Swarovski Binoculars

Hang around a flock of veteran birders long enough, and you'll see they know more than birds. They also really know their glass.

Few bird watchers in the Sacramento region know more about birds – and the glass to view them – than Ed Harper, who has been birding since age 6.

He shared his tips on choosing binoculars, and his help comes in handy at this time of year when sandhill cranes and so many other migratory birds visit the Sacramento region.

Higher magnification can help you see more detail, but higher magnification also makes it more difficult to hold binoculars steady. There are several different levels of coatings: not coated, fully coated, multicoated, and fully multicoated. Typically, the field of view is also provided for binoculars. Inexpensive binoculars are typically fully coated. If you are planning to buy binoculars, you'll want to know how they are described. Larger objective lenses collect more light and this will help you see more in low light (dawn, dusk, or shaded) situations.