Peter (in Des Moines):
Plenty of choices, of course.

But where to start.

First, I ALWAYS sample any binocular or spotting scope before purchasing it. That’s common sense.

More challenging: WHERE to find a good optics resource? What’s a birder to do?

One quick fix: I have bought optics from the following online and storefront source that
features diverse choices for binoculars, spotting scopes, and optic accessories:

Out of This World Optics
(OutofThisWorldOptics.com)

The owners (Marilyn Rose and James Blackstock) provide personal service.

(They are at: 800-228-8252…..and Mendocino is a sweet, coastal town in southern Mendocino County, ~120 north of San Francisco)

Otherwise, visiting REI or a Wild Birds Ltd. store is a good idea because you can sample diverse binocular options BEFORE buying one.

Which brands are worth considering? This answer depends partially on your budget. If you have the $ and wish quality then Swarovski, Zeiss, and Leica are “top of the line”…For scopes, I recommend Swarovski, Zeiss, and Kowa.

10 x 42 or 7 x 35 are fine….but I prefer my 10 x 42 Swarovski NL Pure (2023 model).

Feel free to email me and I’ll send you an article that may be helpful: DanielEdelstein at att dot com

Regards, Daniel

WarblerWatch.com

(features my resume and my “Birding Tours” information if you click on these two words at the home page for this web site)

WarblerWatch.blogspot.com (the # for this blog)