|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusting and Using Your Binoculars Your bird watching experience will be either helped or hindered depending upon how well you have set up your binoculars to meet your individual vision situation. Doing it right is simple and takes only a minute but it really makes a difference. I have done it wrong and I have done it right; doing it right is definitely better. What follows is a workable method for people with eyes that do not have problems other than the usual near-sightedness issues. Your binoculars are hinged to accommodate people with differing distances between eyes. You ought to be able to adjust this to the point where you see only one complete circle and the view is comfortable. If you do any of this wrong your eyes will tell you by giving you a slightly uncomfortable feeling. It has taken me years to convince myself that I do not need to try to stretch my field of view by expanding the two tubes. It does not add anything but discomfort. I wear glasses - do you? This is biggest single problem
among birders since the glasses move the binoculars away
from your eyes. You could take the glasses off each time you
view a bird but that is a big bother and is not necessary
for most people. If your binoculars have roll-back rubber
cups, then you obviously have rolled them back and you are
done. If yours, like mine, have adjustable hard rubber cups,
then you will need to turn them until you get the best
viewing. If they are too short then your views will seem to
be crossed left and right. If they are too long then your
will experience a greatly reduced field of view. Make sure
that both cups are in the same position. This part is pretty
obvious.
Focus is a bit trickier for many people. If both your eyes are exactly the same correction (prescription) then it is easy. Mine are not. This is what I do: I want to set up the right-hand adjustment of the eye piece to compensate for the left. I cover the right hand large lens so that I cannot see out of that side but I can still keep both eyes open. Now I am looking only through the left side even though I have both eyes wide open. Look at something far away and use the center wheel to focus it perfectly. Now it is fine for the left eye. Switch the lens cover from the right side to the left and use only the eyepiece focus wheel of the right to bring the same object into focus. Do not adjust the center wheel since you have already set it for the distance using the left eye. Now remove the lens cover from the right side and you should find that the object is in focus and that viewing it is very comfortable for your eyes. There should be no sense of work or strain. If it is not quite right, do it again to fine tune the binoculars. When you are all set pay attention to the positioning of the right eyepiece focus wheel so that you don't have to do this again. At this point the binoculars ought to be set up for your eyes and the adjustment will stay the same no matter how much you change the center wheel to compensate for near or far objects. In a word, the point here is "comfort". You will want your viewing and your day to be comfortable and the proper settings for your binoculars will go a long way towards achieving comfort. Who needs a headache, anyway? Very Important! The finest tuned binoculars in the world won't do you any good if you can't find the bird in the lens image. The normal way to use a pair is to put them to your eyes and then search for the bird. That will work sometimes but here is a simple better way: Look directly at the bird without using the binoculars and keep the bird right in the center of your field of view. Simply bring the binoculars up to your eyes and allow them to intersect your view. If you have not moved the center of your focus, ,the bird will simply appear like magic! It works every time. It is particularly effective with hawks way up in the sky. Try it. By Dennis S Tomko, webmaster |
What To Know When Buying BinocularsBy Chuck Fitzgerald
We are asked nearly every day: "What are your best binoculars?"
And every day we answer: "How do you plan on using them?" We are
not trying to be evasive with our answer, but the truth of the
matter is – the best binoculars for one purpose may be the worse
binoculars for another. We want you to Get It Right The First
Time.
Understanding your application is paramount in determining the best fit – for you. Although there are many other specifications and qualities which determine the usefulness of binoculars, we will discuss in this article the primary characteristics for determining the best fit for your application. But before we show you the list, we should go over some basic terminology. What do the numbers on binoculars mean? All sporting optics (binoculars, spotting scopes, night vision goggles, etc.) use the same nomenclature to describe important features. As an example, a pair of binoculars may have 10x42mm listed as a technical specification. But what does this mean? The "10" refers to the magnification power of the binoculars – that is – objects viewed will appear to be 10 times closer than when they are viewed by the naked eye. The second number in our example is "42mm." This refers to the diameter, in millimeters, of the objective lenses on the binoculars. The objective lenses are located on the end of the binoculars furthest away from your eye when viewing. As with the aperture of a camera lens, the size of objective lens determines the amount of light that can enter your binoculars. If your binoculars are going to be used during low light (hunting and astronomy are good examples) you had better have large objective lenses. Another important number describing binoculars is called field-of-view. A field-of-view of 390' indicates that the width of the sight picture is 390 feet at a distance of 1000 yards. Field-of-view is determined by magnification and the focal lengths of the objective and eyepiece lenses. More magnification always means less field-of-view. This specification is sometimes expressed in degrees. A field-of-view of 6.5 degrees equates to 341' (6.5 times 52.5 equals 341). How well your binoculars will serve you in low light conditions is described as Twilight Performance. Although many things, such as overall design and quality of glass impact this specification, magnification and objective lens diameter are the chief components. A quick way to determine the Twilight Performance of binoculars is to multiply the magnification power (first number) times the objective lens diameter (second number). The higher the result, the better the Twilight Performance. As an example, 10x42mm binoculars will have better Twilight Performance than 8x50mm binoculars (420 versus 400). Now that we understand some basic terminology, here is “What to Know When Buying Binoculars." * While compact binoculars weigh as little as a pound, by using them you will undoubtedly sacrifice performance. If performance is your main consideration, full sized binoculars are preferred. Anything weighing over about 1.5 pounds will get heavy fairly fast. Use a binocular support system to evenly distribute the weight across your shoulders instead of using a strap around your neck. * The amount of light available while using your binoculars will determine –more than any other consideration – which binoculars are best for you. Low light uses such as hunting, birding and astronomy require larger objective lenses. * The distance you will be from the object you view will determine the magnification power required in a pair of binoculars. If your application is bird watching, theater or sporting events, a low powered binocular will suffice in most cases. But if you're into astronomy, you'll need a high powered pair. * The minimum focal point in binocular terminology refers to how near an object can be to you and be still be viewed in focus. This tends to be important for birding but not so important for most other uses. * Binoculars with a magnification power greater than 10x (and without a stability feature) will be difficult to hold steady. This becomes important when viewing the night sky or distant mountains. A tripod may be a good thing to have if you’re using binoculars with high magnification. * Using your binoculars outdoors will usually subject them to moisture. Waterproof binoculars are preferred for all marine, hunting, birding and other nature related activities. * The greater the magnification, the narrower the field-of-view. If field-of-view is important to you, don't purchase the most powerful binoculars you can find. This becomes very important when viewing objects that move quickly such as antelope, race horses, shooting stars or race cars. * As with almost everything else in life, with binoculars you get what you pay for. There are binoculars that cost under $10 and others which cost in excess of $2,500. My experience says you will need to spend at least $250 for a pair of binoculars worth having. * There is no such thing as “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to sporting optics. If you have multiple uses for binoculars, you will most likely end up with multiple pairs of them – and that’s O.K. Your understanding of these few simple tips will not only help you in acquiring the correct binoculars for your application, but they will also help you with successful viewing – no matter what you’re looking at. Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!
|
