Buyers Guide - Buying Binoculars FAQ
Buying a pair of binoculars can be a confusing task, but not at Bergen County Camera. Our knowledgeable and experienced sales staff will make sure you get just the right pair to meet your requirements. Take a look at our customer testimonials here.
The most important decision you need to make before you come to BCC is what use do you plan to make of your new binoculars. For most people the choices fall into one of three areas: (1) sports, opera, plays or event watching, (2) bird watching or for (3) durable field use such as hunting. If you are watching sporting events, plays or the opera, you will probably want to stay with a 6x, 7x, or 8x power binocular. These provide the best all-purpose magnification or general viewing. Higher magnifications are more difficult to hold steady and offer a more limited field of view. High magnifications make the image appear like it is bouncing around making it too difficult to stay on the subject. Also, with higher power binoculars, the depth of view is less and it is much more difficult to follow wide action play. Summing it up - high magnification binoculars are great for a quick identification - they are not however comfortable to spend hours viewing continous activities.
However, if you are bird watching or focusing on a particular subject and have the luxury of mounting the binoculars on a tripod or are extremely steady, then a higher power should be your choice. Those using binoculars for hunting might want to consider a brightened binocular and weather proof construction. Armed with this information, we can help you make the best choice. Here are a few tips from our staff to help you make your selection.
Here are a few key terms to keep in mind:
Power. Most binoculars are described by two numbers, for example, 7x35. The first number, 7, relates to the magnification power of the binocular. The second number is the objective size, or the diameter of the front element (usually 20 through 80 mm.) This determines how much light is gathered. The larger the objective the brighter the binocular when comparing binoculars of the same power.
The Exit Pupil is found by dividing the objective size by the magnification (i.e., a 7x35 binocular has a 5 mm exit pupil). The larger exit pupil the better the low light viewing. For general daylight viewing an exit pupil of 2 o 3 is adequate. 4, 5 or 6 for dim light and bird watching is appropriate and 7 or higher for night and astronomical viewing.
Lens Coatings. Lens coatings improve the brightness of view and contrast.
Lens Design. Some lenses are wider at the edges to cut off the ambient light from entering around the side of the eye.
Stabilized Binoculars. These are some of the latest features available in binoculars. These features raise the price, but the effects can be quite spectacular. While there are many zoom binoculars which vary the magnification, none meet our standards for quality or longevity.
When choosing basic style, the rule of thumb is that you can not have both light-weight and low light viewing in the same binocular. BCC will be happy to help you evaluate your needs and make recommendations.
Compact binoculars are the perfect companion for hikers, mountain bikers, theater goers and travelers. The small size does come at the expense of light gathering power and since the objective is usually small, the overall brightness is not high.
Full size binoculars offer bright, high resolution optics that are ideal for bird watching, sports, boating and other low light situations. Many people find that full size models are more comfortable to look through due to increased brightness and steadiness due to additional weight. BCC offers more than forty models from $99 to $4,295!
Recommendation: binoculars are a lifetime investment and will be passed on from generation to generation -- buy the best ones you can afford.