The production of binoculars, in every size, shape, and style, made us think of the so-called “Age of Dinosaurs,” when these strange reptilian beasts occupied nearly every niche imaginable, only to face a mass extinction that reduced their diversity to only the hardiest forms. For now, the flood of optics is both good news and bad news for a birder in the market for a new pair of bins. The bad news is that the number of choices can be dizzying, and distinguishing between similar models is increasingly difficult. But the good news is that rivalry for your hard-earned dollars has resulted in higher and higher quality in binoculars, and many features that were rarely offered only five years ago have now become standard. Among the encouraging trends we have noticed is that optics manufacturers are continuing to improve the quality of their glass and their lens coatings, creating products that provide unbelievable images. Today mid-priced binoculars in many cases seem better than the top-of-the-line models of a decade ago.

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