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Posted on April 1, 2006 by Stacey Poppen | Posted under Shopping and Product Reviews
Are Mini Binoculars Right For You?
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All binoculars regardless of size or shape share three components:1. Eyepieces - is very important to the performance of the binoculars. The main function of the eye piece is to magnify the object bringing it closer to you but it is also important in determining what the field of view will be. Optics vary in quality depending on the glass, coatings, and manufacturer.2. Objective lenses - collect the light and enable the high resolution so that you can view objects at a distance. For the best quality this should be made of the crown element and the flint element.3. Prisms - used to invert the primary image. Roof prisms or Porro prisms are the most common. The Porro prism gives that zigzag profile while the roof prism provides a straight line design. Both are comparable in quality. Great now that you are familiar with the three main components it's time to get familiar with the terminology that's floating around. 1. Binocular Specs - binoculars are described using two numbers such as 8x35mm - which translates to eight by forty millimeters which means that the binoculars have a power of 8 and the lenses are 35 mm or 1.38 inches in diameter. If you see the initials WA after the numbers it stands for wide angle.2. Magnification - is the power and it is the cause of the most confusion. Higher power does not always increase the degree of observable detail. The resolution of the image is a result of the lens diameter not the magnification. If your magnification is great than 10 you will need a tripod.3. Field of View - this is the degree or field width in feet at a distance of one thousand yards. The field of view you choose will depend a great deal on how you will be using your binoculars.4. Lens Coating - the most common lens coating is magnesium fluoride which reduces the amount of light that is reflected and reduces the ghost images of bright objects. The more expensive the lenses the higher the number of coatings which can be as many as 15 layers with 7 being the average.5. Eye Relief - if you wear glasses it can be a real challenge to properly use binoculars. Eye relief will allow you to view images without wearing your glasses with the exception of those that suffer from astigmatism. Finally we get to binocular types. 1. Mini Binoculars - will usually have lenses that are no more than 26mm or 1 inch in diameter and with a roof prism design. They are portable, compact, and usually even fold up. Their lightweight makes them very versatile and easy to take anywhere and their moderate price makes them very appealing. They are good for looking at smaller objects but not great for high resolution projects such as bird watching.2. Compact Binoculars - use Porro prisms and are designed to fit your hands nice and comfortably. They are compact but not as small as their mini counterparts and they are very popular for sporting events. The performance is somewhat higher than the minis making them more attractive.3. Standard Binoculars - can be purchased with either Porro prisms or roof prisms. These are full size binoculars that are available in all different magnifications and field of views. They are designed to meet all of your viewing needs.4. Zoom Binoculars - provide you with even higher magnification powers with just the touch of a button. Now that's convenience. Now that you are up to speed on binocular terminology you can decide if mini binoculars are right for you. These compact little gems will fit right in your pocket or purse. In fact never leave home without them because you never know what might be waiting around the corner. About The Author: Stacey Poppen has been a professional writer and is in the industry for last 10 years. He has developed a website at http://www.scopedirect.com. Visit the website to learn more about scope |
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