Whether you’re a veteran birder or a beginner shopping for your first binocular, there are some things you ought to know about high-end binoculars. I’m talking about the select few European brands (Swarovski, Leica, and Zeiss) whose reputations for quality and craftsmanship have kept them at the top of the heap in terms of performance [...]
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Binoculars for Beginning Birders
What is a birder’s best friend? Their binocular, of course! Whether you’re a beginning birder or a seasoned expert, your binocular is the crucial tool needed to bring in the details of birds for closer inspection. Since part of the fun of birding is to study and identify birds, a high-quality binocular [...]
Do my binoculars need to be waterproof?
These days, it is a lot easier to find a waterproof binocular than it was, say, 15 years ago. Waterproofing and fogproofing are standard design elements in most binoculars today. This makes sense since binoculars are often used outside and in all kinds of weather.
Waterproofing allows you to use your binoculars without fear of [...]
Manfrotto Tripod Legs: 190 or 055 Series?
At Eagle Optics, when we help someone choose the best tripod for their use, we take these customer variables into account:
1. Height of tripod users
2. Budget
3. Scope body style (Straight or angled spotting scope)
In the Manfrotto line, for example, people often wonder whether to choose from the 055 series or the less expensive 190 series.
First, [...]
What about light transmission and optical coatings?
Light transmission describes the percentage of available light that passes through your binoculars. The amount of light can be increased with the use of anti-reflective coatings on binocular lenses. When an anti-reflective (AR) coating is applied to the glass surface of a binocular it increases the amount of light that reaches your eye.
The more complete [...]
How much magnification do I need?
First, it’s good to think about the ways in which you’ll be using your binoculars. Do you need more detail at theater and sporting events, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, or hunting? Will you use your binoculars to view things close up or far away? Will you be able to prop your arms on [...]
How do I upgrade my binocular?
We often hear from customers who are interested in upgrading to a better binocular than what they currently have. Fair enough. Once we deepen our interest in using binoculars, it is natural to be curious about something with a tad more optical quality. However, many will say, for example: “I have an [...]
How do I properly set the diopter on my binoculars?
Most of today’s binoculars will allow you to separately adjust the focus on one eye (usually the right eye) with a diopter. This is done to compensate for differences between your eyes so you see the clearest image possible through your binoculars.
To make the diopter adjustment, pick a distinctive object to focus on that is [...]
What is the field of view in a binocular?
When you look through your binoculars, the widest dimension you can see is known as the field of view. Field of view is measured in feet per 1000 yards. So if you were standing 1000 yards from a long picket fence for example, when looking through the binocular, you would see a portion of that [...]
How do I clean my binoculars?
Use common sense in the care and maintenance of your binoculars. Always attempt to blow off any visible dust or dirt from the binocular lenses before brushing or rubbing anything on the glass of your binocular. Next, use a lens cleaning tool like a Lens Pen or lens cleaning cloth to gently wipe off any [...]
