Binoculars - military, digital, field…

Let’s face the facts; it is often not feasible to see an object in the distance and then walk towards it so it will become clearer. Binoculars are the answer when you need to see something in the distance.

These small devices are used by military personnel, astronomy lovers and nature enthusiasts as a way to see things from a distance, when the need arises. Military personnel, astronomy fans and nature enthusiasts, just to name a few, now employ binoculars for professional and recreational activities.

zoom binoculars
Binoculars are made by linking two identical telescopes, mounted side by side, and aligning them to point in the same direction. In so doing, the viewer is presented with a sense of depth perception, as opposed to a monocular telescope, which provides an image with no depth.

Earlier designs relied upon a convex and concave lens pair. While effective for low magnification, higher levels of magnification were unavailable. Newer binoculars designs rely upon prisms to manipulate the image, allowing lighter, powerful and more compact binoculars to be constructed. Additionally, modern optical coatings can improve image brightness, color and contrast.

Depending on the intended use, different optical components create different optical parameters. Among those parameters are: magnification, objective diameter and field of view. Magnification defines the magnifying power.

The objective diameter is the measurement of the objective lens, usually in millimeters, determining how much light can be gathered to form an image. The field of view specifies how wide an area can be viewed at a given range, and is commonly done by using the magnification times the objective diameter. For example: 10×50 would define a 10x magnification with a 50mm objective lens. Often these parameters are listed near the eyepiece.

binocular scopes
When it comes to binoculars cameras there are plenty of choices to be made. The first is your overall need. Do you need binoculars digital with a wide field range or do you need something with higher magnification, such as for bird watching, where the typical magnification is 7x to 12x with 30-50 mm objective lenses?

There is a binocular made for many different uses, it just depends on what your needs are and how much you are willing to pay.

The following extract is from a series of consumer electronic articles, videos and tips about optical devices …

“How far away is that?” This is a question most of us have asked at one time or another. From the surveyor looking to establish a position from a known point, to the hunter|hunters zeroing in on his sights, to the golfer on approach to the green, they all need to calculate an accurate distance. Many devices and methods have been used for measuring. Tapes, wheels, and even pacing have been used, but none are as simple or accurate as the laser rangefinder. Found in binocular and monocular form, all you have to do is set your sight on an object, push a button, and an accurate measurement, from your position to the object, is displayed for you.

The basics of a laser rangefinder are pretty simple when you think about it. A short pulse of a laser is fired at a set target and the time it takes to bounce back is then measured. The internal system of the range finder calculates the distance between yourself and the object, and that measurement is the given feet, yards etc. It all began as technology used for the military and certain institutions, yet handheld versions for consumer use have now become popular, especially in with golfers. You can even find binocular accessories to go with the laser range finders nowadays!

With all this technological implementation on optical components, there is a down side. The laser beam has to be able to reflect back in order to calculate the range. This also limits the distance to about 1500 yards, in consumer models, as greater distances affect the tool’s ability to provide an accurate reflection. Also, an object located behind trees or brush can become obscured, with early returns giving inaccurate measurements. The technology is still rather expensive, as a Nikon Monarch monocular system will set you back around $400. Lower-priced systems with a smaller range can be had for less than $100. Specialized optical systems with a greater range, and designed for rugged environments, can run to in excess of $17,000!

There are many applications for which you can use a laser rangefinder. Professional and amateur golfers and hunters still make up a large number of the consumer market but new uses are being found for the laser binocular rangefinders and monoculars. These instruments are not quite as pricey as they once were, so more people are now finding everyday uses around their homes for a laser range finder. It certainly makes hanging those art prints easier!

For more resources on consumer electronic reviews, visit: Digital Binoculars

by Jonathon Peters

My wife bought me my first pair of Nikon monarch binoculars a couple of months ago, I was in love with them in minutes. I love going birdwatching, and needed a good pair of binoculars as my old ones just didn’t cut it any more. These binoculars feel really nice, they’re very well-balanced and weigh less than 700 g with the strap on. I’ve already managed to drop them a couple of times and they are not damaged yet.

Not long after I got them I took them with me for a Safari to Kenya, Africa.

Source: Hunting

There are several things to remember when you are getting ready to purchase a pair of binoculars.

The numbers that are written after the binoculars name are very important. The first number is the amount of magnification the binocular has. The second number is the size of the optical lens. A binocular with the numbers 8X40 has a magnification of eight times and a lens size of 40mm. Although you can see objects that are farther away, binocular that have a magnification greater then ten start to loose image quality.

Binoculars that have lens that have a dark coating tend to withstand ..

Source: Binoculars