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5 Best Binoculars Under $500 in 2024 – Reviews & Buying Guide

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a great pair of binoculars Binoculars come in many price ranges. There are the extremely inexpensive ones, and at the other end of the spectrum, we have the very pricey ones. It also doesn’t make it easier for you that there are hundreds of binoculars from dozens of different brands. To put it short; it’s quite of a tedious and time-consuming challenge to find the right pair.

We’ve reviewed hundreds of binoculars over the years, and in this article, you’ll find our top picks for under $500. Hopefully, by reading these reviews you’ll have a better idea of which binoculars will live up to your needs.

Below our reviews, we’ve written a buyer’s guide. It goes over the most important factors to consider when deciding whether a binocular is right or wrong for you.

A Glance at Our Favorite Pairs in 2024:

Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Nikon MONARCH 7 Nikon MONARCH 7
  • Large field of view
  • Comfortable to use
  • Excellent image clarity and color
  • Second place
    Vortex Optics VPR-4208-HD Vortex Optics VPR-4208-HD
  • Great for glasses wearers
  • Waterproof and fog proof
  • Responsible customer service and warranty
  • Best Value
    Third place
    Carson 3D TD-050ED Carson 3D TD-050ED
  • More affordable
  • Large magnification
  • Excellent image clarity
  • Canon 8×25 7562A002 Canon 8×25 7562A002
  • Small
  • Lightweight
  • Battery-driven image stabilizing
  • ATN BinoX-HD ATN BinoX-HD
  • Compass
  • Rangefinder
  • Variable magnifying
  • The 5 Best Binoculars under $500:

    1. Nikon MONARCH 8×42 Binoculars – Best Overall

    Nikon 7548 MONARCH 7 8x42

    The Nikon 7548 Monarch 7 8×42 is a delightful pair of binoculars at what is considered a mid-point price range. Fog proof, waterproof, rugged, and lightweight (1.3 lbs.), they can join you on all sorts of adventures or keep you busy while bird-watching from your patio. With ED glass and dielectric lens coatings, it’s understandable that users describe images as bright, detailed, sharp, and true to color, even in low light conditions. They provide a massive field of view (351/1000) and glasses wearers are happy with the eyepieces both with and without glasses. And they are easy to adjust and come with covers and a case. There are virtually zero complaints about these binoculars.

    Pros
    • Excellent image clarity and color, even in low light
    • Large field of view
    • Lightweight and comfortable to use
    • Fog and waterproof
    Cons

    2. Vortex Optics VPR-4208 Binoculars

    Vortex Optics VPR-4208-HD

    On paper, the Vortex Optics VPR-4208-HD 8 x 42 is indistinguishable from our Top Pick.  This Vortex is waterproof and fog proof, has a field of view of 347/1000, and weighs 1.5 lbs.  Vortex costs about the same as our Top Pick and also offers an aggressive unlimited, lifetime, transferable warranty which customers feel good about.  Its lengthy eye relief of 20mm works very well for eyeglass wearers but takes some getting used to without glasses.  But the one noteworthy place it stumbles is with clarity of image at anything beyond a midrange distance – it just doesn’t seem to have the same level of sharpness with the far away objects that the Top Pick offers.  Other than that, these are quality binoculars backed up with reputable customer service.

    Pros
    • Waterproof and fog proof
    • Great for glasses wearers
    • Large field of view
    • Responsible customer service and warranty
    Cons
    • Struggles with distant image clarity

    3. Carson 3D TD-050ED Binoculars – Best Value

    Carson 3D TD-050ED

    The Carson 3D TD-050ED binoculars are a clear choice as Best for the Money.  About a third less money than our first two models, these give you a larger magnification level and lens diameter – 10 x 50mm – with some users using them for amateur stargazing (and can be tripod mounted).  With ED glass and dielectric coatings, images are sharp and clear.  Its field of view is smaller – 262/1000 – but that’s expected at this higher magnification level.  These have a bit of a rabid fan base, with everyone raving about its terrific ergonomics and ease of use, and users evenly but aggressively divided about the case being awesome or awful.  The one universal complaint is that it is sold without lens covers.  Overall, these are a fantastic pair of binoculars for the experienced or the rookies and come at an unbeatable price.

    Pros
    • Excellent image clarity
    • Large magnification can also work for stargazing
    • Comfortable in hand and on eyes
    • More affordable than similarly-featured binoculars
    • Waterproof
    Cons
    • No lens covers
    • You might hate the case

    4. Canon 8×25 Binoculars

    Canon 8x25 7562A002

    If you’re buying your first pair of bins, you could do worse than the Canon 8 x 25 7562A002.  Unique among manufacturers listed here, Canon offers a battery-powered image stabilizer feature: press a button and the image will hold steady.  Although users really like this ability, they would all prefer a button that can remain on so that they didn’t have to keep it pressed down, and no one likes the difficulty in finding the required but uncommon batteries.  They are small and lightweight, but with a slippery plastic housing, you won’t necessarily think them easy to cart around, plus they aren’t waterproof.  Anyone who has experienced fancier binoculars will notice the inferior optics on this Canon as well.  For occasional or sporadic binocular use, these would be fine, but if you are a hardcore bird-watcher, you might be happier elsewhere.

    Pros
    • Battery-driven image stabilizing at the press of a button
    • Small and lightweight
    Cons
    • Optics won’t wow anyone
    • Cheap-feeling exterior
    • Image stabilizer should be easier to keep engaged

    5. ATN BinoX-HD 4-16x/65mm Binoculars

    ATN BinoX-HD 4-16x/65mm

    We’re not even sure if we should call these binoculars since the ATN BinoX HD 4-16x/65mm does so many other things, too.  In addition to being a variable magnifying bino, it also is a compass, a rangefinder, night vision goggles, a camera, and a video camera, plus it has wi-fi streaming.  If you are out hunting at night or want to easily show family and friends what they missed by not joining you in the field, this may be the gadget for you.  Alas, like so many tools that try to do too many things and consequently do none of them well, this ATN device is a bit of a train wreck.  It’s much heavier than most bins, at almost 3.5 lbs., and it devours expensive batteries like a monster.  And very few people can get even some of its features to work let alone all of them.  Like something out of Star Wars movie, this is a very compelling idea but lacks the technology to truly back it up.

    Pros
    • If it worked as advertised, it’d be super cool
    Cons
    • Very few units operate as intended
    • Low-end binocular with poor image clarity
    • Extremely fast battery consumption
    • Expensive batteries

    Factors to Consider When Choosing Binoculars Under $500

    You’ll encounter a lot of jargon as you begin shopping for binoculars. If you’re already a binocular or camera enthusiast, you’ll feel right at home, but if you’re not, you need a quick vocabulary lesson.

    1. Magnification

    The numbers you’ll first see in the name of the binoculars will look like an 8th-grade math problem – 8 x 42 or 10 x 50 – but don’t break out your calculator to translate them. The first number is the magnification level and tells you how much closer the object you’re looking at will appear – 10 means the object will seem 10 times closer.

    Your gut will tell you to get the highest magnification number you can find, but higher numbers come with trade-offs. Not only will more magnification cost more, but anything above about a 10 will be hard to use without a tripod. Even if you have a very steady hand, its minor, unnoticeable tremors will be magnified and make the image so shaky that you won’t be able to use them freehand.

    More magnification also means a narrower field of view (see below). In a nutshell, whatever you’re focusing on will push outside your vision anything else nearby.

    Lower magnification will also make for a brighter and wider field of view, which in turn will make it easier to “find” what you’re looking for through the binoculars and then follow it if it moves.

    2. Lens Diameter

    Lens Diameter is the second number in the math problem – the 42 or the 50. This is the distance across the lenses at the end opposite your eyes and is measured in millimeters. A larger lens means more light can get in, which is a good thing. If you plan to use your binoculars in anything other than fully-lit conditions – dawn, dusk, overcast weather – then you want to make sure to have a big lens diameter to capture any available light.

    A low lens diameter will give you low image quality. A higher diameter will give you a sharp, bright, true-color picture to look at. But the larger lens will make for heavier binoculars.

    Your gut will tell you to focus on only the magnification number – don’t. There’s no point in a high mag number if you’re magnifying darkness. For maximum distance and clarity, look at both magnification and lens diameter.

    3. Field of View

    Many binocular users want a wide field of view or a large horizontal width of visibility. They want to be able to see a wide expanse out the other end, not a narrow strip of scenery. Field of view is often expressed as a fraction of yards, such as 290/1000 yards, with a higher first number providing a larger field of view. A larger field of view makes it easier to spot and track moving objects.

    4. Eye Relief

    This is the distance, in millimeters, between the eyepiece lens and your eyeball and often ranges between 5 and 20mm. If you are expecting to be wearing glasses while using your binoculars, you’ll want a higher number, otherwise, you’ll be unable to wear the glasses. A longer eye relief also reduces overall eye fatigue – your eyes get tired looking through binoculars.

    5. Trade-offs

    As you learn more about binoculars, you’ll come to realize that there are a lot of performance-related trade-offs to choose amongst. A longer eye relief means a smaller field of view. A lower magnification will give you a brighter view and a larger field of view. Greater lens diameter will enhance the image quality but be heavier. And you can’t necessarily just pay more to solve these dilemmas – your choices are governed by the laws of light and optics.

    You should think carefully about what you plan to do with your binoculars and you might even wind up purchasing more than one pair. Those that are best at bird-watching in the woods, for example, may not be best for viewing icebergs from the deck of a cruise ship.

    binoculars 3 divider

    Conclusion:

    The Nikon 7548 Monarch 7 8×42 is our Top Pick. A huge crowd favorite for delivering super-sharp, true-color images even in low light, they are also lightweight but sturdy enough to take anywhere. This is a rare product that seems to make everyone who uses it happy.

    Coming in as our Best for the Money is the Carson 3D TD-050ED. You get excellent magnification and lens diameter at a very reasonable price and you can even use them for basic stargazing. These are a terrific choice as your first “grown-up” bins.

    You could spend thousands of dollars on binoculars and they would give you a phenomenal viewing experience. But you can get nearly that same experience for less than $500, too, if you do some research. We hope our reviews gave you a clear view of what’s out there.

    Note! We also have a top 5 list for high-end binoculars under $1000, and a top 5 list of inexpensive binoculars for under $50. These may be worth going over.

    About the Author Robert Sparks

    Robert’s obsession with all things optical started early in life, when his optician father would bring home prototypes for Robert to play with. Nowadays, Robert is dedicated to helping others find the right optics for their needs. His hobbies include astronomy, astrophysics, and model building. Originally from Newark, NJ, he resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the nighttime skies are filled with glittering stars.