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.