Binocular Chart

Best binoculars under $1,000: the $500 to $1,000 band

The Steiner Navigator 7x50 has the longest eye relief in the band at 20.2 mm, while the Maven B.3 8x30 has the widest view at 430 ft at 1,000 yd.

Top picks

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Best binoculars under $1,000: the $500 to $1,000 band
ModelSizeField of viewEye reliefClose focusWeightExit pupilAmazon
Vortex Viper HD 10x42 10x42 341 ft 17 mm 6 ft 24.9 oz 4.2 mm Check price on Amazon
Nikon Monarch M7 10x42 10x42 362 ft 16.5 mm 8.2 ft 24 oz 4.2 mm Check price on Amazon
Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 25x100 156 ft 15 mm 80 ft 140 oz 4 mm Check price on Amazon
Steiner Military-Marine 10x50 10x50 327 ft 16 mm 66 ft 35.3 oz 5 mm Check price on Amazon
Steiner Navigator 7x50 Longest eye relief 7x50 419 ft 20.2 mm 66 ft 26.6 oz 7.1 mm Check price on Amazon
Opticron Traveller BGA ED 8x32 Closest focus 8x32 429 ft 19 mm 5.9 ft 15.9 oz 4 mm Check price on Amazon
Burris Signature HD 10x42 10x42 314 ft 8.2 ft 23.2 oz 4.2 mm Check price on Amazon
Bushnell R7 12x50 12x50 290 ft 18 mm 7 ft 32.4 oz 4.2 mm Check price on Amazon
Nikon Stabilized 12x25 S Lightest 12x25 236 ft 12.3 mm 9.8 ft 13.9 oz 2.1 mm Check price on Amazon
Maven B.3 8x30 Widest field of view 8x30 430 ft 15.1 mm 8.2 ft 16.6 oz 3.8 mm Check price on Amazon

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How these binoculars were chosen

A model is on this list when its maker list price falls in the $500 to $1,000 band. The list holds one size per series, most popular first, and every figure comes from the makers' own documents.

The band's 10 models share a median field of view of 341 ft, a median weight of 24.5 oz and a median close focus of 9 ft. Four of them list ED glass, and roof prisms are the most common design. For a wider choice, see best binoculars compared.

Picks for every use and price are in the main best binoculars list.

The picks, most popular first

Vortex Viper HD 10x42

  • Field of view 341 ft
  • Eye relief 17 mm
  • Close focus 6 ft
  • Weight 24.9 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

Its 341 ft field sits 29th of 87 models in the 10x42 size, just past the 336 ft median. Eye relief of 17 mm clears the 16 mm that the RSPB advises for glasses. At 24.9 oz it matches the median weight. Close focus is 6 ft, shorter than the 6.6 ft median.

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Nikon Monarch M7 10x42

  • Field of view 362 ft
  • Eye relief 16.5 mm
  • Close focus 8.2 ft
  • Weight 24 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

A 362 ft field puts it 13th of 87 in the 10x42 size, well past the 336 ft median. It weighs 24 oz, under the 24.9 oz median, and lists ED glass with 16.5 mm of eye relief. The tradeoff is an 8.2 ft close focus, longer than the 6.6 ft median.

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Celestron SkyMaster 25x100

  • Field of view 156 ft
  • Eye relief 15 mm
  • Close focus 80 ft
  • Weight 140 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

At 25x with 100 mm lenses, it shows far more detail than any other model here, but the field narrows to 156 ft and the weight is 140 oz. Celestron says a tripod is necessary at 15x and higher, and this model is tripod adaptable. Eye relief is 15 mm.

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Steiner Military-Marine 10x50

  • Field of view 327 ft
  • Eye relief 16 mm
  • Close focus 66 ft
  • Weight 35.3 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

The calculated exit pupil is 5 mm, which keeps the view bright at dusk. With 16 mm of relief, it suits glasses, and the maker names marine use. The cost is weight: 35.3 oz against a 29.3 oz median for 10x50, plus a 66 ft close focus that rules out nearby subjects.

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Longest eye relief

  • Field of view 419 ft
  • Eye relief 20.2 mm
  • Close focus 66 ft
  • Weight 26.6 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

The longest eye relief on the list, 20.2 mm, means glasses wearers keep the full view. The calculated exit pupil works out to 7.1 mm, and the field is 419 ft. It is submersible to 5 m. Close focus of 66 ft makes it a distance tool only.

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Closest focus

Opticron Traveller BGA ED 8x32

  • Field of view 429 ft
  • Eye relief 19 mm
  • Close focus 5.9 ft
  • Weight 15.9 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

Close focus of 5.9 ft is the shortest in the band, which helps with insects and plants. The 429 ft field sits 6th of 28 in its size, and at 15.9 oz it is lighter than the 18.5 oz median. Eye relief is 19 mm, and ED glass is listed.

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Burris Signature HD 10x42

  • Field of view 314 ft
  • Close focus 8.2 ft
  • Weight 23.2 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

The field is 314 ft, 71st of 87 in the 10x42 size and under the 336 ft median, so this is the narrowest view among the 10x42 models here. It weighs 23.2 oz, below the 24.9 oz median. The maker prints no eye relief figure, so glasses fit cannot be judged.

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Bushnell R7 12x50

  • Field of view 290 ft
  • Eye relief 18 mm
  • Close focus 7 ft
  • Weight 32.4 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

The 290 ft field sits 7th of 36 in the 12x50 size, ahead of the 277 ft median. Eye relief is 18 mm, the calculated exit pupil is 4.2 mm, and ED glass is listed. The cost is weight: 32.4 oz against a 29.2 oz median, with a 7 ft close focus and IPX7 rating.

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Lightest

Nikon Stabilized 12x25 S

  • Field of view 236 ft
  • Eye relief 12.3 mm
  • Close focus 9.8 ft
  • Weight 13.9 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

At 13.9 oz it is the lightest model on the list, and image stabilization steadies the 12x view. The price of that is light: the calculated exit pupil is only 2.1 mm, so dusk views are dim. Its 12.3 mm of eye relief is short for glasses, and the field is 236 ft.

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Widest field of view

Maven B.3 8x30

  • Field of view 430 ft
  • Eye relief 15.1 mm
  • Close focus 8.2 ft
  • Weight 16.6 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

The 430 ft field is the widest in the band, 5th of 10 in the 8x30 size. It weighs 16.6 oz and carries an IPX7 rating for 1m for 30 min. Eye relief of 15.1 mm falls just short of the RSPB's 16 mm advice for glasses. The maker names hunting, birding and travel.

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By the numbers

Binoculars compared
10
Median field of view
334 ft
Field of view range
156 to 430 ft
Median weight
24.5 oz
Median eye relief
16.5 mm
With 16 mm eye relief or more
6 of 9
With an Amazon listing
10 of 10

Field of view of each pick, widest first, from the makers' figures.

What the figures decide in this band

Eye relief is the first filter if you wear glasses. The RSPB says eyeglass wearers should look for at least 16 mm, and 6 of 9 models here with a printed figure meet that mark. The eyeglass tool shows what a given figure means in practice, and binoculars for glasses wearers narrows the field further.

Field of view is the second filter. Audubon says bird-worthy binoculars should show at least 6.5 degrees, which is 341 ft at 1,000 yd. This band's median is exactly that 341 ft, with a spread from 156 to 430 ft.

Power, brightness and weight

ZEISS says free-hand binoculars typically have 7 to 10x magnification. Celestron adds that a tripod is not required at 8x to 12x but becomes necessary at 15x and higher. The SkyMaster 25x100 is the one model here that sits far past that line, and when binoculars need a tripod explains the step.

Nikon defines exit pupil as the objective diameter divided by magnification, and says a larger one gives a brighter view in dim light. The Navigator 7x50 works out to 7.1 mm, the 10x50 pair to 5 mm and the 10x42 trio to 4.2 mm. The exit pupil calculator does the same sum for any size.

The 10x42 size is the common middle ground in this band, and 10x42 binoculars lists the rest of it. Within it, the Nikon Monarch M7 leads on field and the Vortex Viper HD leads on close focus.

Close focus and carrying weight

The RSPB says close focus matters for insects, small mammals, reptiles and plants. The Opticron Traveller BGA ED 8x32 focuses at 5.9 ft and the Vortex Viper HD 10x42 at 6 ft, while the two Steiner models and the Celestron start at 66 ft or more.

Weight splits the list sharply. The Nikon Stabilized 12x25 S is 13.9 oz and the Opticron is 15.9 oz, against 35.3 oz for the Steiner Military-Marine and 140 oz for the Celestron. Audubon notes that objectives larger than 42 mm are heavier.

What this list leaves out

Models are included by maker list price band only, one size per series. Cheaper choices sit in binoculars from $200 to $500, and the premium end is in binoculars over $1,000.

A figure the maker does not print is left blank rather than estimated. The Burris Signature HD 10x42 has no eye relief figure in its documents, so it cannot be placed against the 16 mm advice.

The short answer

For a wide view with long eye relief, the Navigator 7x50 and Traveller BGA ED 8x32 lead on their printed figures. For a balanced 10x42, the Monarch M7 offers 362 ft and 24 oz. For dusk, the 5 mm exit pupil of the two 10x50 models and the 7.1 mm of the Navigator are the figures to weigh.

More binocular lists

Questions and answers

Which binoculars under $1,000 suit glasses wearers?

The Steiner Navigator 7x50 has the longest eye relief at 20.2 mm. Opticron's Traveller BGA ED has 19 mm and the Vortex Viper HD 10x42 has 17 mm, both above the 16 mm the RSPB advises.

Which model here has the widest field of view?

The Maven B.3 8x30 has the widest field at 430 ft at 1,000 yd, or 8.2 degrees. The Opticron Traveller BGA ED 8x32 follows at 429 ft.

Which model is lightest?

The Nikon Stabilized 12x25 S is lightest at 13.9 oz. The Opticron Traveller BGA ED 8x32 is next at 15.9 oz, and the band's median weight is 24.5 oz.

Does any model here need a tripod?

The Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 does. Celestron says a tripod becomes necessary at 15x and higher, and this model weighs 140 oz and is tripod adaptable.

How many of these models list ED glass?

Four of the 10 list ED glass. They are the Nikon Monarch M7, the Opticron Traveller BGA ED, the Maven B.3 and the Bushnell R7.