Binoculars (“Glass”) are needed for spotting game animals in areas of terrain that is hard to see into. You need the same optical qualities that you get from your rifle scope; powerful magnification, large objective lens size, fully-multi-coated lens for crisp image clarity and brightness, regardless whether it’s a binocular of monocular device.
The long-range hunter needs to be able to effectively spot game animals from a distance of 2 miles and have an effective viewing distance of one mile. Magnification (expressed in power) is how many times better an object can be viewed than with the eyes alone. So with 15 power, that means you can see 15 times BETTER than your eyes alone. The first number you see is the magnification number. Look for magnification in 10x (power), 12x, and 15x power. 15x power is the optimum magnification, because higher power allows more mirage to be seen, hindering your ability to effectively see game animals from a distance.
Also look at brands that have a large objective lens size. The objective lens are the large lenses in front of the binoculars. The size and diameter is expressed in millimeters and is the second number description. Get the 42mm, 50mm, or 56mm, for tripod mounted binoculars. The larger the objective lenses, the greater the light gathering abilities. Also take note of the clarity as you look through them. All brands will have good clarity in the center of the objective lens; but only the BEST binoculars will have exceptional clarity at the outer edges of the objective lens.
Get the 10 X 42’s, 12 X 50’s, or the 15 X 56’s. Going above 15 power/magnification increases MIRAGE, which will hinder your glassing experience.
They will provide you with the best field of view and exit pupil. The field of view (FOV) is an important factor to look at when choosing a brand because of its value in the field. It is the width of the sight picture viewed at 1000 yards. A pair of 15 X 56’s will have a field of view of 231feet wide, and a pair of 10 X 42’s will have a sight picture that is 330feet wide. The more magnification you have, the less field of view you have.
The Exit Pupil is a measurement expressed in millimeters, and is the amount of light that gets transmitted into your eyes. The amount of light that reaches your eyes is of critical importance when you are viewing animals at early morning, and late evening when light levels are low.Exit pupil must be equal to, or greater than the diameter of your eyes at any given time. During daylight hours the eye pupil is 2-3mm dilated; as evening falls and light levels start getting low; your eye pupil can dilate to a maximum of 7mm. The larger the objective lens size, and the lower the magnification, the higher the exit pupil size. 15 X 56’s have an exit pupil of 3.73mm while the 10 X 42’s have an exit pupil of 4.2mm. Exit pupil is computed by dividing the diameter of the objective lens by the magnification.
The “Top Of The Line” binoculars are Swarovski, Zeiss, Doctor, Brunton, Steiner, Leica, Swift, and Minox. They are expensive, and range from $950 to $2400.00 and well worth the price, like townhouses for sale in mississauga, considering about 90% of game animals stay safe by going unnoticed because they are never seen. Good binoculars allow you to cover more terrain, without spooking the game animals out of the area. Learn more here