Binoculars at the RSPB Arne Shop

Our retail manager SJ introduces us to the range of binoculars available at the RSPB Arne Shop and gives you some things to think about before you come in and give them a try.

We hold regular binocular demonstration days here at RSPB Arne in Dorset, but we know not everyone can attend these events. So, we thought we’d do a blog about the range of binoculars we have to help you decide what you might like to try before your next visit.

SJ puts some items in the sale in the Arne Shop (Annie Parsons)

Our range starts from £70-£2720. We stock RSPB, Nikon, Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica and Viking.  If you want to check if a specific model is in stock, please call us on 01929 557828.

A few things to think about before your visit:

• What do you want to use them for? It might be bird watching, other wildlife, butterflies, dragonflies, looking out to sea or maybe rambling across the Purbecks.
• Do you need them to focus closely for things like dragonflies and insects?
• Do they need to be light and small?
• Do you want to watch wildlife at dawn and dusk? If so, you might want the brightest image possible.
• Do you need them to be waterproof? Most of our binoculars are waterproof and filled with nitrogen to stop them fogging up inside. Let us know and we can point out the models most relevant for you.
• Have you tried a monocular? These are half the size of binocular, great for people who have tricky vision or can’t get on with binoculars. They are also fantastic for flowers and butterflies!
• Do you wear glasses? All of our binoculars work with glasses, but some are better than others.

What do those numbers mean?

You might have noticed that binoculars all have different numbers on them that help to describe what they do. But what do these numbers actually mean? Let’s take our Harrier X (8x42) model as an example.

The RSPB Harrier X model of binoculars (Annie Parsons)

8 - The first number is the magnification (these binoculars will make an object look 8 times bigger).

42 - The second number is the diameter of the objective lens, in this case 42mm across the bottom of the glass. Generally, the higher that number is, the brighter the image will be.

You might also see a third number – for example, ‘field of view 8.1’. The bigger this number, the wider the field of view. A wide field of view can be really useful if birds or wildlife are going to be moving fast across your view.

However, it’s not always as simple as the higher the number the better! Chat to us in the shop to find out what would best suit your needs.

Volunteer Annet demonstrates with a pair of RSPB Avocet binoculars (Annie Parsons)

What do you get when you spend more?

As you increase your spend, the coating on the glass improves and even the quality of the glass changes. What does this mean? It means your image gets brighter and sharper, making wildlife easier to spot and identify.  When you come to RSPB Arne, we can take out a few different models at a time, so you can compare the results in our beautiful wildlife garden.

Buying binoculars is a personal choice and the best way to find the perfect kind is to try them and see what works best for you. Why not pop in and take a look next time you visit us? We can do binocular demonstrations at any time! There will always be someone on hand to help talk you through the differences and to make sure we find the right pair for you. Whether you are upgrading or getting your first equipment, we will have something for you.

The RSPB Arne shop is open Monday-Sunday 9.30-5pm. Check out our events page to find out about our next binocular and telescope demonstration event.

SJ Buckle