

Another feature to look for is long eye relief. So features like waterproof and shockproof are not a must but are definitely favourable. Safari means rough roads, high temperatures, frequent movement, dust, humidity and possible drops or hits to your new binoculars. What Other Features Should I Look for in Safari Binoculars? These will be the perfect balance between magnification, lens size and weight. So bottom line: go for mid-sized (8×32 or 10×42) binoculars. That said, you still need some decent magnification and big enough lenses for viewing in low light conditions. They are just easier to put up to your eyes and spot the action right away. Obviously, you will be better off with lighter, smaller binoculars for safari. What’s the Optimal Size and Weight for Safari Binoculars? Larger than 42mm means a lot of glass making your binoculars heavier, bulkier and harder to carry, use and stabilise handheld. Smaller than that means your image will be too dark at those times. Because you will be out there in the field early mornings and at dusk, you will benefit from 32mm to 42mm lenses. What’s the Best Lens Size for Safari Binoculars?īigger lenses mean that you can view in lower light conditions. Any more than that will result in an unstable image. So, in our opinion, 8x or 10x is the perfect magnification for safari.

A wide field of view will allow you to achieve that. In safari, you will often need to spot animals hiding around large bushy areas. Another reason is that higher magnification also means a narrower field of view. There is no space in the safari vehicle for using a tripod so powerful binoculars are not a good option. Unfortunately, it is nearly useless for safari! The problem with too much zoom is that your image becomes unstable. High magnification is always nice to have. What’s the Best Magnification for Safari Binoculars? If you are a dedicated birdwatcher or a regular observer, then check out our birdwatching binoculars guide, otherwise just get a pair of good quality, mid-priced binoculars. Especially if you’ll only be using them once or twice in a lifetime. Do I Need the Highest Quality or Expensive Binoculars for Safari?Ĭertainly not! There is no need to go overboard. If you want a good view and not miss the right moments because someone else is using the shared pair – it is highly recommended that you bring your own. But these are usually low quality, beaten-up binoculars and not that great for sharing among the passengers. Most tours will have one or even two shared pairs of cheap binoculars on board.

Good safari binoculars definitely enhance your safari experience and allow you to see the animals up and close. There are plenty of times where you will get close to the animals anyways, but in many cases, you won’t. We’ve been getting a lot of requests lately by customers planning their African safari trips and needing some expert binocular advice. In this guide, we will cover what to look for when choosing good binoculars for safari as well as a few handy tips and recommendations. Binoculars are one of the first things to pack when going on your next African safari.
