We are asked nearly every day: “What are your best binoculars?” And every day we answer: “How do you plan on using them?” We are not trying to be evasive with our answer, but the truth of the matter is the best binoculars for one purpose may be the worse binoculars for another. We want you to Get It Right The First Time.
Understanding your application is paramount in determining the best fit for you. Although there are many other specifications and qualities which determine the usefulness of binoculars, we will discuss in this article the primary characteristics for determining the best fit for your application. But before we show you the list, we should go over some basic terminology.
What do the numbers on binoculars mean? All sporting optics (binoculars, spotting scopes, night vision goggles, etc.) use the same nomenclature to describe important features. As an example, a pair of binoculars may have 10x42mm listed as a technical specification. But what does this mean? The “10” refers to the magnification power of the binoculars that is objects viewed will appear to be 10 times closer than when they are viewed...