BINOCULAR TECH-TALK
Binoculars always come in handy - whether you're an avid hunter or an occasional theater-goer. They are essential gear for camping and hiking, a day in the field or a vacation trip to the grand canyon. Choosing the best binocular for your needs isn't always easy. Consider when, where and how often you plan to use them in order to select a binocular with a combination of features that are right for you.
MAGNIFICATION (POWER)
Binoculars are often
referred to by two numbers separated with an "x". For example; 8x32. The
first number is the power or magnification of the binocular. With an 8x32
binocular, the object being viewed appears to be eight times closer than you
would see it with the unaided eye.
OBJECTIVE LENS SIZE
The second number in the
formula (8x32) is the diameter of the objective or front lens. The larger
the objective lens, the more light that enters the binocular, and the
brighter the image.
COATED OPTICS
Lens surface coatings reduce light loss and glare due to reflection for a brighter, higher-contrast image with less eyestrain.
Coated - A single layer on at least one lens surface.
Fully Coated - A single layer on all air-to-glass surfaces.
Multi-Coated - Multiple layers on at least one lens surface.
Fully Multi-Coated - Multiple layers on all air-to-glass surfaces.
PRISM SYSTEMS
The prism system of a
binocular reduces the size needed to provide focal length and turns what
would be an upside-down image right-side-up. There are two types of prism
systems, roof and porro.
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| Roof Prism System - In roof prism binoculars the prisms overlap closely, allowing the objective lenses to line up directly with the eyepiece. The result is a slim, stream-lined shape in which the lenses and prisms are in a straight line. | Porro Prism System - In porro prism binoculars the objective or front lens is offset from the eyepiece. Porro prism binoculars provide greater depth perception and generally offer a wider field of view. |
Prism Glass
Most optical prisms are made from borosilicate (BK-7) glass or barium crown (BAK-4) glass. BAK-4 is higher quality glass yielding brighter images and high edge sharpness.
Our exclusive, patent pending, hydro-phobic (water-repellent) coating on which condensation from rain, fog or snow forms in much smaller droplets than on standard coatings. Smaller droplets scatter less light which results in increased light transmission and a clearer image. Makes the binocular useful even when looking directly into the driving rain. Click here to learn more about RAINGUARD® HD...
Phase Coating forces light beams back into perfect phase, which eliminates the ‘soft’ image effect found in roof prism binoculars and results in superior image resolution, contrast & clarity. Without this coating, due to their more intricate prism design any roof prism binocular will have light waves slightly out of sync', and therefore a dimmer & fuzzier image. (see illustration)
ED Prime Extra-Low Dispertion fluorite glass delivers amazing colour resolution and contrast, and virtually eliminates chromatic aberration and colour-fringing to bring out the most distinct details possible in low-light conditions.