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Photographer

Looknsee Photography

Posts: 26342

Portland, Oregon, US

As I age, my eyesight is deteriorating.  In fact, I'm blind in one eye.  So, I don't need a binocular, but I might be interested in a monocular.

Looking at Amazon, there are tons, ranging in price from $10 to $500+. 

I figure I'm just interested in carrying one when I do some nature walks.  I don't want or need night vision.  But I would prefer a wide & bright image.

...  Any recommendations?
...  What do the numbers (e.g. "12x50" mean?
...  Is a zoom feature worthwhile?

Thanks in advance.

Oct 04 17 02:20 pm Link

Photographer

Robb Mann

Posts: 12327

Baltimore, Maryland, US

For binoculars the numbers refer to the magnification and the diameter of the exit optic. So a 12x50 gives you a 12x magnification and a 50mm exit diameter. All else being equal a larger diameter lens will give you a brighter image. Lots of variables to think about, coating on lenses, some optics are nitrogen-filled so they are fogproof. Some are waterproof too. And glass quality factors in. Like lenses, you generally get what you pay for.

Oct 05 17 05:25 am Link

Photographer

Leonard Gee Photography

Posts: 18096

Sacramento, California, US

Looknsee Photography wrote:
I figure I'm just interested in carrying one when I do some nature walks.  I don't want or need night vision.  But I would prefer a wide & bright image.

Robb Mann wrote:
For binoculars the numbers refer to the magnification and the diameter of the exit optic.

define "carry" and what you want to see.

the magnification power is usually the first number (or the zoom range). the last number is the objective diameter. "carry" is too loose a term. there are palm sized (half a binocular). i can "carry" my leica apo-televid 77, but need a tripod also. i have a 20x wide field and a 60x eyepiece. but i choose by contrast and exit pupil size more than anything and the leica is the best i've seen.

for "pocket" carry, have a pentax compact spotting scope that's like a half binocular, but is a 10-30x 42mm. for scenic views and sightseeing, 7-10x is ok. 12x becomes difficult to handhold. have a very old bausch and lomb 10x scope that's very compact. otherwise it's just like choosing a camera lens and like most questions, you can read up on the advice online (also applies to monoculars):

http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/sportop … /index.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Buy-a-Spotting-Scope
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/ou … /binocular
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/binoculars.html

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006U … 90957&
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ … cular.html

Oct 05 17 10:19 am Link

Photographer

Zack Zoll

Posts: 6895

Glens Falls, New York, US

The exit diameter (the "50" in 12x50) only sort of refers to amount of brightness.  More is brighter, yes .... but unlike a camera lens, there are limits.  If you're using it at night, then you always want as much as possible ... but during the day, most people's eyes can't make use of more than about a 30 at 8x zoom, a 42 at 10x zoom, or a 50 at 12.

If this is something you plan on using during the day, say for hiking or birdwatching, don't be afraid to get the smaller, lighter model.  A lot of them are smaller and lighter because they're cheap, but there are some very high quality.  My favorite binocs are 10x30 ... during the day, which is when I use them, they're just as clear as much larger models.  If I were older, or if I were a hunter using them around dawn, I would have gotten the 10x42s ... but for me, 10x30 is smaller, lighter, and (barely) cheaper.

Oct 05 17 05:44 pm Link

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