How to Choose Binoculars

The first thing to do is decide upon the use you will be putting your new binoculars to. There is no such thing as a binocular that does everything well. Think about it, if the binoculars are to be used for gazing at the moon and planets, are the same ones likely to be useful at a concert? Of course not. Binoculars are mostly designed for particular purposes, though there are some decent multi purpose ones around.

The numbers you see on binoculars refer to the magnification power and the diameter of the lenses. Therefore a 7 x 35 binocular has 7 times magnification and a lens of 35mm diameter. The greater the magnification the poorer the image quality and the harder it is to hold the binocular steady enough to actually enjoy the view. Most people find 8-10 times magnification to be the most useful and comfortable for outdoor use. Concert viewing requires maybe a 4 times binocular.

The lens diameter is important as the larger it is, the more light is captured which helps form a sharp image, it also gives you a wider side to side view (or field of view). The FOV is usually expressed in degrees of angle or as feet per thousand yards. The smaller the FOV the harder it is to spot your target.

Those are the most basic factors, after these we start to get into a few more technical aspects such as the type of glass used and eye relief. This factor is important if you like to wear your glasses while using binoculars. It refers to the distance between your eye and the binocular eyepiece. If you wear your glasses while using binoculars you'll need to allow for the extra distance between the eyepiece and your eye caused by your specs being positioned between the binoculars and your eyes.

The different coatings on binocular lenses and prisms adds to their quality and price. Various coatings do different things but their main fuction is to stop loss of light by reflection. The types of the coatings used will make quality and price vary wildly from type to type and brand to brand.

After these factors you should also consider what other demands you have like waterproofing, body style and the like. Remember the more you demand from your binoculars the more it is likely to cost you so when you have reached this point, get the best you can possibly afford - you'll never regret it!

Learn much more and get specific recommendations and bargains at BinocularChoice.com theres a terminology page at Understanding Binoculars and a sports binoculars page at Sports Binoculars