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Welcome to the wide world of binoculars!

There are nearly as many different types of binoculars as there are reasons to use them. You’d be forgiven if you didn’t know the differences between the various types – and the best one for the job. Below, we’ve summarised a few of the most common uses for binoculars and given our recommended choice for each.

Let’s start with the most important, first…

Sporting events!

Look for binoculars with a wide ‘field of view’. A wide field of view describes how wide an area you can see through the binoculars. Usually measured in degrees, it is sometimes also written as a number. That number will be the width of the scene visible from 1000m away through the binoculars (1 degree shows roughly 7m at 1000m distance).

We recommend keeping an eye on the field with: Nikon 10×25 DCF Sportstar IV Silver Binoculars

Shows!

There are standard types of binoculars known as ‘opera glasses’ designed specifically for watching theatre or opera. Or if you want something a bit more rugged you can also use outdoors, go for standard binoculars around 6×30 strength.

We recommend going to the show with: Opticron Traveller BGA 6×32

Walking tours! Holidays!

If you’re on a budget, look at poro prisms. Poro prism binoculars have the classic “dog leg” shape with the eyepiece offset to the one side with respect to the objective or front lens. These are like a great horned owl—wide, bulky, and stout. They provide a big, steady platform for observing and offer a nice hand-filling package, especially for people with large hands.

But if you have the ability to, also consider the higher-end roof prisms, which are more compact and lighter.

We recommend taking on holiday: Opticron Imagic – 8×32

Hunting! Bird watching!

If you are hunting or bird watching in woods, you want a wide view and a strong image. So objective lens diameter may be more useful than magnification – at least until the binoculars become so bulky that they can’t be carried easily. 7×35 is ‘good for all-round field use’, where 6×30 is adequate for looking around a woods, or 8×35 or 9×35 for looking at birds of prey at a longer distance.

Bird watchers should also ask about the ‘twilight factor’ of a pair of binoculars – how easy they are to use in reduced light. Be aware that this measurement is not measured in a standard way across all manufacturers, making it hard to compare different brands.

We recommend bird-watching with: Bushnell 8×40 Natureview Birder Binoculars

Watersports!

You need binoculars made for water. Something you can splash, soak and dunk – yet they’ll emerge 100% fog free and dry inside. Look for waterproof construction and rugged, non-slip rubber exterior. They should have O-ring sealing and be ‘nitrogen-purged’ for waterproof/fogproof protection in any season.

We recommend for waterproof fun: Bushnell H2O 8×42 Waterproof Roof Binoculars

Astronomy!

A pair of binoculars is quite a lot like two telescopes lashed together. But where telescopes are usually placed on tripods, binoculars are handheld, so it’s important that you pick a binocular with a magnification you can hold steady. For most people, this is 8x or below.

Star gazers need binoculars they can hold steady or mount on a tripod.

You also need as much light as possible, so pick the largest objective lens diameter you can easily carry. 7×50 to 9×63 are all useful, and even larger sizes can be used if you want to lug around a tripod.

We recommend looking at the sky with: Bresser 9×63 Diorit Roof Prism Binoculars

SOURCE: WarehouseExpress.com | Wikipedia