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A quality set of binoculars won't just allow you to magnify far away objects, they'll create a brighter, more stable, clearer image, too.
A quality set of binoculars won't just allow you to magnify far away objects, they'll create a brighter, more stable, clearer image, too.
Indefinitely Wild

How to See Better: A Guide to Buying Glass

It can be overwhelming to buy your first spotting scope or pair of binoculars. This article will help.

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Whether you鈥檙e bird watching, navigating, or tracking, a quality set of binoculars听or a spotting scope听are essential. But听they can also be very expensive,听which, when you also consider all the听jargon surrounding these tools, can make them intimidating purchases. Let鈥檚 break through that听and teach you how to determine which device is right for you.听

Know the Terminology

Before you dive into the market, here are some terms that you need to understand. The terminology can be a little overwhelming, but hopefully this will give you a clearer picture of what each term means and why it matters.

1: Real image. 2: Field diaphragm. 3: Eye relief. 4. Exit pupil.
1: Real image. 2: Field diaphragm. 3: Eye relief. 4. Exit pupil. ()

Eye Relief

This is the distance that your eye can be from the exit pupil (where light exits the optics) and still give you听a complete image. The greater the length,听the more comfortable the viewing experience will be. For those who wear eyeglasses,听pay special attention to this detail as it can greatly affect your viewing experience. If the eye relief is too short,听it will听make viewing uncomfortable, if not impossible.听

Magnification

This is how much larger an object appears through your optics compared to the naked eye. Spotting scopes and even binoculars can have adjustable magnifications. When looking to buy binoculars or a spotting scope,听the first piece of information you'll see is something like this: 15-45×60. Everything before the 鈥渪鈥 is magnification, also referred to as power. In this case, the optics can be adjusted from 15 times larger than with the naked eye to 45 times greater. We鈥檒l get to what is on the other side of the 鈥渪鈥 next.听

Objective Lens Diameter

Using the example above, the 60 refers to the objective lens diameter (the lens at the front of your scope), measured in millimeters. This听is one indication of how bright your image will be, especially in low-light conditions. The larger the objective lens diameter,听the more light is gathered. For instance, with my Bushnell Elite 10×45 binoculars, objects appear brighter through the binoculars than with the naked eye. For anyone interested in observing wildlife, dawn and dusk are prime viewing hours. During these twilight moments,听you鈥檙e going to appreciate this detail. 听

Field of View

How much terrain can you see from one extreme of your view to the other at one kilometer? That鈥檚 your field of view. Usually expressed as feet/1000 yards听or meters/1000 meters. When glassing for animals,听the bigger the image,听the more likely you are to pick something out. Bear in mind that the greater the magnification,听the narrower your field of view.

Exit Pupil Diameter

Light travels through your optics, gets shaped and shifted, and finally leaves through the exit pupil as a beam of light. The size of this column is your exit-pupil diameter. The larger the column headed for your eye,听the brighter the image will be.听

Shortest Focal Distance (Close Focus)

Pretty self-explanatory, this is the closest object that you can focus your optics on. Those who are interested in watching butterflies or other objects that are relatively close should pay attention to this detail.

A typical binocular prism system.
A typical binocular prism system. ()

Prism System

When light enters binoculars or a scope,听the image is flipped upside down by the glass. A variety of tricks are used to rotate it again. Most binoculars and scopes today are constructed with a . Another common technique used in spotting scopes is a folded light path, which manipulates听light听with lenses and mirrors and thus听reduces the overall length of the optics. The quality of glass used in these techniques can affect the image produced.

Light Transmission

Normally expressed as a percentage,听this is the amount of light that your optics can take in without reflecting听or scattering it听as it heads toward your eye. The higher the percentage,听the better you'll see. Light transmission is improved through a number of ways, including coatings on the lens surface, which reduce reflection and glare.听

Diopter Adjustment

Our vision may differ significantly from one eye to the other. In order to compensate for this, binoculars will have a diopter adjustment. In general, it's听a good idea to look for models that can lock听your adjustment in place.听

Spotting scopes offer much greater magnification, at the expense of portability, and require a tripod or similar stand/mount for stabilization.
Spotting scopes offer much greater magnification, at the expense of portability, and require a tripod or similar stand/mount for stabilization. (Gareth Wishart)

Binoculars or Spotting Scope?

Now that you鈥檝e got the lingo down, how do you decide which optics are right for you? Here鈥檚 a breakdown.听

Binoculars

I never head into the field without my binoculars. I consider them to be an absolutely essential item for anyone interested in the outdoors. They will not only help you spot wildlife on a distant ridgeline, but also avoid danger and navigate through any given landscape.听

The classic magnification and objective lens diameter of full-size field binoculars is around 8×42 or 10×42. This gives you a large light gathering objective lens to illuminate your image and strong magnification.听Don鈥檛 go for anything with a smaller objective lens or magnification unless you really need something compact鈥攖he sacrifices in brightness and detail are听too great. The decision on whether to go for 8x or 10x magnification is up to you. As a rule, the greater the magnification,听the more difficult it is to stabilize the image. Some prefer eight power over 10 simply because they can鈥檛 keep the image still. Personally, I鈥檝e never found that to be a problem and the benefits of having that extra magnification听are significant, so听long as you don鈥檛 mind the reduced field of view. Many birdwatchers tend to prefer eight power.听

The rule when buying optics is to purchase the best glass you can afford. Investing in a quality pair of binoculars will not only improve your viewing experience but will also give you a tool that should last a lifetime.听

Look into Bushnell or Leupold for optics that are high quality but fairly affordable. Both of these companies make quality glass and stand by their outstanding warranties. I would highly recommend the . With this pair,听you get Bushnell鈥檚 highest quality glass with a rugged rubberized magnesium build. Tough as nails, they feel great in hand and provide excellent views even in the worst of conditions. From Leupold, check out their range.听

If you鈥檝e got more cash to spend, here are a couple of choices. While you won鈥檛 necessarily miss any of the high-end features of the more expensive models when using the previously recommended binos, you鈥檒l notice the difference. If you鈥檙e going to drop over a grand,听I strongly recommend focusing on Swarovski and Leica. The 10×42 and 10×42 make excellent choices, providing the finest glass available with a superb听build quality. Although I own neither brand, I have spent a significant amount of time glassing through both in Arctic Alaska looking for caribou and moose. The clear image from edge to edge as well as the uncompromising design is impressive.听

Spotting Scopes

While binoculars are essential for any outdoorsman, spotting scopes are an added advantage. Binoculars can be used on the move and are extremely versatile. Spotting scopes on the other hand are much larger, requiring you to stop and take a better look at what you鈥檙e interested in. Hunters, birdwatchers,听and听enthusiastic wildlife watchers听will find spotting scopes to be very useful, even if they are cumbersome.听

Spotting scope models are typically around 15-45×60 or 20-60×80. Take the 15-45×60:听this means the scope has a minimum magnification of 15x and a maximum of 45x. That sort of glassing power gives you the ability to not only听spot a deer on a distant hillside,听but also to count the number of tines he鈥檚 carrying. Being able to take the magnification down to 15x (as opposed to 20x) also allows you to glass terrain with a听larger field of view before zooming in on a specific target.听

The eyepiece can also be angled or straight. An angled eyepiece allows for a more comfortable viewing experience but can make it difficult to locate an animal that you've听spotted with your binoculars. For this reason, I would typically recommend that hunters choose a straight eyepiece for its ability to quickly and easily locate your target.听

I typically carry the . Although a little unconventional in its design (especially for digiscoping, which we鈥檒l talk about), this scope offers听fantastic image quality, a tough exterior, and is light enough to take听on long hikes. For those who don鈥檛 need a scope that light,听I would recommend the . Both are affordable and well made.听

Moving up in price, check out the or . These scopes will last forever and provide the best views possible. For a more compact scope, check out the .

The right accessories can transform your expensive optics into the most powerful phone-compatible lens imaginable.
The right accessories can transform your expensive optics into the most powerful phone-compatible lens imaginable. (Phoneskope)

Accessories

Digiscoping

Inevitably, you鈥檙e going to want to share the cool things that you鈥檙e seeing. That鈥檚 where digiscoping comes in, allowing you to take pictures through your binoculars or spotting scope. Head over to and pick up one of its awesome kits. It will allow you to easily attach almost any smartphone to your binoculars or scope and get great images from the phone to share with your mates. Trust me, you want this.听

Tripod

Essential for spotting scopes and handy for binoculars, tripods can be your optics' best friend. We like听these models available at .听

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