Look Ahead:~ What To Look For When Buying Binoculars

Whether you’re into wildlife watching, star gazing or like to watch sports up close, buying binoculars or ‘binos’ is an essential investment. Camping Plus stock a range of binoculars, the perfect companions for your next camping adventure in the wilderness. Buying binoculars isn’t the most common purchase, so it can be difficult to know where to look for a good pair and how to choose the best pair for you and your skill set. Before you venture out into the big wide world of binoculars, there’s a few technical terms that you should be aware of. In this blog, we’ll fill you in on the top technical terms and then recommend a few of our favourite bino options for those keen binocular hunters in Brisbane or the Gold Coast.

What do the numbers on my binoculars mean?

On any binoculars, there are numbers which speak to the magnification and aperture of the binoculars. The numbers that precede the multiplication symbol refer to the binoculars’ magnification. The numbers that come after the multiplication symbol refer to the binoculars’ aperture. Aperture size refers to the diameter of the objective lens.

Magnification

Magnification of binoculars refers to the amount of magnification achieved with those binoculars, compared to viewing the same object with the naked eye. This means that if you’re looking through a pair of binoculars with 10x magnification at an object that is 500 metres away it will appear to be 50 metres away.

Aperture

The objective lens or aperture is located at the front of the binoculars. The larger the size the greater the aperture which means that the lens will capture more light, leading to greater resolution of the image through the binoculars.

Binocular types

There are two types of binoculars based on the prism design: Porro Prism Binoculars & Roof Prism Binoculars. Porro Prism binoculars are known to produce brighter images and Roof prism binoculars are known for being compact and more durable. When choosing your set of binoculars, choose them based on the activity you’re hoping to use them for.

Porro Prism

Pros

• affordable; and
• provides very good optical quality.

Cons

• generally, not as compact (except for inverted porro design); and
• less comfortable to hold for a long time

Roof Prism 

Pros

• usually more compact compared to similar porro-prism model;
• easier to hold; and
• generally tougher than porro prism binos of the same specification.

Cons

• can be more expensive

Prism Grade

Prisms direct light path inside the binoculars. There are two types of prisms commonly used for binoculars:

• BaK-4 – Created from Barium Crown Glass. Considered as the superior prism because it has better light transmission; and
• BK-7 – Created from Borosilicate Glass. Good light transmission and more affordable.

A few things to consider before choosing your binoculars:

• Will you be using your binoculars to see things close up or far away? If you’re planning to look into the distance, you’ll need high magnification binoculars;
• How much detail will you need to see? If you need to see lots of detail, you should probably choose higher magnification binoculars with a larger aperture size; and
• Also, consider whether you need something small and compact, something with a lower aperture size will ensure that it’s lightweight, and a correspondingly low magnification to ensure that you maintain image resolution.

Now that you’re up to speed with the binocular jargon, and have spotted a few tips about how to choose the right pair, here are some of our top binocular picks:

Top 6 Binoculars Gold Coast

Multi-coated optics increase light transmission resulting in brighter and sharper images with high contrast levels. The stylish rubber covered aluminium body protects them from rough handling. Ergonomic thumb indents and finger ridges provide extra non-slip comfort and ease of use.

Perfect For:
Bird watching, sporting events, nature & wildlife, hunting, travel & ventures, concerts & live events, boating

Specifications:
Magnification – 10-30x
Objective lens diameter (aperture) – 50mm

Celestron Cavalry 10×50 Binoculars are an outdoor binocular designed for hunters, boaters, law enforcement, and military personnel. Furthermore, engineered to withstand the elements, Cavalry is fully waterproof and nitrogen purged to prevent internal fogging. The housing is protected by durable rubber armour, making the binoculars easy to grip as a result therefore protecting them from hard use. The olive drab colour offers concealment in the field

The Celestron Upclose G2 8×40 Porro Binoculars are a great quality at a reasonable price. They’re great for bird watching, sporting events, nature & wildlife, hunting, travel & ventures, live events, and boating.

Specifications:
Magnification – 10 x
Lens diameter (aperture) – 50mm

The Celestron Upclose G2 8×40 Porro Binoculars are top-quality binoculars at an affordable price. Perfect for bird watching, sporting events, nature & wildlife, hunting, travel adventures, live events, and boating.

Specifications:
Magnification – 8 x
Lens diameter (aperture) – 40mm

The Celestron Upclose G2 7×35 Porro Binoculars are high quality binoculars at an affordable price. They’re perfect for bird watching, sporting events, nature & wildlife, hunting, travel & ventures, live events, and boating.

Specifications:
Magnification – 7x
Lens diameter (aperture) – 35 mm

The Oztrail 10 x 50 binoculars have 10x magnification for excellent long-range viewing. Wide objective lens diameter provides a wide range of view and brighter images with a close focus distance of just 5 metres. These binoculars come with a carry case, and neck straps including a protective lens cover.

Now that you’ve spotted a few of our favourite binocular options and you’re looking for binoculars in Brisbane or binoculars on the Gold Coast take a look at our online store or come in to Camping Plus.