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Frequently Asked Questions
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What type of Binoculars are best for Sporting Events?This age-old question really comes down to personal preference. Do you want to carry heavy bulky Binoculars from your car to the stadium? Do you prefer the added brightness that a full-sized Binocular will offer? Or is the convenience of putting the Binoculars in your jacket pocket more important to you? The jury is split between full-sized Binocular "brightness", and compact Binocular "portability." Whether you choose compact Binoculars, or full-sized Binoculars, there are a few other factors to consider. If you are watching a fast-moving sporting event, do not opt for Binoculars that are too powerful (8x Magnifcation is ideal). Higher magnification means a smaller field of view (it will be harder to follow the action). Also, make certain that the optical configuration of the Binoculars offers a sufficiently wide field of view. Keep in mind, however, that you may sacrifce Binocular edge definition or Binocular eye relief with a wide field of view. In conclusion, it important to compare every feature.
What type of Binoculars are best for Bird Watching?8x42mm Binoculars are the most popular optical configuration for Bird Watching. A 42mm objective lens provides sufficient light gathering capabilities in low light conditions. And an 8x magnification, allows the user to "steady" the Binoculars much more readily than with higher powers, making the task of bird-identification a little easier. Birders looking for Binoculars should avoid at-all-costs Binoculars with ruby or orange tinted lenses. Although they might look "trendy", a red Binocular's coating will block much of the light in the red color spectrum which makes viewing a Cardinal next to impossible. Look for 8x42mm Binoculars with high light transmission capabilities like the 8x42mm Carson XM-842HD Binoculars.
What type of Binoculars are best for Hunting?Some informal industry surveys suggest that 40% of all Binoculars that are sold in the USA are sold to Hunters. The most popular style of Binoculars sold are 10x42mm Binoculars. What is so special about 10x42mm Binoculars? Deer are most active at dawn or dusk, so brightness is critcal. Full-sized 10x42mm Binoculars gather more light than their Compact counterparts, so 10x42mm Binoculars are an obvious choice. They are ideal Hunting Binoculars because of their superior light gathering capabilities.
What steps can I take to maintain my Binoculars?Make sure your lenses are clean at all times and keep them free of fingerprints, dirt and debris. Use a Carson LensPen or the Carson Stuff-It to clean your lenses quickly and safely. When not in use, always replace the lens caps and store your Binoculars in a case. For more cleaning options, visit the Lens and Screen Care product section.
What is Binocular eye relief?Eye relief is the distance, in millimeters, a Binocular can be held away from the eye and still see the entire field of view. If you wear glasses, a longer eye relief would be advantageous since your eyes cannot get as close to the eyepiece.
How do I focus my Binoculars properly?There are several steps you should take to focus your Binoculars. The first step is to close your right eye and look through the left side of the Binocular. Turn the center focusing wheel until you have a sharp image. Then close your left eye and look through the right side. Turn the diopter eyepiece until you have a sharp image in that eye. Lastly, look through both eyepieces and use only the center focusing wheel when looking at objects at different distances. Now you are ready to fully enjoy your Binoculars.
What is the purpose of Binocular lens coatings?All the optical components of Binoculars (lenses, and prisms) should be coated to minimize light loss and reflection problems inside the Binocular. A poorly coated Binocular can lose up to 50% of the light initially gathered through the objective lens, resulting in a poor quality image. By coating the optical components with a fine film of certain chemicals, light loss can be greatly decreased. The highest quality Binoculars have multiple coatings on all the optical components. These are known as "fully multi-coated" Binoculars. These Binoculars have the least loss of light and the result is a higher quality image.
Does the type of prism used in Binoculars make a difference?There are prisms located inside Binoculars that function to flip an inverted image upright. There are two common styles of prisms used in Binoculars; the BK-7 and the BAK-4. The BAK-4 prism is made of a higher density glass and can produce sharper images than a BK-7 prism can. If you are unsure as to which prism is being used, hold the Binoculars out in front of you and look through the eyepiece. If you see a square shaped beam of light, chances are a BK-7 prism is being used. A round beam of light indicates the use of a BAK-4 prism.
Does Binocular lens size make a difference?The amount of light passing through the different lenses of the Binocular depends on the diameter of those lenses. The objective lenses are located at the front of the Binocular. The diameter of the objective lenses are measured in millimeters. An 8x21mm Binocular has an objective lens diameter of 21 millimeters. The larger the diameter of the lens, the more light they will gather. More light means a brighter image of greater detail and clarity. The size of the Binocular exit pupil also affects the brightness of an image. The exit pupil is the diameter of the beam of light, in millimeters, that passes through the eyepieces (oculars) of the Binocular. The larger the exit pupil, the brighter the Binocular image becomes. Keep in mind however that larger Binocular lenses mean larger Binoculars.
What is the importance of a Binocular's field-of-view?The field of view is the size of the area that can be viewed through the Binoculars. Field of view is measured in two ways; angular field of view and linear field of view. The angular field of view of a Binocular is measured in degrees. Linear field of view is the width of area, in feet, visible at one thousand yards. Remember that the higher the power of your Binocular, the smaller the field of view will be. In most cases, the larger the field of view, the poorer the image clarity becomes, especially around the edges. Bear this in mind when making your choice. Bigger does not always mean better!
Which Binoculars are best for me?There are many factors to consider in choosing the right Binocular for an individual's need. For some it might be choosing the lowest price, color, or style of the Binocular. The most important factor in this decision relates to how you intend to use the Binoculars. To most people, Binoculars are a simple optical device but in reality they are complex, precision optical instruments.
What is the best Binocular magnification for me?The magnification of a Binocular is how many times closer an object appears than when viewed by the naked eye. An 8x21mm Binocular magnifies the image to eight times its normal size. Typical Binocular magnifications range from powers of 7x to 10x, however Binoculars are available in much higher magnifications as well. Keep in mind, that as you increase Binocular power, less light will be gathered, and the viewing field will be reduced as well. It is also very difficult to keep an image steady at very high magnifications using a handheld Binocular. A tripod is usually necessary to steady an image at higher magnifications. A good alternative for those seeking the option of high power magnification is a zoom Binocular. This gives you the option of higher magnifications without the limitations of a fixed, high power Binocular. Visit Carson's Zoom Binocular pages for more information.
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