Dundee Astro - Holding Binoculars

99% of people when handed a pair of binoculars would hold them in the obvious way, as shown in the picture, simply by placing their hands on the sides. Of course it works, but it's not that steady and long term use will lead to fatigue more quickly.

The picture below shows an alternative method. The first fingers and thumbs rest against the face of the observer. This gives much more support and the binoculars are less prone to wobble, especially important with high magnifications models. In addition some of the load is kept off the arms in this stance, making it easier to hold the binoculars for extended periods.

The only downside with this method is that the focus is harder to set. We normally hold them the "wrong" way to adjust the focus then change position. After all, you don't need to adjust the focus more than once per session.

Note the thumbs also shields much of the light which can reflect inside the optical train.

Tripods

Some of the larger giant binoculars aren't designed to be hand held, they're just too heavy. Even lighter models can often benefit from the use of a tripod to improve stability. Almost all binoculars can use an inexpensive adaptor bracket to connect to a normal camera tripod.

When choosing a tripod bear in mind that some larger binoculars weigh more than most cameras. Be sure you don't exceed the tripod manufacturer's weigh limits.