When shopping for sports binoculars, many people are intimidated by the technical jargon. In order to choose the best sports binocular for your needs, you will need to be able to understand what it all means. In the next few posts we will break down the information into easily understood terms so that you will be able to make the most informed purchasing decision as possible.
Three important factors when considering a binocular are Magnification, Aperture and Field of View.
When looking for binoculars, you will always see them identified by two numbers (i.e. - 8×40, 10×42).
The first number represents the magnification of the binocular. What it means specifically is that, for an 8 magnification, the binocular in question makes the object viewed appear to be 8 times closer than it is.
The aperture affects how much light is let into the binocular via the front lens (the end opposite the end placed at the eyes). The second number represents the diameter of the lens which allows the light to enter. The larger the front lens, the more light is let through and the brighter the image will be.
The field of view is the measurement, in feet or metres, of the viewing area. The viewing area is defined as that space which lies 1,000 yards away from the viewer. Generally speaking, the higher the magnification, the narrower the field of view. Wide Angle binoculars are better for following sporting events due to their wider field of view.
When searching for sports binoculars, the field of view is one of the most important aspects to consider.