Binoculars Info

Military may mean soldiers of a nation to some, the whole armed forces to some more. Military surplus is a term used for stuff which has been auctioned by military for general use by people as it is no longer useful for the military. This stuff often contains publicly useful items as clothing, jackets, and other tools and items including military surplus binoculars.

Binoculars are an important instrument the military uses in their warfare that helps them to plan, track and protect themselves from their enemies. Any qualitative error may lead to an extent of losing the nation to another or even their life.

As per the general understanding the military people survive on varied environmental conditions and their movements are also in rough areas so the instruments that they carry must also survive all these conditions.

They use binoculars very often during their movements. The binoculars that they use must certify all the legal norms and standards for which they pass across different levels of testing. The manufacturing of the military binoculars must pass through all the laws and standards, so, these military surplus binoculars are expected to deliver much more in terms of quality and durability as compared to consumer binoculars.

Military surplus binoculars vary in sizes. They range from small to big. The small ones can be used by hands and the heavier ones require a tripod stand for mounting them. Recently, binoculars have been mounted on caps that do not require hands to hold them. The hand used ones are the commonly used pieces available at a military surplus store. These military surplus binoculars can focus images many times closer and brighter than normal ones available otherwise to the consumer, and when he gets these at a military surplus store, nothing beats the deal, since consumer binoculars of such caliber are either not just there or if available, are too costly.

These military surplus binoculars are made of durable materials that can withstand extreme environmental conditions and handling without breakage. They withstand rain, snow, fog and heat and are resistant to water and temperature. The lens does not break in extreme conditions, nor do the binoculars become unusable in fog or other conditions.

Military surplus binoculars are also made up of infrared components that enable clear view during night. Such features enable the military personnel to have a clear vision during any weather condition and also from any place ranging from forest to the hilltop. Obviously you too would be benefiting from this technology if you are able to lay your hands on such a piece at a military surplus store.

It is not necessary that only military needs to use such high caliber binoculars. Also we individuals can use them if you are for achieving the best results in combination with the above features. Your kid wants to view the stars in a foggy winter night? they can achieve that wit a pair of military surplus binoculars.

Military surplus binoculars though are made for the military, are light in weight and easy to use and operate, so can be bought at a military surplus store without second thought. As they are durable and weather-resistant, they can be given to children without worrying about damage to the binoculars or the lens using reasonable care. They would enjoy viewing distant objects that are not clearly visible with their ***** eyes and you would be surprised how you and your kids can get hooked.



By: Pat Burns

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It’s hard to track game if you can’t see it. Therefore, one of the most important accessories for hunters is a good pair of binoculars.

While there are literally thousands of different models of binoculars on the market, not all are suitable for hunting. Most are not rugged enough for the woods, marsh or field. Many are not suitable for low-light conditions. Some are too powerful, and others not powerful enough.

Here are some factors you should consider when choosing hunting binoculars.

Binocular Construction:

Hunting is a rugged sport that puts demands on your equipment, including your binoculars.

Hunting binoculars should feature some sort of rubberized exterior armoring to protect them from being damaged if dropped or bumped against trees, brush, rocks and so on.

Because you’ll likely be hunting in extreme weather conditions, you’ll want a pair of binoculars that can withstand such conditions. They should be waterproof, and the lenses should be fog-proof. Another feature to consider are the lens caps. Binoculars with attached caps will protect the lenses, but not require you to fumble in your pockets looking for lens caps if it starts to rain or snow.

Roof prism binoculars are popular with hunters. Light enters the front (objective) lenses, and is then redirected through the roof prism to the rear (ocular) lenses. The roof prism design allows the binoculars to be more compact than binoculars that transmit the light directly from the objective lenses to the ocular lenses.

Binocular Lenses:

When it comes to lenses, bigger is indeed better. The larger the objective lens, the more light the lens transmits to your eyes. If you like to hunt at dawn or dusk, you’ll want the largest objective lenses you can get. The objective lens size is the second number in the manufacturer’s description of the binoculars. For example, 10×42 binoculars have 42 millimeter objective lenses. Objective lenses for hunting binoculars range from 40 millimeters to over 60 millimeters in diameter. Again, bigger is usually better.

When choosing hunting binoculars, look for phase corrected lenses. Phase correction is a coating on the lenses that increases the sharpness, contrast and color saturation. When you’re trying to spot game that blends in with its surroundings, you need every edge you can get.

Another feature to look for in hunting binoculars is nitrogen-filled optics. The nitrogen inside the binoculars displaces oxygen, so that moisture cannot form inside the optics, fogging the interior lenses.

The rear (ocular) lenses are another thing to consider when choosing hunting binoculars. If you’re like most people, your eyes aren’t identical when it comes to focus. Therefore, you’ll want to look for binoculars that allow each ocular lens to be adjustable for focus.

Consider, too, the amount of eye relief the binoculars feature. This is the distance from the lens to your eye at which you can still see the view. If you wear prescription glasses or sunglasses while hunting, you’ll need some eye relief. Also, binoculars with good eye relief allow you to bring them up to your eyes quickly, without having to get your eyes perfectly aligned. 15 to 20 millimeters of eye relief is generally considered optimum.

Binocular Magnification:

The first number in the manufacturer’s description of binoculars is the magnification. A pair of 8×42 binoculars magnifies the view by eight times.

For long-distance hunting, such as prairie dog hunting, a high magnification may be desirable. But for most types of wood/field/marsh hunting, too much magnification is undesirable. You’ll be viewing too small a portion of the area you’re scouting.

8x or 10x magnification is generally considered ideal for most hunting applications.

Many manufacturers offer zoom binoculars, which allow you to vary the magnification. In practice, though, zoom binoculars aren’t always ideal for hunting. They tend to be more fragile and weigh more than fixed-magnification binoculars. Also, as mentioned previously, high magnifications restrict your view of an area.

The amount of area binoculars allow you to view is called the “field of view.” The field of view (FOV) is referred to in degrees, or in feet at a specified distance. For example, 6 degrees of field of view is common. Expressed in feet, a pair of binoculars with 6 degrees field of view will allow you to see 314 feet of area at 1,000 yards.

Other things to consider when choosing hunting binoculars:

Weight is a consideration for any hunting equipment, including binoculars. 32 ounces may not sound like a lot of weight but, after a full day in the field, it will feel like it. Most binoculars made for hunting weigh around 20 ounces.

When selecting your binoculars, pay attention to the warranty the manufacturer offers. You’re going to be exposing your binoculars to some pretty rough treatment, so you’ll want the best warranty you can get. Many manufacturers offer warranties that last twenty years or more. Some even offer lifetime warrantees.

Properly cared for, a good pair of binoculars will serve you for decades. When you consider the cost of a single hunting trip, quality $300 to $500 binoculars are a great investment.



By: Richard A. Baker

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One of the most exciting advancements in sports optics technology is the advent of image stabilization. Binoculars are designed to magnify an image, making it appear closer to the user. The higher the magnification, the closer the subject in the image will appear. However one of the downsides to higher magnification is the fact that the image will move and shake due to small movements in the person holding the binoculars. The higher the magnification of the binoculars, the worse the shaking and movement is. Other factors can also add to the movement, such as vibration of an unsteady surface or even shaking due to excitement. Also as we age it becomes more difficult to hold binoculars steady, making image stabilization technologies that much more important.

It used to be that the only way to compensate for this shaking was to mount the binoculars on a tripod or other supporting structure. For most situations, carrying and setting up a tripod is inconvenient at best, impossible at worst. However, the latest image stabilization technologies now allow for steady images at high powers without the use of a tripod. Even better news is the fact that prices for image stabilized binoculars have dropped dramatically in the past few years, making them more affordable for the average person.

So how do image stabilized binoculars work? There are a variety of technologies on the market, yet most use gyroscopic detectors and motorized internal components that automatically compensate for vibration and small movements. One of the most popular lines of image stabilized binoculars is made by Canon. Canon uses what it known as a Vari-Angle Prism system along with gyroscopic sensors. While this may sound confusing, it basically means that the binoculars have internal sensors that detect movement, as well as moveable prisms that are controlled by the sensors. When the sensors detect vibration, they send a signal to the prisms and the prisms shift the optics slightly to hold the image steady. This provides for steady images even at higher magnifications.

Canon makes a wide variety of image stabilized binoculars, from their compact 8×25 stabilized binoculars to their full size 18×50 high magnification binoculars. They also have a fully waterproof model that uses their highest quality optical glass. This 10x42L stabilized binocular is one of the best rated binoculars on the market today.

What are the best uses for image stabilized binoculars? Boating is a very popular use, as the stabilizers help to compensate for the movement and vibration being on a boat causes. Stabilized binoculars are also popular for hunting, as they can allow for keeping safe distances from the target by using higher magnifications. They are also popular for sporting events, especially when you need to get up close to the action from a distance. Image stabilized binoculars are also excellent for target shooting, bird watching and even astronomy. So if you are looking for a new pair of binoculars, take a close look at the latest image stabilized binoculars and let the newest technology take the shakes out of your viewing!



By: Benjamin Hauck

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Optics workers will tell you they are often asked to recommend the best binocular for birders (bird watchers) To match the binocular to the birder it helps to first look at the needs of the birding enthusiast.

What sort of optical demands must we consider? Well for one thing the birder need to see details like the patterns and color of feathers, often in dim light such as under a tree canopy or in twilight. They need good magnification so that they can easily identify birds at a distance and sometimes they will want to observe birds at very short distances so they want their binoculars to work for close focus observing too, maybe even down to just a few meters.

They need true color viewing so they can see everything as it really is colored and not with any tint or false color. They also need a reasonable field of view so they can observe birds in flight easily and be able to pick birds out from the surrounding trees.

They want the binoculars to be light enough to carry and hang on a neck-strap. Their binoculars should be light enough to hold comfortably for viewing and easy enough on the eyes to be able to use for long periods. Birders usually want their binoculars to be compact enough to pack in a rucksack. For observing from hides they often want to use their binoculars on a tripod or mono-pod so a fitting for these adapters is advisable. If their bird watching is in the wilderness then rugged construction and some element of waterproofing and fog-proofing is also advisable.

When looking at binocular specifications we usually pay most attention to the two numbers that define the basic specifications. The first number gives us the magnification factor, so an 8x binocular magnifies an image (brings it closer) by 8 times. The higher the magnification the more difficult it becomes to use the binoculars effectively due to the natural hand-shake which makes it difficult to keep the bird in view and also the smaller the field of view will be. For birding use, an 8x binocular is the most commonly used though in some circumstances enthusiasts will use higher magnification.

The second number in the specs tells us the diameter of the objective lens. This is important for two reasons, firstly the larger the diameter the more light is captured by the binocular so the clearer and brighter the resulting image. Secondly, the larger diameter also gives a larger field of view. In the birding world, the most popular objectives are 40mm and 42mm. Getting much higher than this makes the binocular a little too heavy and large.

Other important considerations are the quality of the lenses and prisms and the optical coatings used on those elements. These coatings reduce loss of light through reflection from the binocular and its internal components and they help to preserve good clarity and true color throughput. As a rule of thumb look for Fully-Multi-Coated (FMC) coatings for bird watching use. The specification for eye relief refers to the distance between the eyepiece and the eye. Those who wear glasses will need a longer eye relief to allow for the extra distance caused by the glasses being between the binocular and their eye.

Roof and Porro Prism designs refer to the two body styles of binoculars. This difference comes about through the placement of the internal prisms within the binocular body. Roof prism types are the more compact and modern looking. Their objective lenses are more or less in line with the eyepieces, while porro prism types are the traditional style with the lenses stepped out from the line of the eyepieces. More and more birding enthusiasts are now opting for the roof prism type particularly as their quality has caught up with the porro types in recent years.



By: Aidan James

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