5 Essential Factors to Consider while Choosing the Best Compact Binoculars
You love Mother Nature and that’s why, you go camping, hiking and mountain biking. But when you see a bear or deer, you will prefer to maintain a safe distance, although you passionately want to watch the animal closely. Here the binoculars step in. Binoculars offer you a great way of watching nature closely while keeping a safe distance. Here are things you should consider while buying good binoculars.
1. Magnification Rating
The first and foremost thing you should consider while buying binoculars is their magnification rating such as 7×35 or 10×42. Thus a pair of 7×35 compact binoculars for hiking will show a hut at the bottom of a mountain 7 times larger when you watch it from the summit. If you watch it through 10×42 binoculars, it would appear 10 times larger. A higher number is not necessarily better though. When the magnification gets bigger, the field of view gets smaller, somewhat like cropping an image. Also if the binoculars aren’t steady, the increased magnification can make the image look shakier.
2. Size of Objective Lens
Objective lens is the lens that is furthest from your eyes. Here the larger the size of the objective lens, the more light it permits in and thus clearer and brighter will be the image.
3. Weight
When it comes to hiking, you should also consider weight. If you plan on using the binoculars mostly on day hikes, then a larger pair might be perfect. However, in case of backpacking or if you are trying to keep the pack weight less, a compact pair of binoculars might probably be right for you.
4. Waterproof and Fog-proof
Checking whether the binoculars are waterproof and/or fog-proof is also important. Waterproof binoculars will not permit water inside the binoculars while in the fog-proof binoculars, lenses will be protected from getting fogged in humid weather. Thus, you can enjoy the natural views without getting blurred.
5. Hinge between Eyepieces
While using binoculars, check the hinge between the two barrels. This hinge lets you adjust the distance between the eyepieces so that they work well with the distance between your eyes. You should be able to see one clear image and not two images of the same object or any dark spots.
Several binoculars feature an adjustable eyepiece on one of the barrels. It enables you to adjust for differences in vision of each eye.
Check the above points, read good reviews on popular binoculars and get the best one so that you can enjoy viewing nature and wildlife to the fullest.
