Mid Range Binoculars & Night Vision for

Safari Holiday under

$400 / £400 / €400

BinoWizard Question Answered:

The following BinoWizard question was sent into be by Rodrigo from Brazil:

BinoWizard Question Answered:

I am looking for a solution that helps me during my stay on a

Safari in South Africa...

Question:

I would like to be able to view wildlife

during the day and

at night time...

Question:

...and ideally I would like a

single “all-purpose” binocularbut my research suggests that there is no such device that

will produce acceptable results?

Question:

I have a total budget of around $700 (£650)

Either all of it for a single night and daytime binocular or

$300 for daytime Binoculars$400 for the Night Vision

Question:

Firstly you are right:At any sort of reasonable budget and to the best of my knowledge, there

really is not a single solution for

both night and day time observation.

Day & Night Binoculars?

Sure you will find instruments on places like Ebay, Walmart and Aliexpress advertised as being

bothDay and Night binoculars.

These usually have red or gold tinted objective lenses and are usually very cheap...

Day & Night Binoculars?

But in reality the claims these make are

false and all of these binoculars are just

gimmickswhich in my opinion should be

avoided at all costs!

Remember:True night vision devices

that amplify the very small amounts of available light at night from the moon &

stars etc. to produce an image that is often green or grey by using either intensifier tubes and phosphor screens or achieve it digitally...

...are very different to your standard optical only binoculars

(even those that have very good low light capabilities).

If you are not sure of these differences, take a look at this guide to

Night Vision Binoculars, Monoculars & Other Devices

Different DevicesOk, so now we have established that we are looking for

separate Instruments:

Binocularsfor the day and up to and just after sunset

&

A Night Vision device for when it is completely dark

let’s first take a look at the

Night Vision options:

Night Vision for SafarisWhilst the very best NV devices cost many thousands of dollars,

you don’t need to spend huge amounts to get good results and your budget of $300-$400 is enough...

so long as you know what to look for:

Night Vision

Monocular or Binocular?A monocular is basically half a binocular and thus not only are they much less bulky and more lightweight

and thus easier to take on a safari holiday...

Night Vision

Monocular or Binocular?But for the same level a NV monocular is also

considerably cheaper than NV binoculars...

So

at your budget:Rather than getting a fairly low quality

night vision binocular, I would recommend getting a higher specification monocular instead.

Night Vision

Digital or Conventional?Conventional NV devices use

intensifier tubes and phosphor screens...

Night Vision

Digital or Conventional?...and whilst it is true that the

very best Gen2 and Gen3 NV devices use this system...

Night Vision

Digital or Conventional?...to get a really high quality image even in

very dark conditions(remember there are no street lights etc in the bush),

you need to spend quite a bit more than your mid level budget allows...

Night Vision

Digital or Conventional?However there is another option:

Night Vision

Digital or Conventional?Within your budget of under $400,

Digital Night Vision devices can & do perform as welland often better than most conventional Gen1 devices

Night Vision

Digital or Conventional?What is more, I have tested and reviewed a number of

Digital NV products that even equal Gen2 devices...

Night Vision

Digital or Conventional?As well as this:

You also get the added advantage in that many digital NV monoculars come with recording capabilities.

Which on Safari is ideal.

Further Reading

● How Digital Night Vision Works

Night Vision

Thus at the under $400 budget and for safaris, my suggestion is that you narrow your search down

even more and restrict it to

Digital Night Vision Monoculars

Night Vision for Safaris

BinoWizard Suggestions Based on your budget of under $400

and taking into account what we have already discussed, here are a couple of devices that I have

fully tested and reviewedand which I feel would be ideal for your safari holiday:

Night Vision for Safaris

Luna Optics LN-DM50-HRSD Night Vision Recorder

Winner: Best Night Vision Device 2015, it has been updated and is thus still a leading

Digital Night Vision device today:Click Here to Read the Full BBR Review

Night Vision for Safaris

Night Owl iGen 20/20 Night Vision Monocular

Winner: Best Night Vision Device 2013, Like the Luna Optics device, the unique Night Owl iGen

has also been updated:Click Here to Read the Full BBR Review

Night Vision for Safaris

Luna Optics LN-DM5 Digital Night Vision Monocular

Less Expensive OptionAvailable for about $250, I found that that the level of performance was

way above what I would have expected in this range. However you don’t get any recording capabilities like the others.

Click Here to Read the Full BBR Review

Mid Range (approx $300 / £300)

Safari Binoculars

Safari BinocularsFirstly I would like to emphasise that for most people a

pair of standard "day time" binoculars is far more useful on safari than a Night Vision device...

Safari BinocularsThus if I had to choose only one instrument it would most

certainly be a the right pair of “normal” binoculars.

Safari BinocularsThe right pair with good quality optics

will also offer better low light performance than cheap binos and thus not only are they useful during the day, but you will

be able to effectively use them just before sunrise and after sunset

(when many animals you’ll see on safari are most active and thus when many game drives occur)

Choosing the Right Pair of Safari Binoculars

As well as budget, there are many options and the right pairfor you and your safari will also depend on a number of other

factors and preferences:

Choosing your Safari BinocularsIf you want excellent low light performance and are willing

to sacrifice a little in terms of size and weight(which is not always ideal for travel)

then I would opt for a full sized bin (usually with a 42mm objective)

Safari Binoculars -Excellent Low Light Capabilities

Best Mid to High End Binoculars for Birdwatching & Safaris

For options within the $400 budget, pay particular attention to the Bushnell Legend M-Series 8x42,

Hawke Endurance 8x42 and Celestron Granite 8x42 binocularsas all three look to be ideal full sized binoculars for your safari holiday.

Safari Binoculars -Smaller Size & Good at Low Light

My preference for safaris would be to opt for a mid-sized binocular that balances a good low light performance with a smaller body size & less weight

Best Low Cost, All-Round Travel BinocularsThis article has many great options within your budget that I highly

recommend, but pay particular attention to the Hawke Endurance ED 8x32and the Celestron Granite 9x33 binoculars

Safari Binoculars -Traveling Convenience

If ease of packing & carrying is of prime importance for travel on safari then a pair of compact binoculars is the way to go:

● Cheap Compact Binoculars for Safari Holiday● On Safari with Minox and Swarovski Binoculars● Best Compact Steiner Binoculars for Walking Safaris

To check out these recommendations as well as all the others in more detail

& for links to the individual reviews Click Here To Read the Complete Article