Black Friday is the perfect time of the year to snap up a deal on some of your more expensive outlays and, as telescopes and binoculars tend to be premium priced, there’s no better time to buy.
The Live Science team has been scouring the sales, and when we do find an irresistible Black Friday deal on a pair of binoculars, or spy a telescope at a ridiculously low price, you can trust us to know whether this is a bargain worth dropping some hard-earned dollars on, as we’ve tested a wide range of optics for wildlife watching, stargazing, and more.
We spend a lot of time looking through the lenses of the latest binoculars and telescopes, and have put the hours in to make sure that when we recommend a product, we’ve really put it though its paces. Only the finest specimens will make it to our best telescopes and best binoculars guides, and as such we will only highlight deals we think are worth the money.
So whether you want to observe nature up close without disturbing the peace or peak up at the stars in the night sky, to help you find the ideal kit at the best price, Live Science has compiled the top binoculars and telescopes bargains.
Best Buy: A great range of binocular and telescope dealsAmazon: Big deals on binoculars and telescopesWalmart: Binoculars for all ages and deals on telescopes for stargazersB&H: Expert retailer specializing in optical hardware
Best telescopes deals
Best binoculars deals
How to choose your binoculars
Haven’t decided which pair of binoculars is right for you? Here are some things to consider: How do you plan to use the binoculars: bird and nature watching, or skywatching? Some binoculars are made for being out in nature when the sun is bright, for instance, or perhaps a rugged, shock-resistant coating is in order for a heavy-duty adventure. After you have that figured out, as well as your budget, here’s what to look for when scanning the stores for the best binoculars deals:
Magnification and lens size: The two numbers that describe binoculars refer to the magnification (first number) and lens diameter. For instance, a set of 10 x 52 binoculars are equipped with 10x magnification and 52 millimeter lenses. Both 8x and 10x magnification are considered optimal to prevent shaking and show a stable image nearby and far away. Lens size determines the amount of light let in. In low-light settings, you might want binoculars with lenses that are larger than 42 mm.
Field of view: The FOV indicates how wide an image can be seen through a binoculars’ lenses. The wider the FOV, the easier it will be to find what you’re looking for. However, there are trade-offs. The higher the magnification, the lower the FOV. According to Bushnell, companies measure FOV in feet at 1,000 yards, or the field of view you’d have if you were to measure it from 1,000 yards away.
Size/shape: Depending on where you plan to lug your binoculars, the physical size and weight can matter. Big and bulky might be fine for one adventurer, while another is interested in pocket-friendly binoculars that still feature powerful optics.
If you’re ready for an outdoor adventure, keep checking back for more deals on binoculars for 2023.
How to choose your telescope
If this is your first time buying a telescope, or you’re looking to upgrade from a beginner model, there are a few things you need to know before deciding which model to buy. If you’re ever unsure, and want to know your options, don’t forget to visit our best telescopes guide.
Aperture: The aperture of your telescope is usually measured in mm, and the higher the number, the wider the aperture. A wider aperture lets in more light, which is essential for night sky viewing. If you’re a beginner, you’re fine with around 90mm, but more advanced telescopes will have 120mm-300mm, which will allow you to pick out further away objects with greater clarity. Obviously, a wider aperture comes with higher weight and money costs.
Magnification: This is essentially a rating how far you can see while retaining a clear image. It’s the focal length of your telescope multiplied by the magnification of your eyepiece. If you’d rather not calculate the numbers, as a rule of thumb, the maximum useful magnication of your telescope is about 50x the aperture, and the longer the magnification the better the image you’ll get when viewing far-away objects. This is influenced by the eyepiece the telescope uses, so if you’re looking to vary the types of object you’re looking at, you should make sure you have a range of eye-pieces, like a 10mm and a 25mm.
Focal ratio: This is essentially the width of your field of view. A higher focal ratio number (represented as f/number) allows you to really narrow in to specific objects like planets, stars, and the moon. A lower focal ratio number gives a wider field of view, so is better for clusters like the Milky Way or the Horsehead Nebula. Obviously, the wider your focal ratio, the more light you’re letting into your telescope, so the brighter and clearer the object your viewing is.
Weight and tripod: Don’t forget that, especially if you live in an urban area, you will need to transport your telescope to dark sky spots in order to see the night sky clearly. Taking note of the weight, durability, and ease of collapsing of your tripod or mount is important.
Smart phone integration: Some of the more advanced telescopes can be controled via your smart phone, and many have in-built databases of celestial objects that you can pick out with the press of a button. If you struggle to actually find certain objects, these smart features will be worth the money.
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Alexander McNamara is the Editor-in-Chief at Live Science, and has more than 15 years’ experience in publishing at digital titles. More than half of this time has been dedicated to bringing the wonders of science and technology to a wider audience through editor roles at New Scientist and BBC Science Focus, developing new podcasts, newsletters and ground-breaking features along the way. Prior to this, he covered a diverse spectrum of content, ranging from women’s lifestyle, travel, sport and politics, at Hearst and Microsoft. He holds a degree in economics from the University of Sheffield, and before embarking in a career in journalism had a brief stint as an English teacher in the Czech Republic. In his spare time, you can find him with his head buried in the latest science books or tinkering with cool gadgets.
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