The top 12×50 long-distance birding binoculars

Out of all the binoculars that people choose for birding, the 12×50 size is one of the largest. With this 12x power you get significant magnification and a more detailed image. This extra detail can help with the precise identification of birds.

12×50 binoculars really come into their own for birders who make the most of lower light conditions, like the precious hours when birds are more active around dawn and dusk. The large objective lenses that can allow more light to pass through the body of the binocular and to the eye.

The range of really decent 12×50 binoculars on the market is quite slim. We have tried to include some more budget-friendly options as well as the very good ones.

Before we move onto the fuller reviews, let’s get an introduction to the models featured in our line-up for the best 12×50 binoculars for birding.

Quick comparison: Best 12×50 binoculars for bird watching

Reviews: Best 12×50 binoculars for bird watching

In this review section, we list all the most important specifications of each product along with a summary of its main features. For each model there is a quick summary of its pros and cons, before a fuller review of how it performs.

As price is always a key consideration, we have included the facility to check the current price so that you can also compare from that point of view.

The best overall 12×50 binoculars for bird watching

Vortex Razor UHD 12×50 binoculars Overview

It may seem like overkill to include successive generations of Vortex Razors in our round-up. The reason we have done so is to provide options that provide an upgrade for people keen to invest more cash than for the Vortex Vipers or the Maven C3s, but are not quite able to make the leap to the premium price range.

There are not many of the really top tier binoculars in this 12×50 size configuration, here represented by Leica and Swarovski. So we are trying to keep our suggestions as broad and inclusive as possible for all price ranges.

What’s in the name? Razor HD vs Razor UHD

Manufacturers define HD differently. In Vortex’s case, their ‘HD’ glass components include extra low dispersion glass elements to the lenses. The APO system in the lenses works to correct color.

The UHD features the superior Abbe Koenig roof prisms instead of the more common (and more compactly configured) Schmidt-Pechan prisms.

Abbe Koenig prisms are better because they direct all the light that enters the objective lenses rather than losing some in transmission. These prisms have dielectric coatings, which beat silver mirror coatings.

The use of the Abbe Koenig roof prisms explains the extra length of the UHDs. As a direct comparison to the Razor HDs, the UHDs have a longer and more contoured body.

Main differences between the Razor HD vs Razor UHD

Exit pupil remains the same at 4.2 mm. But there’s a bonus for eye glasses wearers because the UHD increases the length of eye relief from 15.5 mm to 17 mm.

Light transmission is very good through both models, resulting in bright images. But in this respect the UHD clearly has the edge, with its Abbe Koenig prisms which simply bring more light back to the ocular lens.

Rubber armored magnesium body

The actual materials used for the body are the same in both models – magnesium alloy chassis. This is then clad with rubber armoring.

The single hinge design is intended to make the binoculars lighter. But also allows more room along the barrels around which to wrap the hand. The focus wheel at the near side of the hinge can be reached easily.

It is fairly slow to focus, though, taking two full turns. This is a minus when you are watching fast-moving birds, but it does allow for fine tuning. It’s up to you to decide how important the speed is, versus the accuracy of very precise focus.

Upgraded accessory package

As well as their lifetime warranty, Vortex includes a well-made chest harness, which can lessen the tension on your neck. You also get a good case, a little pouch, a neck strap and lens coverings.

The binoculars are tripod-ready but as with most binoculars you will need to buy an adapter separately.

The best value 12×50 binoculars for bird watching

Nikon Prostaff 5 12×50 binoculars Overview

Nikon has equipped these Prostaff binoculars with BAK4 prisms and multi-layer lenses for brightness. They also have eco-friendly glass. That means it is free of arsenic or lead.

In general, the Prostaff produces clear images but seems to lose some sharpness at the extreme end of the focus. Likewise, when the light conditions are dimmer clarity suffers. Some chromatic aberration is detectable.

Sleek design

The Prostaff 5 has a sleek design, both pleasing to the eye and to hold in the hands. The indents for thumbs are a nice comfortable detail.

The ergonomics of the short bridge allows users with larger hands to adjust the focus using the hand that’s holding the binoculars. Focussing is fast.

Lightweight for 12×50 size

The rubber armoring is tough, and the binoculars are lightweight for this 12×50 size. This may be due to the build quality, which is not solid, with a fairly loose focus wheel. The dimensions are large so not very packable.

The twist-out eye cups are fairly loose so do not stand up to pressure. Eye relief is fine for spectacle wearers at 15.5 mm.

While Nikon does include some accessories, you might want to upgrade them. The lens caps could be easily misplaced and some people would prefer more padding on the neck strap. The case is relatively padded.

The best 12×50 binoculars for bird watching – mid-range option

Vortex Viper HD 12×50 binoculars Overview

This is the latest generation of Vipers that Vortex have developed, with all the associated improvements that have been adopted along the way.

By now the build quality is really refined. Vortex products are known for their ability to stand up to difficult conditions. And the polycarbonate body of these Vipers feels suitably solid, while still being relatively lightweight for 12x50s.

Fully multi coated

Internally, they have Schmidt-Pechan roof prisms, which are phase corrected and dielectric coated. Basically this ensures as much light as possible travels the path.

The more light that arrives from where it enters the binocular at the objective lens to the eye at the ocular lens, the brighter the image. And this can be seen clearly with the resulting views from this product.

Where the lenses are in contact with the air, they have proprietary protective coatings. It’s reassuring to have that extra resistance against oil, grease and dirt.

The rubber armoring feels good in the hand, with enough grippiness even with gloves. Being filled with argon, The Viper HDs are also resistant to fogging.

Field of view is improved

Close focus is not bad for short distance birders, at just over nine feet. Vortex widened the field of view from previous generations of Vipers. The field of view is 288 feet at 1,000 yards.

The central focusing knob is easy to access and grip. The locking diopter is on the right hand side. Once you know where you need the diopter set, it’s easy to keep it in the right location.

Eye relief is 16mm

The eye cups are rubber, which is soft to the touch but stiff to extend. They twist out so that people who do not wear glasses can adjust to suit. In theory, the eye relief is good for this 12×50 size, at 16mm, making them good for glasses wearers.

This suitability will depend on your eyesight, though. Plus, take into account the style and thickness of your particular glasses, for how close you need the eye cups to your eyes.

Good value set of accessories

Vortex includes a good practical pouch, a padded neoprene neck strap and a chest harness. Also, there are soft but useful lens covers – very nice flip-down ones on the front lenses.
They are tripod-ready in case you would like to mount them. Mustn’t forget that famous lifetime warranty, too!

The best 12×50 binoculars for bird watching if money is no object

Swarovski EL 12×50 Binoculars with FieldPro package Overview

Swarovski as a company is known for the impressive construction of its binoculars. That is especially true of this EL range, in which you can feel the solid quality. There’s been a few generations of the EL binoculars, with further improvement each time.

It’s the tiny details that make the difference and sets Swarovski apart. They have proprietary technologies which give these binoculars their edge – the Swarovision series of coatings, internal and external.

High-quality coatings

The anti-reflective coatings created by Swarovski certainly do their job. Light transmission is high and the image quality is proof of this.

The brightness of the image is impressive. It extends almost all the way across, just falling off a bit right at the verges.

The body of the binocular is long. They are also on the heavy side, but this is the downside of having all those high-quality coatings and components.

Despite this the hand-friendly ergonomics balance them well for long sessions of birding. A grip that wraps around the barrel is not only comfortable but adds security in damp conditions.

Sensational color

There’s amazing color rendition over the whole spectrum. It’s very difficult to spot any chromatic aberration or distortion across the vast majority of the image.

Field of view is broad at 300 ft and compares well with other binoculars in this size class. Re-focusing between the near distance and far away is a breeze.

The close focus distance of 9.2 ft makes these binoculars versatile enough to be used in short-range birding situations as well as long distance, which is unusual for a 12x.

Excellent eye relief

Long eye relief makes these binoculars highly desirable for people who wear glasses. The eye cups are sturdy and comfortable. The only thing that feels less reliable are the little hinge tabs for the lens caps.

The best 12×50 binoculars for bird watching – color rendition

Leica Ultravid HD Plus 12×50 binoculars Overview

Just picking up these binoculars feels good. Armoring is thin but feels durable, which of course is more important than appearance (though that helps too!).

The black body is minimalist but well shaped to suit the hand, with a reassuring thumb ridge to anchor them even more. That’s great if you are planning to hand hold these binoculars.

The thumb ridge lays fairly close to the eye piece, which may or may not suit you.

These 12x50s are the largest in Leica’s whole Ultravid range. They are tripod adaptable, so mounting them on a tripod would upgrade to even sharper views.

Weightwise, the binoculars contain Schmidt Pechan roof prisms. The magnesium alloy chassis also makes them lighter.

These Schmidt Pechan roof prisms do save on ounces, but for image quality they sometimes compare less favorably with binoculars using the mirror-less Abbe-König prisms. We cover these type of prisms in more detail in this article: Porro prism vs roof prism binoculars: which is better for birding?

And if sometimes you like looking at your binoculars as well as through them (we would say that’s normal and you’re in very good company here…), these are a winner.

Competitive close focus and field of view

Close focus distance is fair at 10 feet. Field of view, at over 301 feet, compares favorably with the Swarovski 12x50s, but there’s really not much in it. Just a foot either way in both near focus and field of view.

As with the Swarovski pair, there is no inkling of tunnel vision with the Ultravids.

Brightness in low light

With these Ultravids you can enjoy longer periods of bird watching at either end of the day, still with bright, sharp views. That’s down to the high-quality Schott HD prisms, which transmit the light so efficiently through the body of the binoculars.

With one and a half turns from close focus to infinity, focussing is quite quick. Leica lists the lubricant-free focuser in their specification. In previous models, this translated into a slight feeling of creakiness, but Leica have addressed this shortcoming in this HD Plus model.

Diopter adjustment functions as part of the dual part focus wheel, which as is normal is located centrally. It adjusts as smoothly as you would expect.

Eye cups twist out with click stops. But eye relief is short, at 13mm. And while the eye cups feel comfortable, the eye relief is a major downside for people who want to wear glasses when bird watching through these binoculars.

What’s in the package?

The lens covers are tethered. The binoculars include a neck strap, rain guard and a lifetime warranty.

The package includes a nylon case. In comparison to the presentation of the sexy box, we’d venture to say it is a middle-of-the-road kind of case. But that is being extra picky.

The best 12×50 binoculars for bird watching in tough conditions

Vortex Razor HD 12×50 binoculars Overview

The ED glass of these binoculars gives them a good sharpness across the image. This is the main plus point of the Razor HDs. At the times of the day when light is low, these Razor HDs maintain their sharpness.

These are really mid-tier binoculars, with very good glass. But it depends what you are comparing it to.

From one perspective, it’s glass that doesn’t quite match up to the premium optical components of the top-tier brands such as Leica and Swarovski. So in this respect the Razor HDs are fairly pricey. Of course they do include that lifetime warranty…

Chromatic aberration

Generally color representation is accurate, with a tendency to show up more of the brown hues. That’s because these binoculars are mainly aimed towards hunters.

The Razors do have apochromatic (APO) lenses, which are aimed at eliminating chromatic aberration. And to some extent they are successful.

However, some chromatic aberration is more noticeable later in the day, with visible purple fringing.

The focus wheel feels sturdy while being smooth to turn. Dimensions are compact for this 12×50 size. Overall the ergonomics are great. The feel in the hand is very good.

The Razor HD has an open bridge design. This means instead of two hinges it has just one.

The placement of this one hinge makes the binocular more balanced and gives a more secure grip – ideal in wet or windy weather.

Practicable lens caps

Vortex also seems to make comfortable eye cups. Other functional details like decent lens caps, are a bonus.

Lens coverings seem to be an afterthought for some companies. But Vortex does them well, keeping the lenses well protected in tough conditions.

Not only are the lens caps attached to the binocular body but they also have little flaps that are quick and easy to flip down. The caps also go back on with a satisfying firm fit.

The best 12×50 binoculars for bird watching – lightest weight

Maven C3 ED 12×50 binoculars Overview

We’ve included the Maven C3 ED binoculars in this round-up to give a mid-tier price option. What they cost doesn’t put them right up there with the premium brands. But they are competitive at the mid-range price point where they are pitched.

The polymer chassis weighs 28 ounces, pleasingly light for full size binoculars. The thumb indents are nicely ergonomic. The binocular is compact for this size of objective lenses.

The space between the objective lenses, however, is very narrow. When searching for a tripod adapter for these binoculars, be sure to check that it will fit easily.

It’s fine to grasp the cap to remove and replace that. But getting a tool to fit in this small space to mount the adapter can be a challenge. This would depend on the size and shape of the tripod adapter that you are using.

Quality glass elements

The objective lenses feature ED glass, which reduces reflection and therefore improves sharpness and increases contrast. It’s difficult to see any chromatic aberration in normal conditions.

Another high-quality glass element is the Schmit-Pechan roof prisms, which are dielectric coated for phase correction. This means less light is lost along path that the light transmits through the body of the binocular to the eye.

Exterior protective coatings

Maven has coated the exterior lenses to make them more resistant to damage from greasy liquids or dirt.

Purged and nitrogen filled, they are water resistant to IPX6, which means they withstand submersion in a meter of water for five minutes. To learn more about this measurement of water resistance in optics, take a look at Do I need waterproof or fogproof binoculars?

Ease of focus

The controls to adjust focus and set up the diopter feel solid – maybe even too solid when it comes to the diopter as it’s a bit stiff. They have a kind of textured feel to the dial.

Close focus distance is helpfully near, at 8.2 feet. The limitation is with the field of view, which is 251 feet at 1,000 yards.

This narrower field of view makes it more suited to birding in wide open spaces where it will be easier to spot wildlife. Like most binoculars, the Maven C3s will maintain their sharpness best in lower light conditions when mounted to a tripod.

The best Porro prism 12×50 binoculars for bird watching

Nikon 8249 ACULON A211 binoculars Overview

Focussing feels smooth on these binoculars, using the central dial which is ridged for easy grip. One minor point is that, although it turns smoothly, the movement of the lubricant is audible.

The protective rubber armoring is designed to be gripped in damp conditions without slipping. The wide body of the binoculars is sculpted to feel balanced in the hand.

At this price point it’s likely that there will be some compromise in the image quality. Though these binoculars are bright, there’s some blurriness around the edges as well as chromatic aberration.

To eliminate these aspects, though, it would need investment in higher quality glass components. That is just not possible around this $100 mark.

The exit pupil of these binoculars is 4.2mm. This is a reasonable measurement to allow for a complete image in low light.

Limited eye relief

The eye pieces can be twisted up into whichever position is best for you, with click stops to remind you which setting is best. With these changeable eye cups the Aculons can be used comfortably with or without glasses or sunglasses.

Eye relief, at only 11.5 mm is fairly low so this is something to take notice of if you wear spectacles.

Tripod adaptable

With this size of binoculars it’s always a good idea to have an easy option to mount them on a tripod. This model is tripod compatible with the addition of an option adapter.

The package includes a case, strap, lens caps and an ocular rainguard that is attached to the body of the binoculars to protect the eyecups when viewing in inclement weather.

Best 12×50 binoculars for bird watching: next steps

If you are directly comparing 12×50 binoculars with, say, a pair of 8x42s, they are likely to feel heavier. In the first instance this is due to the larger objective lenses – 50mm instead of 42mm.

The exact weight depends on the components used by the manufacturers. When you know you are buying from a top manufacturer, that weight is evidence of the higher quality glass used inside as well as the increase in objective lens diameter.

The extra coatings that internally increase light transmission, or externally protect the lenses also contribute to the weight. Some people find that heavier binoculars actually give them a better ‘feel’ in the hand, but of course this is personal preference.

What you are getting with all of these 12x binoculars is a boost in magnification, allowing you to appreciate greater details over longer distances.

Because the large objective lenses of the 12x50s gather more light than 42mm models would, they are more suited to low light conditions. At these times of day in particular, using them with a tripod will allow for sharper images.

The high magnification also makes these binoculars more difficult to hold steady. Still, if you are mainly stationary and able to use something in the environment like a wall or tree stump for support, it is easier to keep the image sufficiently free of shake.

People often want to compare the 12×50 binoculars to their closest cousin, also suitable for birding, the 10×50 size. To compare the specifications across both sizes, feel free to take a look at this selection of 10×50 birding binoculars.

Or to see how the 12x50s compare against a wider range of sizes, better for more general birding, we have this selection of  What are the best binoculars for birding?