Best Compact Binoculars

28 Sep 2009

Binocular Focus Adjustments

Filed under: binoculars — Tags: , , , — compact @ 7:48 am

Focusing is pretty important for using binoculars to see what you’re looking at, don’t you think? Sure. But what is important to know about the focusing ability of binoculars?

Stay away from fixed-focus or focus-free binoculars as they are somewhat limiting and typically have a large close focus. Focus-free binoculars will have their focus set to the middle ground. Not ideal.

Zoom binoculars sound really cool, but avoid this type as well. Mechanically, it is very difficult to coordinate both tubes of the binoculars to have exactly the same magnification and focus. What happens then is that your brain tries to compensate for the differences that your two eyes are seeing and you will experience eye fatigue. Zoom magnification is even more difficult with higher quality optics, so the zoom type of binoculars are generally of lower quality.

More commonly you will find binoculars that have a central focusing wheel typically set between the two tubes. A thumb or finger can easily move the wheel to change the focus from near to far objects. When you test binoculars make sure the focusing knob or wheel is to your liking. If you’re not comfortable with the mechanics of your binoculars, you’ll be less likely to use them often.

Look for an adjustable eyepiece. Usually the right eyepiece can be rotated right or left to allow the user to compensate for differences between their eyes. Even if you wear corrective lenses the focusing adjustment of the eyepiece can really bring your subject into sharp focus. All you do is look at an object and focus on it with the focusing wheel. Then, rotate the focusing eyepiece to the left or right until the image is sharp. Once you make the adjustment on the eyepiece for your eyes you can leave it alone. You might have to readjust it after sharing your binoculars with a friend, but you’ll know approximately where to set it for your eyes.

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25 Sep 2009

Field of View is What You See with Binoculars

Filed under: binoculars — Tags: , — compact @ 8:30 am

Have you ever wondered how big something is when you see it through a pair of binoculars? I mean, the image of the subject looks big enough, but how far away is it and how big is it in real life?

Knowing the field of view of your binoculars can help you figure the size of objects that you view with them. Or maybe distances in a panorama.

Field of view refers to how much of the scene you can see while viewing through the binoculars. Field of view values range from 250 to 425 feet at 1,000 yards. This means that binoculars will show you approximately one quarter to one third of a scene that is 1,000 yards away.

Knowing the field of view of your binoculars will help you estimate the size of objects in the distance. Let’s say that your binoculars has a field of view of 285 feet. An object that takes up a third of the scene is 285 feet divided by 3, or about 95 feet across.

So, the numbers mean that the larger the field of view the more of the scene that you can see in the binoculars. If you are looking for active little birds among the trees, a wider field of view may help you locate your prey as you’ll be able to see more of the scene at a given time. Binoculars with higher magnification will have a smaller field of view. Maybe that’s why a lot of bird watchers have 7x or 8x binoculars instead of 10x magnification. With a smaller magnification they will enjoy a wider field of view.

If all other features were equal, I don’t think that the field of view would be a deciding factor in purchasing binoculars. Chances are that you won’t find two binoculars that have all the same specs anyway. Some other feature like the eye relief, close focus, or whether the binoculars are waterproof would probably be the deciding factor.

Check out the tags in the right column to see more features of compact binoculars.

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24 Sep 2009

What Features to Look for in Compact Binoculars

Filed under: binoculars — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — compact @ 7:53 am

If you are interested in small, lightweight binoculars, let’s take a look at the features that will help you choose. You can’t go wrong with the Triumph 10 x 25 from Eagle Optics. It is a Porro prism design that weighs in at 10.2 oz. Lighter than a bottle of water, these binoculars won’t bother you when you hang them around your neck, even on a long hike.

Wearing glasses isn’t a problem with these small binoculars either. The eye relief is 18 mm so there is plenty of room for those who use glasses to see the entire field of view.

When you want to see something up close, you can focus as close as 8.2 feet away. Many small binoculars will not be able to match that close focus. If you want to view butterflies, you can get within ten feet and be able to view them as if you’re holding them in your hand! On the opposite end of the spectrum the field of view at 1000 yards is 262 feet.

Although it’s not waterproof the Triumph Porro is a great little field binocular. The outer covering is a brushed metallic surface, so it’s not shiny or slippery.

So, how many features are there? Magnification, objective lens diameter, weight, eye relief, close focus, and field of view are important to compare when you’re looking at the specs of several binoculars. By looking at the numbers you’ll see that many of these parameters vary between brands and sizes of binoculars. That’s why it’s best to pick up a pair and look through them before you make your decision. Visit a camera shop or outdoors shop near you and ask to see the binoculars. Compare the feel and the view of several models to help you choose the best compact binoculars for you.

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14 Sep 2009

What features are important in compact binoculars?

Filed under: binoculars — Tags: , — compact @ 10:56 am

Compact binoculars come in handy for many uses, like birdwatching, hiking, hunting, and watching sports. Even gardeners enjoy using binoculars to view butterflies and other insects up close.

So, what features are important in compact binoculars?

Obviously, size is important. We want to be able to carry them with us on the trail or to the game, so compact binoculars should be lightweight and easy to carry. If they’re not too heavy you can carry your binoculars around your neck or in a fanny pack or backpack.

Besides the obvious size and weight of binoculars the magnification of distant objects is important. At the bottom of the scale you will find 7X or 8X binoculars, which means the optics of those binoculars will magnify an image seven or eight times, respectively. This means that a distant object will appear to be 7 or 8 times closer when you view the object with 7X or 8X binoculars. The ‘X’ stands for magnification. The higher the number the greater the magnification.

A feature that many compact binoculars have is the ability to be folded up for carrying or storage. Larger binoculars won’t be able to be collapsed by folding.

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