When it comes to viewing objects from a great distance, binoculars are the first thing that comes to mind. Choosing the best binoculars can seem like a daunting task, especially if you are doing it for the first time and flat out at work.
Choosing a pair of binoculars requires you to know a few basic concepts. This is essential if you don’t want to invest your hard-earned cash in the wrong product. Below, we have listed the parameters you need to consider.
Buying a Binocular: The basics
Simply put, binoculars use a series of lenses, elements and prisms to create a magnified view of a distant person, place or thing.
If you’ve bought binoculars or scanners, you may have noticed that some look very streamlined while others look chunkier. This is because the appearance and size of a pair of binoculars are determined by the type of prism used. Without a prism, binoculars would turn things upside down and tip them over.
There are 2 types of prisms: roof and Porro.
- The glass elements in a roof prism are aligned, making the roof prism binoculars slimmer and easier to hold.
- In Porro prisms, the glass elements are offset from each other and can provide greater depth of field and a wider field of view compared to roof prisms.
Binocular specifications overview – What you need to know
#1. Size –
For convenience, binoculars are divided into compact, medium and large categories based on the size of their objective lenses. However, please note that differences in optics, design and construction can still mean that models with the same lens size differ in size and weight.
Compact binoculars : The lens size is less than 30mm (8×25, 10×28)
Medium size: The lens size is 30mm to 40mm (10×30, 8×32)
Full size: The lens size is larger than 40mm (8×42 , 10×50)
If you’re looking for a binocular that fits in a backpack, then compact, lightweight models make sense. Medium models can give you brighter images and are more comfortable to hold for a long time.
#2. Magnification power –
Usually, you choose between 8x or 10x magnification, but there are also models with lower or higher magnification.
8x binoculars: a wider field of view
10x binoculars: a closer, more detailed look
A pair of 8×25, 8×32 and 8×42 binoculars offer the same magnification: an object appears 8 times closer than what it would be in your eye without Help.
While it may seem that higher magnification is always better, this is not always the case. Because the magnification also increases the movement of your hands, binoculars with a magnification greater than 10 make it difficult to get a constant view, so they would be a poor choice when you’re on a boat or other moving platform.
#3. Field of view –
Magnification power also directly affects your field of view (lower magnification expands it, higher magnification narrows it). A narrower field of view can make it more difficult to locate small and/or moving objects (e.g. birds) when scanning from a distance.
This smaller field of view also lets less light through, so images are a bit darker.
#4. Lens diameter –
The diameter of the objective lenses plays a key role in how much light your binoculars can capture. With two binoculars that otherwise have exactly the same specs, the pair with the larger objective lenses will capture more light and provide a brighter image. (Binoculars with high-quality optics also have brighter images.)
#5. Exit pupil –
A higher number indicates better vision in low light and it’s easier to maintain a full picture of an object when your hands are moving or shaking. The size of the exit pupil is calculated by dividing the diameter of the objective lens by the magnification number.
For 8×42 binoculars, 42 divided by 8 equals an exit pupil diameter of 5.25 mm. Indicate the size of the beam of light that reaches your eyes, whose pupils vary from about 2 mm in bright light to 7mm in total darkness.
In low-light situations, an exit pupil of 5 mm or more is good: A high exit pupil can make it easier to see at dawn, dusk or in dense trees. For daylight viewing, the size of the exit pupil is less important, as almost all binoculars offer an exit pupil larger than 2mm.
#6. Eye relief –
Simply said, eye Relief is the distance between an eyepiece and your eye while the full field of view is visible. Most binoculars have adjustable eyepieces that allow you to set them to their maximum eye relief value (the specified specification). This is usually done by lowering the rubber eyepieces or twisting a collar to shorten the eyepieces.
Understanding binocular optics
#1. Lens materials and coatings – The composition of the glass and the glare-reducing lens coatings work together to determine the clarity and brightness of your image. This is where test visualization is key. That will tell you what progress your eyes can see and how much more you should pay for the picture quality you want.
#2. Prism type – Prisms are defined as the optical elements which direct the light from the image through the binoculars for clear visibility. Older “Porro prism” binoculars have wide tubes at the front that are not flush with the eyepieces. Newer “roof prism” models have in-line eyepieces and objective lenses.
Best Binoculars to go for in 2022
If you’re planning to buy binoculars, we’ve curated a list for you:
- Celestron SkyMaster 20×80 (Best for people who wear glasses)
- Celestron SkyMaster 25×70 Binoculars (Great value for money)
- Vortex Optics 12×50 Diamondback HD Binoculars (Affordable choice for astronomical viewing and bird watching)
- Athlon Optics 8×42 Binoculars (Heaps good for Clear and high-definition view )
- Vortex Optics Viper HD 8×42 Binoculars ( Customizable eye-relief for better viewing)
- Nikon 10-22×50 Aculon A211 Binoculars (Best for astronomy or bird-watching)
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