Binocular strengths series#

The Gosky 10×42 Binoculars are a fun choice for people who want to share their discoveries on social media. This is also a nice feature for backpackers since space and weight are at a premium when you’re rucking all your gear around on your back. But for a day of bird watching, you can just bring your 10X lenses and leave the others at home. Also, it’s yet another moving part, which is one more thing that can potentially break.īinoculars with interchangeable lenses can be heavier and bulkier, assuming you’re carrying both sets of lenses. On the other hand, the zoom mechanism adds weight and bulk. On the one hand, a zoomable pair of lenses allows you to quickly zoom in and out, which is a particularly nice feature for hunters, since you can zoom in to see fine detail, then zoom out quickly to track the animal if it starts moving. There are strengths and weaknesses to both designs. So a 10/30×25 pair of binoculars comes with both a 10X magnification lens and a 30X magnification lens. The slash indicates that there are two separate sets of eyepieces. The dash indicates that the lens can be zoomed. A Dash or a Slash?īetween the first two numbers, you’ll see a symbol, either a dash (as in our 12-40×40 example) or a slash (as in our 10/30×25). The narrower the field of view, the less overall light is passing through, so you won’t see the same vibrant colors. Higher zooms can also result in a dimmer image since your lens is only able to capture a certain amount of light. Once you’ve spotted them, you can zoom in for more detail. Conversely, a lower zoom is great for spotting flying birds or distant deer. But you’ll need to know where it is, first. At 40X, for example, you can see a squirrel clearly from 300 or 400 yards away. As you zoom in, the image will appear closer but will get narrower and narrower. On our 12-40×40 binoculars, a 12X zoom is going to fill the entire viewport. The further in you zoom, the smaller your field of view is going to be. After all, the whole reason you use them is to see further.Īn important thing to keep in mind about magnification is that more isn’t always better. This is the most important information of all because it’s the most basic feature of any binocular. For example, on a 12-40×40 pair of binoculars, the magnification can be zoomed from 12 to 40 times. The first two numbers tell you how powerful the magnification is. We’ll explain it all, so you can finally understand those pesky product descriptions. So what do the numbers on binoculars mean? To the uninitiated, these can be confusing.

Binocular strengths series#

If you’re shopping for binoculars, chances are you’ve seen a series of numbers and symbols in the product description.