How to use binoculars

Getting Started

18 Mar

4 minute read

Here's a How-to guide about how to use binoculars when birdwatching. Learn how to adjust for focus and identify birds at a distance.

Binocular parts

Neck strap - A strap for hanging your binoculars around your neck.

Eye piece - Where you look into your binoculars. Newer binoculars also have retractable rubber eyecups that help to control the light shining in on the eye piece.

Diopter focus - One of your eyes might be better at seeing things than the other. Use this knob to ensure the image is sharp and clear to both eyes.

Focus wheel - Where you focus your image. If things look a little fuzzy, turn the wheel to make your view clearer.

Objective lens - These big lenses at the front work like your eyes' "light collectors." They gather lots of light from the thing you want to see and help the binoculars make it look much bigger and closer.

Basic binocular techniques

Prepare your binoculars before you start.

Place the neck strap behind your neck so that your binoculars can hang comfortably. This prevents accidental drops and allows you to move more freely. If you are wearing glasses, fold down the rubber eyecups around each eye piece.

Look at the horizon. Close your right eye and use the focus wheel (at the top of your binoculars) to sharpen the image for your left eye. Close your left eye and adjust the diopter focus (near the right eyepiece) until the image is clear for your right eye.

Scan the area with your eyes.

Begin by scanning the area you are in with your naked eye (without using your binoculars). Notice what habitat features are around you - you might see an interesting looking tree, a rock on the beach or the bend in a river. You might like to stop and listen to the habitat as well - what birds can you hear?

Hold your binoculars up to your eyes.

Scan the area again and this time look for movement or colours that indicate bird activity. Once you see something you would like to look at with your binoculars, maintain eye-contact with that spot and slowly lift your binoculars up to meet your eyes. Don’t move your head, move your binoculars instead.

Scan the area with your binoculars.

If you aren’t able to see anything interesting with your naked eye, you can use your binoculars to scan also scan the habitat you are in. Life your binculars and focus them on the horizon then slowly pan across the habitat and be ready to see a bird. You might want

Use your focus wheel to get a clearer image.

Move your focus wheel to change the focus of your binoculars. This is really useful when trying to see a bird that is hiding in a tree or bush and you will find that your focus wheel allows you to ‘look through’ to see the bird more clearly.