How to Choose a Binocular - Orion Telescopes and Binoculars

In this video, Ken from Orion gives you some great advice on what to consider when purchasing a pair of Binoculars. We cover different factors like aperture, magnification, field of view, lens coatings, size and more so you can pick the pair that is best for your needs and budget.
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Since 1975 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars has been offering telescopes for sale direct to customers, with an unswerving commitment to best quality products, value and unmatched customer care. Our 100% satisfaction guarantee says it all. Orion offers telescopes for every level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert. From our entry level beginner telescopes for amateur astronomers to our Dobsonian telescopes to our most advanced Cassegrain telescopes and accessories, you can find the best telescope for you.

[@perzuki-9218]

Ken obviously knows this subject. Calm, easy, no wasted words. Excellent.

[@srfgrn]

Thank You! Finally found a straight forward, clear overview of the binocular world for beginners. Good Job!

[@lesthanzero]

Perfect explanation with perfect details to the different sizes. I came unknowing, and I am leaving knowing which binocular is right for me. Thanks Ken!!

[@Name-jw4sj]

Ken is the reason why I buy all my related astronomy instruments from Orion lol. Thanks Ken!

[@klausm5460]

A very helpful overview and a very pleasant way of talking us through. Thank you!

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi rubiks15, Those are the 25x100, definitely our biggest binocular! Thanks -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@antoniomanfredi951]

Wow, such a clear explanatory video! Thanks a lot Ken.

[@peterphoenix6471]

best explanation video by far!!!

[@evecatuiran3327]

pls. sent video for repair kowa tns 661 model

[@The_man_himself_67]

Greetings from 2019! Thanks.

[@albriddick7260]

Well explained and informative. Thx

[@Digitalswag]

Excellent presentation! It was informative, easy to follow & you've got a good speaking voice. Thank you much!

[@bobhull499]

GREAT JOB.....CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF ALL YOUR STATEMENTS. YOU SIR ARE TALENTED THANK YOU...

[@bmssns]

best thing about oriontelescopes is that they give you detailed anatomy of binoculars...explaining each and every segment....very usefull for bino lovers n users

[@Bolshevik337]

Thank you Ken. I never understood binocular numbers til now, did'nt care tho I have used them since my days in the Navy. I just got my grandson a pair,now I care and can explain it to him. people like you make this medium (u tube) special.

[@mohammadaliyaqoobi734]

Watching it in 2k20 beautifully explained

[@theblytonian3906]

Superb intro tutorial. Well thought through, constructed and presented. Thank you.

[@Susazeu]

I used A LOT a pair of 10x50 for sailing, specially during nightime when you have to search for buoys. For the theater I love your 8x32 although they're a little bit big, but they're great for giant stadiums more than opera houses. Thanks, a great refresher course on binoculars!

[@Gohot229]

Thank you, that was very simple and clear to understand. I know it will help me with my choices, and I very likely will choose ORION.

[@PrimalEdge]

very VERY informative video - thank you so much for giving me all the information I need to make an informed decision!

[@andreaszenker3895]

Really great overview. Enough to purchase wisely for first binoculars. Thanks

[@JohnathanLCruz]

Amazons link for Best Selling Binoculars www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/photo/297842/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll2&tag=tegaco-20&linkId=87a9259f8d25856180724e0cec83f5c6

[@natelove187]

In Chicago Lincoln Park near the Beach, I was lying on my back with Orion 10x50 Binoculars viewing a large section of sky. When I saw 2 large translucent or see through UFO Vehicles flying side by side at great speed flying Northeast towards Michigan. I was so excited to see it. I seen this on many occasions. I try to view into the constellations or by large Stars like Sirius to track their flight patterns. Orion Binoculars is the best investment I ever purchased

[@kokomaung]

Excellent explanation so far i'am fully understanding about what your trying to saying and it's really help me alot many thanks. ..

[@drew9932]

Great explanation. thank you! I too would have loved to see those double barrel cannons in the glass haha,

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi MuhammedKLM, Thanks for your comment. You can use binoculars to look at the space station, and it will appear brighter than with your naked eye. I don't think you have enough magnification to see any details other than a bright dot, but it's definitely fun to track it with binoculars. The moon looks quite nice through binoculars - large mountains and craters are definitely visible, and you can watch the moon go through its different phases night to night. Thanks, -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@WonderlandUnited]

Best damn review/tutorial on youtube! 10 years later it is still as useful as before! THANK YOU for this great video!

[@narayananm9156]

I have been thinking of buying a binoculars as I do little bit of nature photography. Your video really help me get all the basics in a nutshell. Thanks for you time !

[@AmmarHabjouqa]

Thanks for this very informative clip. I found clear answers in a concise manner of questions that I had tried to find answers to from many other sources.

[@guitargodjoe3621]

Very concise and informative video. Should be mandatory viewing for anyone considering purchasing a pair of binoculars. Thanks for posting.

[@adityashah5597]

What a well-explained video, thank you for it and also for not shoving ads.

[@1983noddy]

I have a pair of Celestron Skymaster 20*80 and they are awesome for astronomy! I can easily see Saturn and Jupiter and even their moons. I'm sure if i went to a less light populated area things such as Nebula and Andromeda would look amazing.

[@johnnyboy1586]

Your explanation on eye relief is the best I have heard. Thanks

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi John, I commented on another post about this as well. The field of view of the eyepiece has nothing to do with the exit pupil. The exit pupil is simply a function of the Aperture divided by magnification. The only way to increase the exit pupil is to make the aperture larger, or make the magnification smaller. Thanks, -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@Siddarable]

Excellent starting point for some looking to buy some Binoculars.

[@SulemanSiddique]

Very well explained.... Best so far! Thank you :) Btw I have a Sakura 30x60 7.2 FOV compact... never really got the time or need to understand what the numbers meant when I bought it but after watching this, I now very well know what it is and fortunately by default I got a good one for myself :D I would rather suggest my fellow viewers to check it out... its multi coated and is great for night viewing as well!

[@Namit2007]

A very nice presentation for those contemplating to buy binoculars for different uses.

[@ziia_zoozoo5231]

Am looking to buy one and this is great information. Thank you.

[@halaboly8915]

Great review! I'm looking to purchase my first binoculars and this gave me enough information to purchase wisely! Thank you!!

[@tonylittle2744]

I'm very pleased with the 20x80 Orion binoculars I bought a week ago. With a little ingenuity they fit fine on an existing scope tripod I have. Unfortunately the skies have been very cloudy since I bought them except for a few minutes last night when I had a fabulous view of Jupiter and it's moons. I can really recommend then for inexpensive quality astronomical use.

[@Neil_Gordon]

Thank you so for a very professional and well presented video. You have a great speaking voice and your knowledge is greatly appreciated.

[@wimpydragon]

Great explanation! Covers all the main points, good advice throughout.

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi Gaurav, For a handheld binocular, you probably can't go above 10x (maybe 15x if you have VERY steady hands). For tripod mounted, larger binoculars can go to 15x maybe up to 25x for the largest. If you want more magnification, I would suggest looking at a spotting scope. They will start at 20x, and can zoom to 60x for the maximum usable magnification for daytime terrestrial viewing. Definitely requires a tripod however. Thanks! -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@oriontelescopes]

We have some 70mm binoculars that don't have the central rod, but all of our 80mm+ size binoculars include a rod. Without the rod, such large binoculars wouldn't stay in collimation due to the weight of the barrels. So if you want to look at some 70mm models, our #51463 and #9546 would work with the smartphone adapter. Thanks! -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi pilas3000, If you're asking what would work to see super fine resolution like facial details at great distances, there really isn't anything that will work. A telescope can provide much higher power than a binocular, but when used during the day looking though the atmosphere that's been heated by the sun, you magnify the distortions in the air as well. Small details will be blurred out. I hope that helps, thanks again. -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@Gentilseulement]

Thanks, Ken! I did not mean to say that your talking is not interesting. You are very helpful in your videos. I was just frustrated that I could not find photos.

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi Priyaanshu, While I haven't heard it called exactly that, my guess would be a single layer of anti-reflective coatings. Usually, the range of coatings goes from "coated" to "fully-coated" to "multi-coated" to "fully multi-coated" with fully multi-coated being the best, and the "coated" being the least amount of coatings applied. The more anti-reflective coatings you have, the better the light transmission. Thanks! -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@mrjld5507]

Pure and simple explanation, well done.

[@bicu77]

Thank you ! I've already purchased the 10x50 and it's much better than 12x32 !

[@S172142230149]

Very good presentation. I have clear understanding in choosing the right binocular for the need.

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi kacarov, Unfortunately zooms do usually have a few drawbacks compared with a fixed mag bino. The field of view is narrower compared with the same power on a fixed bino), they can get dim and hard to hold steady at the higher powers if they're not large aperture and fixed to a tripod, and the biggest drawback is that they aren't as rugged - you have to be more careful with them because with the moving lenses it's much easier to knock them out of alignment. Thanks -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@niallobrien78]

Very informative video. I ordered a pair of steiner 10x30 binoculars for my deployment in central Africa next year. After watching this video I realise I should probably have bought the 10x26 as I imagine it will be very bright there.

[@branoe1]

good job with the video, thanks

[@johnhand871]

I wanted to see those BIG ones sitting on the shelf. Come on guy.

[@occipitalneuralgia2339]

John Hand me too! What the heck! I could not take my eyes off of them!

[@lastfanstanding999]

@@occipitalneuralgia2339 kinda like DD's because i really wasn't interested in anything else :)

[@Marco-qe5zw]

Im assuming those ones are 25X100

[@nuke2625]

I thought it was a fucking mini spaceship exhaust lol.

[@aurangzeb2466]

Thar is 25×100

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi Priyaanshu roy, Those two concerns are personal to you. 880 grams might be fine for one person, and too big for someone that wants to put it in their pocket like a compact binocular. And having it be waterproof all depends on if you will be viewing in locations that can get wet. If you're not near water or very high humidity, there probably isn't much of a reason to get a waterproof bino. Thanks! -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@Phillydog1958]

Great overall, review of binoculars. Thanks!

[@mrobiulhassan]

Clear explanation. Thank you.

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi Vicente, Most, if not all of our binoculars should work well with glasses. You'll probably want at least 13-15mm of eye relief to work well. My favorite 10x50 is the Ultraview 10x50. It has 22mm eye relief and very nice optics. I hope that helps, thanks! -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@rajwvilla]

Fantastic review thank you. So I presume a 25x70 would be better for basic astronomy than a 10x50?

[@Treviscoe]

Hi there, I'm not an expert but I'd go for the 10x50 while you're still "finding your way around the sky" and learning the names of the various constellations etc., and get the 25x70 when you're more expert. Patrick Moore (RIP) who was the resident astronomer on the BBC 's "Sky At Night" program for many years, even used to recommend a pair of 7x50s and said he still used one himself.

[@kfonseka4724]

Thanks for uploading this short & sweet video....

[@knightingalesaid]

Thanks, the best explanation on binoculars.

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi JohnJ512, It's true that you won't be able to see surface detail on planets with a 20x80, but you definitely can see the moons around Jupiter with these binoculars (and even a 10x50). So if you main goal is to see planetary surfaces, I would suggest a telescope instead of binoculars. Thanks -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@DanZulaica]

Great information, as always. My DSLR camera's tripod, similar to that shown in the video, could not keep the 20x80 I just bought in place and caused a lot of shaking and could not keep my view steady on anything. I wound up using my outdoor gravity recliner to just about be laying on my back. I got some nice views even though a bit wobbly. I would view for a few minutes and then rest my arms for a view minutes and look at a night sky app on my iPhone in very dim mode to try to find out what I am looking at. As a beginner it turned out great in trying to learn what I am seeing, though probably better to start with something like an 8x42 or 10x50.

[@reeziepot]

Thank you Ken. I leaned a lot from your video.

[@vicenteornelas6711]

I just got the 20x80 binoculars and they are great. For terrestrial viewing its ok without a tripod but for astronomy a tripod is a must. But they are great overall.

[@trunkgmx]

Such a great explanation video, thank you very much !! :)

[@MANGALsingh-qk5wn]

Thank You So Much For Such A Wonderful Information About Binoculars...............Now I Can Purchase A Binocular As Per My Requirement................

[@jackflash5659]

Excellent tutorial Ken. I learned a lot.

[@maheswarivyshakh5266]

Thank you, that was truly informative.

[@EspenFrafalne]

Im looking for new binoculars these days, and "focus free" binoculars is a major thing im looking for. MUCH quicker and more enjoyable to use :)

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi Espen, thanks for your feedback. The "focus free" binoculars tend to just provide fixed focus settings and can't be changed. If someone wears glasses and removes them for viewing, for example, the image will likely not be clear and there's no way to adjust for that. We prefer to offer the ability to adjust the focus for any situation as needed, but we appreciate your feedback about your preferences.

[@thekiminthenorth504]

This guy is God... Very precise and to the point explanation..

[@The_O.G_Cyber_bully_24Hr_Ban]

Most helpful binocular video on KZbin thank you.

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi Frank, Unfortunately, since there is a built in tripod post, there is no way to get this adapter attached to your binocular. If that rod wasn't there, the Binocular Mount Adapter would thread into the socket, so this works with any binocular without that rod attached. I'm sorry we don't have a way of getting this attached to your specific binocular. -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@roloreoandy9867]

GREAT video! You answered all my questions! Thanks!

[@mr.d7776]

Very helpful. Well done, thanks

[@oriontelescopes]

Hi Wayan, Those are our 20x80 astro binos. For the current price, go to our website and punch in the stock number 51464 into the search field. Thanks! -Ken Orion Telescopes

[@BearShark44]

Great information and delivery. Thank you!

[@alexstevensen4292]

I want to mention the exit pupil it's simply the front size divided by magnification you want the exit pupil to be at least 5 or 6 mm so it at least matches the eye pupil (at night that is). A smaller one reduces light and a bigger one doesn't give more light but makes for easier viewing. Also the field of view you can 'see' matters it depends on the type of eyepiece. Also the quality of the optics matter more 'elements' less chromatic aberrations and other errors much like a photographic lens.

[@augustwest1313]

Excellent video! I now how to shop for exactly what I want. Thanks alot!

[@JonathanSanJuan]

Very informative! Now it's easier to pick one. Thanks!

[@musicsuperrelaxingviajar]

Excellent explanation!

[@jackinvan]

thanks so much, for a newby like me looking for my first binocular, this was very helpful.

[@jasonbucy]

This guy is great and very knowledgeable!

[@alphaphotoandvideo]

very informative, I already have a 10x50, the 20x80 is in my wish list

[@SayBinidus]

Extremely helpful, thank you!

[@dopameen9076]

I'm a beginner and I really find it is easy and useful. Thanks alot. What about 12×60 binoculars Wright? I don't like heavy binoculars but I want to buy one for the life time.

[@Elizabeth-lg6zb]

Such a GREAT explanation. Thank you so much.

[@poorspeler]

Informative video, Thanks for your time, you helped me understand magnification and I will use this info in my future purchases of binoculars. thumbs up !

[@tohchuitin8730]

Well explained. Very helpful. Thank you for sharing

[@hemanshubhojak]

Very good explanation. Thanks mate.

[@Moongazer101]

Thanks for posting this informative video.

[@manjubeli]

you do know your binoculars. Best explanation ever!

[@ranaaamirmukhtar3415]

Explained very well, thanks for making a great video.

[@bingewatchshorts]

Thanks for the info! Learned a lot from this video.

[@ashok.nurture]

Thanks for the neat and sleek intro bro!

[@abs780]

Perfectly demonstrated. Thank you

[@nairitdutta6071]

Best explanation video! Loved it!

[@checkfoldcallraise]

Very helpful, thank you. I think I've found a good basis to go shop for a binocular. My enthusiasm is in sky watching. I have a great view of venus, Saturn and Jupiter just with the naked eye at 5 a.m. Would love to see them in more detail plus see other awesome things.

[@vframed]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWXIZJewrciJebM The Moon through Binoculars and Smartphone

[@T0myTune]

Great video, exactly the info I wanted to know! Thanks a bunch!!

[@janinebowyer5100]

Very clear explanation

[@shitalchandrap7987]

Thanks. Very nicely explained . Too good

[@enkay110]

very nice, but would appreciate some info on marine binoculars also, including those with built in compasses.

[@oriontelescopesbinoculars6659]

Hi nitinkibe, Check out our Resolux 7x50 #9543 or the 10x50 #9544 (usually 7x50 is better for a moving boat). They are very robust and fully waterproof, marine style binoculars. We don't have any with compasses built in, unfortunately. Thanks -Ken Orion Telescopes