What To Know When Buying Binoculars
By Chuck Fitzgerald, Thu Dec 8th

We are asked nearly every day: "What are your best binoculars?"And every day we answer: "How do you plan on using them?" We arenot trying to be evasive with our answer, but the truth of thematter is – the best for one purpose may be the worsebinoculars for another. We want you to Get It Right The FirstTime.

Understanding your application is paramount in determining thebest fit – for you. Although there are many other specificationsand qualities which determine the usefulness of binoculars, wewill discuss in this article the primary characteristics fordetermining the best fit for your application. But before weshow you the list, we should go over some basic terminology.What do the numbers on mean? All sporting optics(binoculars, spotting scopes, night vision goggles, etc.) usethe same nomenclature to describe important features. As anexample, a pair of may have 10x42mm listed as atechnical specification. But what does this mean? The "10"refers to the magnification power of the – that is –objects viewed will appear to be 10 times closer than when theyare viewed by the naked eye. The second number in our example is"42mm." This refers to the diameter, in millimeters, of theobjective lenses on the binoculars. The objective lenses arelocated on the end of the furthest away from your eyewhen viewing. As with the aperture of a camera lens, the size ofobjective lens determines the amount of light that can enteryour binoculars. If your are going to be used duringlow light (hunting and astronomy are good examples) you hadbetter have large objective lenses. Another important numberdescribing is called field-of-view. A field-of-viewof 390' indicates that the width of the sight picture is 390feet at a distance of 1000 yards. Field-of-view is determined bymagnification and the focal lengths of the objective andeyepiece lenses. More magnification always means lessfield-of-view. This specification is sometimes expressed indegrees. A field-of-view of 6.5 degrees equates to 341' (6.5times 52.5 equals 341). How well your will serve youin low light conditions is described as Twilight Performance.Although many things, such as overall design and quality ofglass impact this specification, magnification and objectivelens diameter are the chief components. A quick way to determinethe Twilight Performance of is to multiply themagnification power (first number) times the objective lensdiameter (second number). The higher the result, the better theTwilight Performance. As an example, 10x42mm willhave better Twilight Performance than 8x50mm (420versus 400).

Now that we understand some basic terminology, here is “What toKnow When Buying Binoculars."

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Sony NEX5 2
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d11/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_111612238001_ari-origin06-arc-154-1278945655479.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Sony NEX5 2
Sony NEX5
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d11/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_111117672001_th-111113870001.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Sony NEX5
Hands on-Fuji HS10 3
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d11/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_91037729001_ari-origin06-arc-170-1276162745198.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Hands on-Fuji HS10 3
Hands-on: Panasonic G2
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d11/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_86578184001_ari-origin08-arc-161-1274274842702.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Check out what we have to say about the Panasonic Lumix G2
Hands-on: Canon EOS 550D
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d10/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_71525221001_rhumba18-160-1268387229497.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Paul Carroll checks out the HD video features on Canon's latest entry-level camera, the EOS 550D.
Hands on - Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d11/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_111174097001_ari-origin05-arc-125-1278687257139.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Hands on - Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
hands on-Nikon D3s
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d11/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_111176329001_ari-origin06-arc-166-1278687235659.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>hands on-Nikon D3s
Canon 7D: Hands-on review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d8/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_46369575001_asset-1256572929004.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Paul Carrol gives you the low-down on the new Canon 7D.
Hands-on: Pentax K-x (preview)
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d4/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_40205106001_hands-on-pentax-k-x.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Darren Harbar runs through the top features found on the brand new Pentax K-x.
Hands-on: Nikon D300s
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d6/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_40045899001_hands-on-D300s.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Phill Hall runs through the top new features of the Nikon D300s.
Expert Opinions - Nikon D3000 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d6/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_35595873001_d3000-slide.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>In this review video, see what our experts think of Nikon's new D3000.
Expert opinions - Panasonic GF1
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d5/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_35397580001_gf1-slide.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Expert opinions - Panasonic GF1
Expert Opinions - Sony Alpha 380
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d5/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_34764324001_sony-tile.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Listen to honest opions on the Sony Alpha £80 from our photography experts.
Expert opinions - Olympus Pen E-P1
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d5/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_32456627001_olympus-pen-ep-1.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Genuine opinions form our experts. What did they make of the Olympus Pen E-P1?
Panasonic Lumix G1 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d6/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1856898671_asset-1223997675018.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>With a brand new interchangeable lens system, based on four-thirds system, the Panasonic G1 is an exciting proposition for those looking for a small camera with tons of features. Michael Topham and James Abbott put it through the paces.
Canon 50D Review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d6/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1856898671_asset-1223997675018.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Pill Hall and Michael Topham review the impressive 15.1 megapixel Canon 50D.
Nikon D90 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d6/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1830756156_review-nikon-d90.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>With a 12.1mp sensor and new HD video recording facility, the D90 is looking to be an exciting enthusiast digital SLR. Phil and Michael take a closer look.
Nikon D700 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d6/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1727941579_review-nikon-d700.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Nikon?s latest full-frame D700 brings together the full-frame sensor from Nikon?s top-of-the-range D3 in a body similar to the D300. Bob and Phil decide if this combination of features makes it the perfect enthusiast D-SLR?
Canon EOS 1000D
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d6/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1717925803_review-Canon-1000D.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Phil and Bob check out Canon's new enty-level D-SLR and try to find out whether it's worth the hefty price tag.
Sony A350 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d6/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1611263045_review-sony-a350.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Phil Hall, Technical Editor for Digital Photo magazine, reviews Sony's latest budget D-SLR. Boasting a massive 14.2megapixel resolution and in-built image stabalisation, how does the alpha 350 really compare to its rivals.
SIgma DP-1 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d5/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1531750056_763e48a2771dfe36e9b1fd0d0d21564325e380ae.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Andrew James, Editor-in-chief of Practical photography, reviews Sigma's new high-quality 'prestige' compact camera. Find out if it offers enough functionality to persuade you to use it instead of your D-SLR.
Canon 450D video verdict
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d5/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1506562381_01be818242dad7f896cfea2bced61e24d8da41e6.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Bob Martin gives his views on the new Canon EOS 450D in this video verdict.
Sony Alpha 200 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d5/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1504844556_de3860d3e4dd86db8a6d0d2b9defdfc9fce3eb97.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Paul Carroll, Digital Photo's Technical Writer, review's Sony's latest budget D-SLR, the Alpha 200.
Pentax K20D review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d5/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1463186299_83456a1702fcd68b7afa77a3584ab6a6abdd2bd6.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Phil Hall, Digital Photo?s Technical Editor, takes a look at Pentax?s latest and most advanced D-SLR, the K20D. It ticks a lot of boxes, but does it deliver the goods?
Nikon D60 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d5/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1433947748_35115951e8e8d130511cb4a2da903855d5b2936a.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Phil Hall delivers his verdict on Nikon¿s new entry level digital SLR, the D60.
Sony alpha 700 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d5/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1395568351_0d8dba1e20ca2f70e8bd7b4c019897285578734c.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Bob Martin reviews Sony's latest flagship camera, the Alpha 700. Sure it's packed to the gunnels with features but how does is compare with the more established camera manufacturers?
Nikon D3 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d5/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1349551765_e565e3f393eeabe8b3b3f03a82b3109ef1cc2d2a.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Phil Hall shows off the impressive features of the highly-anticipated, Nikon D3, the first full-frame D-SLR from Nikon.
Olympus E-3 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d2/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1342141856_db1253fb63f88a786e503ef97852b6180f41d4e1.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Bob Martin gives you the lowdown on the new E-3 and also tests the weather-proofing by squirting it with water.
Nikon D300 review
<img src="http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d4/unsecured/media/1156823612/1156823612_1317105431_ac5a7e1318b9e48fe8f01ec4b308c516db919219.jpg?pubId=1156823612"/>Bob Martin reviews the handling and new features of the highly-anticipated, Nikon D300


While compact weigh as little as a pound, by usingthem you will undoubtedly sacrifice performance. If performanceis your main consideration, full sized are preferred.Anything weighing over about 1.5 pounds will get heavy fairlyfast. Use a binocular support system to evenly distribute theweight across your shoulders instead of using a strap aroundyour neck. * The amount of light available while using yourbinoculars will determine –more than any other consideration –which are best for you. Low light uses such ashunting, birding and astronomy require larger objective lenses.* The distance you will be from the object you view willdetermine the magnification power required in a pair ofbinoculars. If your application is bird watching, theater orsporting events, a low powered binocular will suffice in mostcases. But if you're into astronomy, you'll need a high poweredpair. * The minimum focal point in binocular terminology refersto how near an object can be to you and be still be viewed infocus. This tends to be important for birding but not soimportant for most other uses. * with a magnificationpower greater than 10x (and without a stability feature) will bedifficult to hold steady. This becomes important when viewingthe night sky or distant mountains. A tripod may be a good thingto have if you’re using with high magnification. *Using your outdoors will usually subject them tomoisture. Waterproof are preferred for all marine,hunting, birding and other nature related activities. * Thegreater the magnification, the narrower the field-of-view. Iffield-of-view is important to you, don't purchase the mostpowerful you can find. This becomes very importantwhen viewing objects that move quickly such as antelope, racehorses, shooting stars or race cars. * As with almost everythingelse in life, with you get what you pay for. Thereare that cost under $10 and others which cost inexcess of $2,500. My experience says you will need to spend atleast $250 for a pair of worth having. * There is nosuch thing as “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to sportingoptics. If you have multiple uses for binoculars, you will mostlikely end up with multiple pairs of them – and that’s O.K.

Your understanding of these few simple tips will not only helpyou in acquiring the correct for your application,but they will also help you with successful viewing – no matterwhat you’re looking at. Use this information and you’ll Get ItRight The First Time. Get Outdoors!

About the author:Chuck Fitzgerald is Owner and President of Phoenix, Arizonabased BackCountry Toys, an online store providing backcountryspecialty gear and educational information to outdoorenthusiasts. Visit www.BackCountryToys.com to receive the freenewsletter "FreshAir” or call (800) 316-9055.

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