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If you are looking to buy a pair of binoculars for the first time you will be faced with an overwhelming choice of makes and models. Binoculars come in all shapes and sizes, and range in price from from less than $20 to up thousands of dollars, so finding the right pair to fit your needs and budget is not always that straight forward.
Basically, all binoculars work along the same principles, so your first step to choosing a pair binoculars is to understand the jargon associated with binoculars.
There are two different types of binoculars available: Porro prism and roof prism. The Porro prism models are the more traditional looking models that the offset lenses, which makes the binoculars as wide as they are long. Binoculars with Porro prisms tend to be heavier and bulkier, but because of their design tend to let in more light and produce sharper and brighter images. When you see a pair of binoculars that look more like straight tubes with no offsets, these are roof prism binoculars. Roof prism binoculars are a much newer design that makes for a more compact pair of binoculars. Roof prism models can still have fairly large lenses, but the physical weight and size of the binoculars are greatly reduced. However don't expect to see any giant binoculars that utilise roof prisms. The image you see in roof prism binoculars is not always as sharp or as bright as traditional Porro prism binoculars.
All makes of binoculars are given a number that looks like this 8X35 or 10X42. These are the two most important numbers that identify any pair of binoculars. You will see many combinations of these numbers.
The first part of the number tells us the magnification of the binoculars i.e. 8X magnifies an object eight times and 10X magnifies the subject ten times. When considering the magnification of a pair of binoculars you must also be aware that the higher the magnification the smaller the area you can see becomes. This is known as Field of View (F.O.V) and is often noted as a number of feet per 1,000 yards.
The second part of the number is the diameter of the objective lens, in millimeters. Objective lens size plays a major part in the type of image we see. The larger the lens the more light is let into the binoculars and the sharper and brighter the image you see is. While it might seem that bigger is best, having a larger lens also makes your binoculars a lot larger and heavier which might deter you from carrying them around with you.
These are the basic numbers you should understand before purchasing a pair of binoculars. Knowing these will help you make the choice. Other specifications you might want to consider are:
Eye Relief – This is the distance between the lens you look into and the actual position of your eye. If you wear glasses, then look for a pair of binoculars with long eye relief.
Exit Pupil – You might want to consider this specification if you are planning to use your binoculars in dim light. The larger the exit pupil the brighter the image will appear.
What you need to consider next is how you are planning to use your binoculars. There are many binoculars on the market designed for different activities, like marine binoculars and hunting binoculars. These binoculars will have special features like waterproofing and rugged designs which will add to the price of the binoculars.
Another thing that can greatly affect the price of a pair of binoculars is special anti-reflective lens coatings. These special coatings are designed to cut down on glare and help ensure that as much light as possible is collected by the optics. While coated optics are desirable they can quickly make the price of your binoculars.
So now you know the basics of binoculars and are ready to make a choice. Be sure to look for a pair that has the features you need for their intended use, this alone can save you a lot of money. When you go to purchase a pair of binoculars also make sure you test them out and get a good feel for how they perform and how comfortable they are in you hands. Also don't forget to ask about the warranty on your new binoculars. They could be a friend for life.
Bio: Derek Robinson is a keen outdoorsman who contributes regularly for many websites including The Binocular Site which is the premier consumer site about binoculars, monoculars, spotting scopes and much more at http://www.thebinocularsite.com
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 View other articles written by Derek Robinson(14)
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