Binoculars
5 products
Optics for birds, walks and the night sky
Find binoculars that suit the way you look
8x42 and 10x42 roof prism binoculars, a waterproof 12x50, a classic 10x50, a compact pair, a zoom monocular and digital night vision. With straight answers on magnification, brightness and caring for optics in British weather.
- Tracked deliveryFollow your parcel all the way to your door.
- Secure paymentEncrypted checkout with certified payment providers.
- 14-day returnsYou can cancel your order within 14 days.
- Expert adviceQuestions before or after you buy? Write to us.
Choose by type
Full-size binoculars, pocket sized compacts, monoculars and digital night vision.
Binoculars, monoculars and night vision
Shop all
8x42 roof prism binoculars, black
8x magnification 42 mm lenses Roof prism Exit pupil 5.25 mm Black
£59.00
10x42 roof prism binoculars, green
10x magnification 42 mm lenses Roof prism Field 102 m at 1,000 m Green
£59.00
12x50 waterproof roof prism binoculars, IPX7
12x magnification 50 mm lenses IPX7 waterproof BaK-4 roof prism Close focus 2.5 m
£109.00
10x50 porro prism binoculars, green
10x magnification 50 mm lenses Porro prism Exit pupil 5 mm Green
£34.00
3x50 wide-field stargazing binoculars
3x magnification 50 mm lenses 17 degree field For star fields About 400 g
£69.00
8x42 or 10x42?
Both use 42 mm lenses, so they gather the same amount of light. 8x42 binoculars show a wider, steadier and slightly brighter view (exit pupil 5.25 mm), which makes birds in trees and hedges easier to find and follow. 10x42 binoculars bring things a little closer (exit pupil 4.2 mm), which pays off over water, moorland and estuaries. If you mostly watch the garden, woodland and local walks, start with 8x. If you scan open country and coasts, 10x is worth it. Our guide compares them in real birding situations.
Binocular guides
Numbers, magnification, stargazing, night vision and care, explained in plain English.
Birdwatching
Best binocular magnification for bird watching: 8x or 10x?
8x or 10x for birdwatching? How magnification changes field of view, brightness and shake, and which suits woodland, gardens, estuaries and hills.
Basics
What the numbers on binoculars mean (8x42, 10x50)
What 8x42, 10x50 and 12x50 mean: magnification, lens size, exit pupil, field of view, eye relief, close focus and the other figures on a binocular spec sheet.
Stargazing
Binoculars for stargazing: what to buy and what you can see
Why 10x50 is the classic stargazing size, what binoculars show of the Moon, Jupiter, the Pleiades and Andromeda, and how to hold the view steady.
Frequently asked questions
What do the numbers on binoculars mean?
The first number is the magnification and the second is the diameter of each objective lens in millimetres. 10x50 binoculars magnify ten times through 50 mm lenses. Divide the lens size by the magnification to get the exit pupil (5 mm for a 10x50), which tells you how bright the view stays in poor light. More in What the numbers on binoculars mean.
What are the best binoculars for bird watching?
Most birdwatchers use 8x42 or 10x42 binoculars. 8x gives a wider, steadier view for woodland and gardens, 10x more detail over water and open country. Look for a close focus of a few metres, waterproofing if you go out in all weathers, and long eye relief if you wear glasses. See Best binocular magnification for bird watching.
Can I look at the stars with ordinary binoculars?
Yes. A 10x50 or 8x42 shows the craters of the Moon, star clusters such as the Pleiades and, from a dark site, the Andromeda Galaxy as a faint smudge. Rest your elbows on something or use a tripod to hold the view steady. Never point binoculars at the Sun. Read Binoculars for stargazing.