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I am brand new to all this and the binoculars I am using are great for viewing a concert not so much  for watching birds. Any suggestions?

That would all depend on how much $$ you want to spend.  I've been using Nikon Binoculars for years and they work VERY well for me.  I currently use the Sportstar 10X25 6.5 degree water resistant.  The cost about $75.00.  The more you spend the better you get, some have multiple coatings to reduce glare and flair, some have built in Stabilization, some even have built in Camera's ( I wouldn't reccomend the Camera combo).  To me its all dependent on how prosperous a newbie you are :-)

 

For many years I used the Nikon Monarch binocs ( about $250 ). In order ti get a better pair I had to spend more than $700. I highly recommend them for newbies....BTW welcome to the fraternity!

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There are three kinds of mathematicians, those that can count and those that can't.

I bought a pair of 10x50 Bushnell binoculars with the optical coating and, they say, extra lighting for $36 at a Longs store in the Bay Area, California. I love them. They're kind of heavy (they're coated with rubber), but I can see water dropping off individual feathers of an egret, or scan a shadowed bank about 1/2 mile away. I think they lack dimensionality (they tend to flatten out what I'm viewing), but I'm not complaining!
 

Would like to second the recommendation of the Nikon Monarch.  My wife and I have 2 pair of the 10X42 6 degree models and find them very good optically and not too heavy to lug.

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Twin Lakes Ranch
Central Texas

Do you have a price limit?

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New Additions to Life List: semipalmated plover, prairie warbler, belted kingfisher, ruddy turnstone

I have the Nikon Monarch 8x42s, all-weather.  Compared to top-of-the-line binocs, these are relatively inexpensive, and I'm happy with them as such.  I don't have much to compare against, but the image seems nice to me: bright and colorful.  They're susceptible to chromatic aberration when viewing against heavily backlit, or bright objects.  The extreme edges are a little out-of-focus, but to me, this is minor and hardly noticeable since it's natural to simply center the subject matter in view.   I imagine one can spend a $1000 to eliminate these shortcomings.

 This is my first post on this forum,but I've always loved binoculars.I have a pair of celestron 25x100 that are great,except they are real heavy,and require a tripod.But the views!!!Anyway,the trouble with binos are,for me, I can never hold them steady enough.I invested in a pair of canon's 12x36 image stablized and have never looked back.A little pricey,but you can have the best binos in the world,but if you cant hold them steady its frustrating.

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canon 50D,100-400L,10-22 wide angle,Tamron 17-50f2.8,28-75f2.8,and a bunch of other stuff

I have a pair of Simmons 10x50 that came from WalMart for around $50 (I think) that work jus fine for me.  I recently bought a pair of 16x something and I HATED them, took them back the next day.  I couldn't get them to focus.

I'm so glad you asked this question because I have been shopping for a new pair also.

Last spring I purchased a pair of Bushnell 10 x 25 with built-in digital camera. At first I was excited because I could see the smallest of hummingbirds in my backyard tree from 50 feet away. I used the camera for a tennis tournament. Unfortunately after I adjusted the diopter setting for my right eye I haven't been able to get clear photos. I'm okay with the camera not working though for the most part I'm really rough on my equipment. They were on-sale at Target for $13.99, and at that price if Iose or drop them in water - who cares.

I tried a pair of Canon binocs w/ ruby UV coated lenses once then returned them after failing to identify birds that appeared reddish-pink, and the fact that I had red hash marks around my neck from hiking with them on during a four-hour outing.

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"If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands." - Douglas Adams

For $50 you can get Nikon Action 8x40 which are the best binoculars under a $100 in my opinion.

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