My far better half (wife) kindly bought me a really excellent pair of binoculars for Christmas. A fantastic pair of Leica Ultravid HD binoculars which must have cost a fortune.
They are truly fantastic. This particular pair are amazingly compact and lightweight making them easy to carry around in my pocket. The lenses are coated with a special hydrophobic coating that is really effective at repelling dirt and moisture. When I’ve used them in wet weather the rain droplets simply roll off the lenses and the coating makes them remarkably easy to clean.
I was having a coffee time conversation with a colleague about binoculars and we began to list the various applications in which we have each used them. For my part, I use my binoculars almost every day to watch and identify birds in my back garden. Another way in which I regularly use my binoculars is viewing ships in the English channel, which I can see from the back of my house. The shipping lanes in the English channel are always bustling with a great variety of merchant vessels headed either towards Europe or off into the Atlantic.
When I’m out walking on the South Downs I always take my binoculars with me. Being high up on the Sussex hills provides and excellent vantage point from which I can view and identify many famous landmarks along the south downs way. My binoculars also provide the means to watch wildlife without causing disturbance. I’ve quietly watched hare’s, badgers, foxes and even a family of stoats playing in a distant field one late afternoon.
My colleague is keen on air shows, ballooning and sports so he uses his binoculars to give him a better view. He goes to all the air shows that are held throughout the summer months at airfields throughout the south (UK). He particularly enjoys the colourful ballooning events that are held all over the west country and his binoculars give him an excellent view of balloon pilots enjoying the odd glass of champagne as they drift over the green countryside. His favourite way to use his binoculars is at footbal matches. He tells me that his binoculars give him a much more detailed view of the game, the expressions on the players faces and afford him a lot more enjoyment of the game.
If you don’t have a pair of binoculars I suggest you get yourself a pair. Don’t go spending a fortune on your first pair, unless you have loads of money to spend. I can guarantee they will open up a whole new outlook on the world around you.