The price of high end binoculars is enough to deter amateur birding enthusiasts. However, it is not necessary to have expensive binoculars in the initial stage. Standard binoculars offering 5x+ magnification is more than enough for beginners. When buying a binocular, it is important to consider power, size, field of view, roof, and eye relief. Power refers to magnification and size refers to the size of the objective lens. An 8x40 set will magnify the object 8 times to its normal size and has a 40 mm objective lens. Bigger the lens, higher will be the brightness of the object in focus. Higher the magnification, better will be the level of details.

Field of view should be at least 330 feet at 1000 yards. This refers to the width of the area that is visible when one is using the binoculars. Higher the number, higher will be your breadth of vision. A roof prism set will have the eye lens and objective lens in a single line. This helps make compact devices that are light and easy to carry. However, these devices are more expensive. A porro prism set will be more delicate but cheaper on the wallet.

Eye relief is important for comfort and convenience. This refers to the distance between the eye lens of the binocular and the eye. Higher the number, easier will it be to hold the binoculars steady for long durations. A person wearing spectacles should go in for a low eye relief number for better results.