How to Choose Your Best Safari Binoculars

When choosing safari binoculars it's best to determine what they are primarily going to be used for because the characteristics necessary will differ for each use.

So what are the essential characteristics that a binocular for safari use needs?

  • It needs to have a high power of magnification to be able to see the spots on a leopard but not too high because there is no place for a tripod in a safari vehicle and a handheld binocular with a very high magnification power is difficult to keep still.
  • Because you will be out spotting wildlife in the early morning and at dusk you need a binocular with a large outer diameter and a decent exit pupil size to collect a lot of light in these low light conditions
  • It needs to be light and compact because you will be packing a lot of other things for your safari and there are weight limitation considerations.
  • The field of view needs to be as wide as possible because you will be doing a lot of scanning in areas enclosed by undergrowth, bushes and trees and the wider field of view will help you spot the animals quickly in these conditions.
  • As this may be the first time you are going to be seeing some of these wild animals you need to be able to see them very clearly and therefore need the best quality prisms and optical coatings to cut down on light reflection.
  • Eye relief is important because you will probably be spending a lot of time on your safari looking through your binoculars so it has to be comfortable especially if you wear spectacles or sunglasses.
  • It mustn't cost the earth because a safari is often a once in a lifetime experience and even though you might use it on occasion back home it wont justify spending the thousands which some of the best ones cost.

So based on all these factors this is the best binocular to take with you on an African safari:

Magnification: 8 x 42

Field of View: At least 330 ft at 1000 yards.

Exit pupil size: 5.25 mm or more

Eye relief: 18 or more

Prism and Coating: BAK-4 prism and Fully Multi-Coated surfaces

Weight: Not more than 30.1 oz. lbs.


Safari Binoculars


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