The most essential equipment in birdwatching is the binocular. Other than that, there’s the camera, notebook and field guide. There is also some fancy electronic equipment that makes bird identification available at the touch of a button, but to enjoy a good birdwatching expedition, all you need other than the proper clothing and shoes is good, reliable viewing equipment.
Binocular or telescope?
If you plan to go hiking while birdwatching, a pair of binoculars is a good idea. They're convenient and easy to carry. However, if you plan to visit wide, expansive areas like reservoirs and estuaries, a telescope is better because it carries a higher magnification and you can focus better at longer distances.
The first rule for buying a birdwatching equipment should be comfort. It should not be too heavy and should allow easy manipulation. It also should not cause strain on your eyes. Rubber coatings are a good bet to protect your body against knocks. If you choose a telescope, buy a good tripod for appropriate support especially if you will be birdwatching at a stationary position.
The magnification indicates the focusing power. There are two numbers indicating the specification (for example, 7x20, 10x40, etc.). The first figure is the magnification power and indicates how many times larger an object will look through the lens. The next number is the objective lens' (the front lens) diameter in millimeters and indicates how bright the object will appear. As the lens get larger, the more it can gather light so the brighter the image through the lens.
In general, the lower the magnification, the brighter the image and the wider the field of view. The depth of field is also greater and the nearest focus point is also closer. A higher magnification means that the image will be less bright and the depth of field will be narrower so you will need to frequently change the focus. The lower magnification will also be lighter than the one with higher magnification.
Field-of-view (FOW) refers to the width of an image as seen through the lens. This is either in degrees or ‘width at distance’. So if you have a 250ft at 1000yrds, an object that’s 1000 yards away will appear 250 feet wide. One degree is about 17m at 1000m, so just do the math.
As for price, you usually get what you pay for, so choose viewing equipment that you can reasonably afford. For a newbie birdwatcher, $200 or less is a good mark, as long as you do your shopping. Then, as your hobby progresses, start buying the more expensive ones. Brand-name equipment can cost over $1000.
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