By Robin Owens 17 days ago, Binoculars
Professional binoculars for safaris and other wildlife viewings.
Are you planning a safari soon but still don’t own binoculars? Keep on reading to know how to pick a pair of efficient binoculars for Safari, bird watching, hiking or any other trip in the wild you are about to venture to.
With this equipment you will observe African animals in their natural habitat in full detail and they will be imprinted in your memory for long.
You must have heard a joke that the most common reason for divorce among couples who travel to Africa is taking only one pair of binoculars. So, if you don’t feel like fighting with your partner on who is going to watch lions and elephants basking in the sun, invest in a pair or two of binoculars for African safari.
Using them, all the smallest elements like feathers on the birds or water on the hippo’s back will be perfectly visible.
Magnification: 8 x | Objective diameter: 42 mm | Field of view at 1000m: 106/350 metres /ft | Closest focusing distance: 2.3/7.8 metres/ ft | Eye relief: 19.5 mm | Weight: 589 g
⊕ Decent clarity
⊕ Satisfactory brightness
⊕ Smooth focus knob
⊕ Don’t weigh much
⊖ Average close focus range
⊖ Field of view could be better
Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 binoculars are aimed at the effortless handling of low light conditions. They unite top-class ED (extra-low dispersion) glass with entirely multicoated Eco-Glass lenses.
These travel binoculars produce an incredibly true-to-life, colorful and detailed picture. Among other benefits of the model are a lightweight design, turn-and-slide rubber eyecups, as well as long eye relief for convenience, even when the binoculars are used during the entire day.
The model is Nitrogen filled and O-ring sealed, contributing to impressive fog- and water-resistance.
Magnification: 8 x | Objective diameter: 42 mm | Field of view at 1000m: 109/360 metres /ft | Closest focusing distance: 1.5/5 metres/ ft | Eye relief: 16 mm | Weight: 227 g
⊕ Vortex transferable lifetime warranty
⊕ Cheap cost
⊕ Decent glass for the price
⊕ Zero resettable turrets
⊖ Eyebox of high magnification
⊖ Imperfect turrets tracking
Among the advantages of this model are entirely multi-coated lenses that boost light transmission with anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces.
Besides, the dielectric coating guarantees a clear and vivid picture with precise colors. Armortek coating of these binoculars for safari serves as a protection of exterior lenses from external influence.
Regulated eyecups are capable of twisting up and down for convenient observation of wildlife even with eyeglasses on. The center focus wheel regulates the focus of two binocular barrels simultaneously.
Magnification: 10 x | Objective diameter: 42 mm | Field of view at 1000m: 305/102 metres /ft | Closest focusing distance: 3.7/12 metres/ ft | Eye relief: 17 mm | Weight: 709 g
⊕ Reasonable price
⊕ Great water protection
⊕ Lightweight
⊕ For anyone who wears sunglasses
⊖ Loses in picture quality
H2O features 100% water protection. You can expect complete safety for your binoculars even in the wettest conditions thanks to the presence of non-slip rubber pads.
Besides, image quality remains at a high level. These safari binoculars have multi-coated optics and BaK-4 prisms for a fantastic visual experience.
Thanks to the use of premium materials for prisms, binoculars provide impressive sharpness, brightness, and clarity.
Magnification: 10 x | Objective diameter: 42 mm | Field of view at 1000m: 110/360 metres /ft | Closest focusing distance: 1.6/5.3 metres/ ft | Eye relief: 4.2 mm | Weight: 1430 g
⊕ Remarkable field of view
⊕ Excellent price-quality ratio
⊕ Weather-resistant
⊕ Fitting for all outside activities
⊖ Unexpectedly dark
⊖ Weigh much
ZEISS Terra® ED are the best safari binoculars due to their ease of use, reliability, and sturdy materials. They boast cutting-edge and polished design, light weight, and compact size.
The utmost optical accuracy and the hydrophobic multicoating contribute to the detailed and magnificent picture. The model is water-resistant and nitrogen-filled, ready to withstand any weather conditions.
Recently, Zeiss made an announcement about the release of the new budget 42mm binocular, and everyone was excited about it. It has been a while since any full-sized Zeiss binocular came with a price tag of less than $1000. That’s why it comes off as a surprise that they are selling an ED glass optic in the $450-$500 range.
Magnification: 8 x | Objective diameter: 30 mm | Field of view at 1000m: 137/450 metres /ft | Closest focusing distance: 2/6.6 metres/ ft | Eye relief: 17.8 mm | Weight: 449 g
⊕ Remarkable optics
⊕ Smooth focusing mechanism
⊕ Don’t weigh much
⊕ Seamless operation even at low temperatures
⊖ Very intense rolling ball effect
⊖ Central hinge should be tighter
These are undoubtedly the best binoculars for Safari due to their rugged but slim body, boosted protection from external influence, as well as rubberized panels for a reliable grip in different situations.
In order to guarantee long-lasting optical precision, the model’s objective and eyepiece lenses feature protection in the form of scratch-proof coatings.
To shield the inner lenses from fogging even at altitudes to 16,000-foot equivalent, MONARCH HG integrates a water-resistant rating.
Magnification: 12 x | Objective diameter: 50 mm | Field of view at 1000m: 86/285 metres /ft | Closest focusing distance: 3/10 metres/ ft | Eye relief: 15 mm | Weight: 1025 g
⊕ Awesome HD clarity
⊕ Reliable weather protection
⊕ Great vision for long distances
⊖ Lifetime warranty is limited
⊖ Weighs much
These Safari binoculars are great for early morning travel. They have reliable protection against fog and water thanks to the O-ring seals and a gas-purged design.
If you are a fan of outdoor activities, then this model is just for you. It is very durable and offers you impressively clear images.
With this binocular, you can see all the key points, regardless of whether you are at a concert, on safari, watching wildlife, or hunting.
Magnification: 10 x | Objective diameter: 42 mm | Field of view at 1000m: 111/365 metres /ft | Closest focusing distance: 2.5/8.2 metres/ ft | Eye relief: 16.4 mm | Weight: 603 g
⊕ Completely multicoated lenses
⊕ High-quality construction
⊕ Water resistance
⊕ Amazing clarity
⊖ Aren’t suitable for long-distance trips
Using this model you will enjoy incredible brightness and image resolution. These binoculars for Safari provide amazing close-focus, a huge field of view and convenient eye relief.
Nikon introduced stunning binoculars with a top-quality picture and incredible performance. This waterproof model meets the highest demands of hunting and safari enthusiasts.
The ergonomic and stylish body has powerful protection against fog and water, making Nikon Monarch 7 10x42mm the best binoculars for African safari.
Magnification: 10 x | Objective diameter: 26 mm | Field of view at 1000m: 92/302 metres /ft | Closest focusing distance: 3.3/11 metres/ ft | Eye relief: 14-15 mm | Weight: 299 g
⊕ Quick Macro-Focus
⊕ Efficient water protection
⊕ Rugged body
⊕ Easy to carry
⊖ Lack of a tripod mount
⊖ Aren't gas-purged
The Safari UltraSharp Series binoculars are great for hunting, traveling in the wild, attending sporting events at the stadiums, and so on. These are the best compact binoculars for safari due to their low-light capability, color accuracy, image clarity, and durability. They also impress with excellent performance. This model has small dimensions so you can easily put it in a bag, pocket, a purse and quickly get it out at the right time.
This binocular is part of an amazing 4-piece basic-level set for wildlife enthusiasts. The collection perfectly combines a compact size and efficient performance. This equipment is made of durable materials and it will never disappoint you. Another thing that attracts these binoculars for African safari is the price. It's hard to believe, but they cost less than $200.
Magnification: 10 x | Objective diameter: 42 mm | Field of view at 1000m: 113/370 metres /ft | Closest focusing distance: 1.9/6.2 metres/ ft | Eye relief: 15.5 mm | Weight: 730 g
⊕ Fully multicoated lens
⊕ Phase corrected multicoated roof prism
⊕ Wonderful close focus range
⊕ Rubber armored body with light chassis
⊖ Unsatisfactory whiteness rendering
⊖ Strap case is slightly difficult to use
The newly released Trinovid 42 HD are well-known classic safari binoculars. Leica improved them with an advanced carrying system.
The model pleases users with light weight, compact size, top-class HD technology, extremely sharp pictures, and remarkable color neutrality. The binoculars come with magnification factors of 8x and 10x.
The high-traction rubber-armoring contributes to the inimitably robust properties of Trinovid 42, delivering an ideal grip in various weather conditions.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Nikon 7576 MONARCH 5
Our Choice |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Vortex Optics Diamondback
HD |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Bushnell H2O
Waterproof |
CHECK PRICE → |
Are you going to watch wildlife in Africa or to hunt? Then you definitely need to have good binoculars in your backpack. The best safari binoculars will provide you with a vibrant and clear visual experience regardless of lighting conditions.
You will see a huge assortment of names and brands on the binoculars market. Here are some manufacturers that have proven their worth: Zeiss, Nikon, Canon, Bushnell, Pentax, Swarovski, Steiner, Leica, Tento, and Fujinon.
If we talk about safari, then high magnification is almost a useless thing. Your picture will be unstable due to the large zoom. Besides, if you need binoculars for animal watching, you will want to get the widest possible field of view to look for hidden tigers, lions, etc. Unfortunately, high magnification limits your viewing capabilities.
Therefore, I recommend choosing binoculars with 8x or 10x zoom in order to have a stable image and a lot of viewing space.
Since you need to be able to quickly raise the binoculars to your eyes and carry them for a long time, it is better to choose non-heavy compact models. However, do not forget about the correct size of lenses and decent magnification. I believe that the best option is the medium-sized binoculars. They perfectly combine small weight, suitable magnification, and compact size.
When buying binoculars for safari, you should consider not only ‘objective lens diameter’ and ‘magnification’ but also pay attention to the exit pupil. To receive the same light ratio, the objective lens diameter should go up with increasing the magnification number. Here it’s worth talking about exit pupil.
This term refers to the ratio of the objective lens diameter to the magnification number. For example, the 8×25 binoculars’ exit pupil (25/8 = 3.2 mm) is less than the 8x32 binoculars’ exit pupil (32/8 = 4 mm). In daylight, the pupil of an adult opens approximately 3.00 mm. Therefore, I recommend choosing wildlife binoculars with an exit pupil of around 3.00 mm.
Sure. Although some animals come quite close, most still stay far away.
The 8x to 10x models are considered the best binoculars for safari. If you do not use a tripod, you should not take binoculars with magnification above x10. This is the most acceptable option in case you want to get the maximum magnification and a stable picture.
No, you can find many decent options at affordable prices.
Thanks to the constant development of technology, modern binoculars are very different from the ones that existed even several decades ago. Current safari or travel binoculars are comfortable, lightweight, not bulky, performant and durable. This is achieved through the use of innovative technologies.
