Every Model Of Binocular Has Its Pros and Cons

Many people who want to buy binoculars for watching birds and nature are bewildered by the variety of models available. Certainly, there are many fine binoculars on the market that are excellent for nature-viewing. But, what defines a good binocular for watching birds, animals, butterflies, and even reptiles? Every model of binocular has its pluses and minuses.

With so many different types of binoculars to choose from, it can be confusing to find the right pair. You will need to look at the various pairs on the market, comparing price, functions and quality. If you are planning to watch an object for an amount of time, it would be a good idea to get a pair of light, compact binoculars, so you can concentrate well without your arms becoming tired. A 10x power magnification is the most you should opt for, instead of a 22mm objective lens, if you want sharp, clear views.

Basically, binoculars with an objective lens smaller than 30 mm are considered compacts, while ones with lenses larger than this are described as "Full Size". In most cases, they are just a lot easier to look through. A reason for this is compact binoculars have correspondingly smaller exit pupil lenses (the smaller lenses you actually look through) that sometimes make it hard to see the whole field of view. Another reason is that full size binoculars are brighter when compared to a compact model of similar optical quality. This results in sharper, clearer images most of the time. So, look for binoculars in the 35 mm to 45 mm range. The only time compacts may be desirable is when traveling dictates carrying around the smallest possible binocular. Larger size lenses (50 mm or more) result in heavier, bulkier binoculars that may be harder to carry around. But, if you don't mind the larger size, these larger lens binoculars can offer very good brightness and ease of use.

Magnification power can often be a subject of debate among birdwatchers. Most hand-held binoculars are in the 7 to 12 power magnification range. 7 and 8 power are considered a general-use range because they usually have a larger field of view, which is the maximum angle a particular model of binocular can see. This is usually expressed as a number of feet in width that can be seen at a standard distance from the binocular (usually 1000 yards). A good range for field of view is 350 to 400 feet. Higher magnification binoculars (9 to 12) have relatively lower field of views - lower 300 feet range.

But, if you're mainly using them for birdwatching, this is not often a big problem. So, if you want to use binoculars for a wide range of uses (nature viewing, sports events, scenery, etc.), a lower magnification is fine. If you mainly want to use them for birdwatching, a higher magnification binocular will enable you to see more detail. Besides field of view, another tradeoff of using higher magnification binoculars is that the image will often shake a bit more, especially if you have unsteady hands.

Eye relief is the distance (in millimeters) behind the exit pupil lens (the one you look through) where you can still see the full field of view of the binoculars. Wearing glasses artificially increases the distance between this lens and the pupil of your eye to a point where it's beyond the optimal distance the binocular was designed for. So, a eye relief is better - 12 millimeters or more. Every binocular is different, so ask for this number when looking at each model.

Finally, binoculars come in either the Roof Prism or Porro Prism design. Generally, the Roof prism is more desirable, but can be more expensive for the same quality glass and optics compared to a Porro Prism. But, the more streamlined design and more rugged hinge design makes it worth it in most cases.


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