Complex bird binoculars that allow you to focus both eyepieces separately are ideal if you have significant vision impairment but they impede rapid focus changes when following birds in flight. I set my lenses at the start and then use only the central focus knob while in the field.
You can buy bird watching binoculars for as much as $1,000. Heck, Victoria’s Secret or Neiman Marcus probably have diamond encrusted ones for $100,000. Do you need to spend this money? No. My personal experience has revealed binoculars in the $200 to $400 range perform well and I’ve never missed a sighting because of their quality.
Obviously, you can spend whatever you wish, but keep in mind you don’t have to go overboard. Plus, binoculars without diamonds tend to still be on the beach once you make it down from the cliff.
