So, it won’t be useful if you have stargazing requirements.
Bushnell uses durable aluminium with a rubber coating on the binocular body for easier handling. In addition to it, the binocular is very durable and lightweight at the same time. These features add to the portability of the device.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Why Should You Choose Bushnell Binocular?
This is one of the best binoculars to buy in India with a price under ₹5000. You get a durable device with 8x magnification to watch birds at a long distance. It is an ideal choice for travel use and very easy to handle.
Also Read: Different Uses of Binoculars
7. Krevia Comet Long-Distance Binocular 8×40
Product Highlights
How useful Is Krevia Binocular?
Krevia Comet Binocular can be a suitable choice if you are tight on budget. Though it does not have premium features like the above products, it can be good in case you are looking for cheaper binoculars.
This beginner-friendly binocular guarantees good-quality imagery. The centre focus and the optical image stabilization are attributes of this. Furthermore, the meta prism maintains a clear vision. Enjoy unobstructed views of birds sitting on high branches with ease.
In addition to the features mentioned above, the binocular by Krevia has 8x magnification which helps to focus easily on your subjects. Not to mention the durable design of the aluminium body. It is one of the best deals you can get for a binocular within ₹2000.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Why Should You Choose Krevia Binocular?
If you are a beginner and looking for a binocular for casual usage, this is the one for you. You get all the good features at a very affordable price compared to any other binoculars mentioned above.
DID YOU KNOW?
Indian law states that night vision binoculars are “restricted” items and can be used only by the armed forces, police and government agencies. So, binoculars with night vision cannot be bought by any civilians unless they have a special permit.
8. Cason Professional 8×40 HD Binocular
Product Highlights
How Useful Is Cason Binocular?
The price of Cason’s professional 8×40 HD Binocular also lies in a similar range as the Krevia binocular. With a user-friendly control system, it is a good choice for novice birdwatchers as well as a perfect gift item for your kids. Mount it on your tripod, or wear it for your trip.
This binocular from Cason is designed using a durable metal body with rubber coating, allowing a firm grip and improved usability. The focus knob is present at a fingertip distance, making it easier to handle. Thus, the device is comfortable to operate and carry.
Enjoy explicit imagery with guaranteed antireflection properties of the lens. The prism and the central focus knob ensure more stabilized picture quality. Overall, it is value for money for all these features.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Why Should You Choose Cason 8×40 Binocular?
If you are looking for a binocular for general purposes, the Cason binocular is your ideal choice. This budget-friendly binocular is also available under ₹2000, suitable for first-time users.
Is a Binocular Worth Buying in India?
Bird watching is a trendy hobby for nature lovers in India. Right from them building nests, and guarding the eggs, to the eggs hatching, there is beauty in these creatures. You will encounter different species of birds in different seasons.
Even today, you will find people capturing multiple pictures of birds using cameras for photography. Quite a lot of them use binoculars to locate these birds first. If you are interested in birding, a binocular is a must-have gadget as spotting birds hidden in the vegetation takes lots of effort.
Furthermore, India has some beautiful landscapes, forests, rivers and valleys. Having a binocular will grant you a better view of the terrain and help you enjoy your travel in a better way. A binocular comes in handy when observing wildlife in the various forests and sanctuaries of India.
Apart from it, if you are interested in stargazing, you can use an astronomy binocular and get a clear view of the stars, planets and galaxies. While telescopes are more expensive, you can use one of the binoculars listed above to marvel at the beauty of the night sky and observe an eclipse with ease.
Many birdwatchers and travellers often use monoculars. Compared to a binocular, a monocular has only one lens with lesser field of view and lower depth of field. Thus, binoculars are definitely a better choice than monoculars. Learn more: Binocular vs Monocular.
Considering all these aspects, a binocular is undoubtedly worth buying in India. Check out the list of binoculars above and select the ideal one based on your requirements and cherish the view.
How To Choose The Best Binocular for Your Requirements?
The choice for a binocular varies from person to person as everyone has different requirements. To find an ideal binocular, you need to analyze your requirements first. Then match those with the features provided in the product. The following are some of the factors to check when buying the best binoculars for long distance in India.
Magnification
Knowing your perfect magnification is essential when selecting a binocular. Usually, for bird watching, 8x to 10x magnification is perfect. A 10x magnification will cover a more significant distance but will produce darker images under low light. Also, expect a few shaky pictures when in full zoom. If you are interested in astronomy, choose models with a magnification of 10x or more.
Objective Lens Diameter
Besides magnification, the diameter of the objective lens is also important as it defines the light-gathering ability. For an 8×42 binocular, the objective lens diameter is 42 mm, which is good enough for birdwatching and travel requirements. In the case of dedicated astronomical requirements, we prefer it to be around 100 mm to see the moon, stars, nebulas and galaxies with higher clarity in low light.
Eye Relief
This is another important parameter to check for ensuring comfortability when using a binocular. According to Wikipedia: “The eye relief of an optical instrument is the distance from the last surface of an eyepiece within which the user’s eye can obtain the full viewing angle.“
So, always choose a binocular with more eye relief, especially if you wear glasses. The standard range of eye relief in binoculars varies from 9 to 13 mm, suitable for bird watching, travelling and stargazing.
Type of Prism
Prism is an essential component of good quality binoculars that corrects the orientation of the image and makes it upright in the eyes of the viewer. Generally, there are two types of prisms- porro prism and roof prism. While a porro prism is more suitable for short-range birding, a roof prism is more preferable for long-range birding. A binocular with porro prisms is also a better option for watching the night sky.
Field & Angle of View
The field of view is essentially the observable range of a binocular, while the angle of view defines it. Higher the angle and field, the more the viewable area. In addition, there are two types of fields of view- real and apparent. You can obtain the apparent field of view by multiplying the real field of view with the magnification of a binocular.
Price And Affordability
The cost is an undeniable factor to consider while choosing a binocular. Determine whether the price demanded is worth the specifications and features that you are getting. A great way to do so is to compare binoculars of similar specifications. After analyzing, if you deem the cost appropriate, only then proceed with the purchase.
Additional Features
Today, binoculars come with a host of other features. These include UV protection, night vision, antireflection, lens coating, etc. Check whether your selected product has any such features. Select only the one that provides you with your desired aspects. Apart from it, the binocular should also be lightweight so that you can easily carry.
Watch the following view to know more details about the advanced features of binoculars.
Frequently Asked Questions On Binoculars
Typically a binocular sees as much as your eyes can see. It only enlarges images and grants you a better view. So a lot depends on the magnification power of the device. The more the magnification power, the better you’ll see things present at a distance. Normally a binocular with 10x magnification grants you a clear view of about 12 miles. Keeping this estimate in mind, you can choose the ideal binocular for you. But remember that the device will only show you things that are visible to the naked eye, just more significant.
Yes, you can use a binocular for astronomy. Most people use astronomical binoculars with a higher objective lens diameter before switching to a telescope. A 10×50 binocular will give you a clear view of the moon, stars and nearby galaxies. For a better result, choose premium quality binoculars with 80 mm or more objective lens diameter. However, premium binoculars with larger magnification cost a lot. If you are unable to afford them, you can choose the best telescope at a reasonable price. But, before that, you can comfortably use a binocular for astronomy. Get a look at those beautiful stars and comets with ease.
On a binocular, “20×50” dictates the specification of the device. “20” indicates that the binocular has 20x magnification, and “50” indicates that the diameter of the objective lenses is 50 mm. Such terminology is the same for all binoculars and is mentioned accordingly on the packaging. So during purchase, analyze the specification, and select the ideal product for yourself.
DID YOU KNOW?
People often search for binoculars for hunting purposes. However, being nature and animal lovers, we do not encourage this cruel practice. Also, as per Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, the Govt. of India banned hunting for sports.
Watching a bird chirping and singing on high branches is a different pleasure for nature lovers like us. As one of the essential gear for bird watching, binoculars are very effective. You can see the movements of long-distance birds using this gadget.
Telescopic camera lenses with exceptional magnification cannot replace binoculars as they are easier to use and more budget-friendly. In fact, pro birdwatchers always use binoculars alongside their cameras.
Apart from watching birds, gaze at the distant landscapes or the night sky and admire the view in detail during your travel. Using a binocular, you can even catch a proper glimpse of your favourite musician from the concert crowd.
So, go through the reviews, get the best binocular suitable for your requirements in 2024, and cherish such unforgettable moments. Let me know if you need any further help in the comments.
