Having good equipment is essential for a safe and successful hunting trip. Binoculars help us see from a safe distance and prepare us for luring prey and making a successful shot.
Are you planning your next trip and don’t know which binoculars to get? This guide will give you a deeper understanding of the characteristics of binoculars and help you select the one that best suits your needs.
What Are Binoculars?
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Binoculars are optical instruments used to magnify distant objects, making them appear closer to us. They are composed of 2 small telescopes set side by side and connected with a bridge. The telescopes are shaped like tubes and are aligned to point in the same direction, which allows you to comfortably view objects at a distance. Each eyepiece presents a different image. Those images overlap with the help of our parallax, and the visual cortex generates an impression of depth, which allows us to see distant objects clearly.
Some terms to familiarise yourself with before your first binocular purchase:
Objective Lens: These are the wider lenses that face away from your face. Some of these lenses even come with UV protection and other practical benefits.
Eyepiece: These are the smaller lenses that you use to look out of. They pick up light and converge it so you can view the image.
Central Focus: It’s the bridge between the two tubes.
Eye cups: These are covers for the eyepieces, used to cut off any stray light.
Diopter adjustment: A feature that allows you to change the focus of the object.
Prisms: These are optical components placed inside the two telescope tubes. They are used to correct the inverted image before it reaches the visual cortex.
How to Use Binoculars
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The main function of binoculars is to allow us to view objects that are a certain distance away from us. They have a simple design, made to be accessible to everyone.
Here is a short step-by-step guide on how to use binoculars:
Adjust the eye cups to accommodate your eye distance using the central focus or by pushing the two barrels together, depending on the type of binoculars you have.
Once you get the binoculars to sit comfortably over your eyes, you can modify your field of vision. If you wear glasses to make the binoculars sit more comfortably, twist the eyecups clockwise to achieve proper relief.
If the image still isn’t in focus when you put the field glasses over your eyes, you can find the diopter settings located on one of your eye cups. Twist the setting from “+” to “-”, or the other way around, until the object you are looking at clears up.
Hold onto both barrels tightly, and if your binoculars have a lanyard, put it around your neck to ensure that if the binoculars fall, they won’t break.
After you have properly adjusted all the settings, practice pointing your binoculars and spotting different objects and creatures.
Types of Binoculars
There are 2 main types of field glasses.
Galilean Binoculars
To form an image, the Galilean binoculars use two types of lenses: convex lenses for objectives and concave lenses for eyepieces, which together form an erect image. Because they don’t need a prism on the inside to create the image, they are rather lightweight and compact, with magnification power only up to 4x. Galilean Binoculars are mainly used in instances where low-power magnification is acceptable, like in sports and movie theatres.
Prism Binoculars
Prism Binoculars use convex lenses for both the eyepieces and objective lenses. They are known for their high magnification power and wider field of view. Besides the glasses being composed of only convex lenses, inside the cylinders, they have prisms that are used to flip the image. There are 2 subtypes of prism binoculars, which are:
Porro prism binoculars: This model of prism binoculars features two prism segments in one cylinder. Both of the segments work to correct the inverse image using total internal reflection. With this system, the light that passes through the binocular is only reflected, not broken.
Roof prism binoculars: This prism model is far more compact than the porro model. The light that passes through the system forms a roof, which is how they have become known as roof prisms. When the light passes through the cylinders, it reflects in five places until it reaches the eyepiece. In order for the image to be inverted correctly, at least one of the surfaces has to be coated with a silver or dielectric coating.
How to Choose the Right Binoculars
After learning about the ways binoculars work, it’s time to put all that knowledge to use in choosing the right ones for you. Characteristics to look for include:
Magnification power: The ideal choice of magnification for hunting is around 8x or 10x. You should make the decision based on the kind of terrain you’ll be hunting on.
Weight factor: When you’re constantly on the move, you want to be as light-footed as possible. That’s why carrying minimal gear and compact binoculars is important.
Durability & Modifications: For outdoor terrain, you should choose field glasses that are waterproof, fog-proof, and able to withstand rough conditions. Go for binoculars that are easily customisable and strong enough to survive a fall if one occurs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you have to stay vigilant when you are spending an extended time in nature. Binoculars help you spot prey from afar, ensuring you are prepared to act when the time is right.
