I was recently in the market for a new pair of binoculars and when I first started shopping around, I was bewildered by the vast number of makes and models available these days. Since I received my first pair of binoculars as a gift more than twenty years ago, I lacked experience shopping for the gadgets myself. I knew I had a lot to learn if I was going to invest my money wisely.

I started by scouring the web for insights and product reviews. The good news is that there is a wealth of superb information out there, from tips and technical details to product reviews and side-by-side comparisons. The bad news is there is so much information available you may end up more confused after reading it all than you were to begin with.

To temper my own confusion, I decided to put together a summary of the information I gathered from various sources (you'll find a complete list of my sources at the end of this article, each is well worth checking out).

Find out more A Guide to Buying Binoculars

Image: Nikon Premier LX L 8x42 roof prism binoculars.