Binokli valimine ei olegi nii raske kui tundub

In this article I will try to write a simple instruction for those who choose binoculars to help themselves. The choice of this optical device is most often faced by hunters, and then there are bird lovers, tourists and other travelers of all stripes, and our fellow fishermen. Yes, yes, fishermen also sometimes use such achievements of progress. Someone peeks at his colleagues on winter fishing, monitoring the most promising points. Someone combines fishing with traveling to beautiful places and does not mind to examine the surroundings in detail. Others, moving along wild forest rivers and lakes, take with them compact binoculars to view the area around the next corner for the presence of dangerous predators or poachers’ camps near the shore. And there are also many who combine hunting and fishing and practically do not take out binoculars, first aid kit and other useful little things from their backpack, changing only their gun for a fishing rod and back again.

Useful attribute of equipment

The most popular size of binoculars for anglers will be among compact models

In general, binoculars for many fishermen thing although not the first necessity, but quite necessary and sometimes even useful. Therefore, we will try to determine here what variants of these devices are closer to us, what to pay attention to when choosing.

Since the author himself has been combining hunting and fishing for decades, and has always loved bird watching, looking for the rarest and most beautiful birds of our forest, he has some practical experience of using binoculars and other optical devices. Based on my practice and the experience of my friends and acquaintances, I will try to assume that the most popular binocular size for an average fisherman will be among compact models of relatively unburdensome weight and size, in a durable, preferably waterproof case. But the question of the preferred magnification is rather vague, because it is there that all the pitfalls, stamps and layers of various speculations are usually hidden, sometimes cultivated by some representatives of the trade, in order to attract attention to their product. The notorious magic of numbers often prevents the not too experienced buyer to make a truly correct choice. I’ve heard a lot of things when standing in line at the cash register of a fishing or hunting store. I remember how one man, having received quite sensible advice from a salesman, rejected it and chose binoculars with big digits on the device to be bought.

Choosing binoculars is complicated by a lot of useless information

So, what do the numbers in the name and TTC of binoculars mean, how to choose them according to these designations for your hobbies?

On many Internet forums, where thousands of hunters, fishermen, survivalists, various specialists and even real experts communicate, you can get quite exhaustive information on any question. But in addition to the grains of truthful and useful information, a lot of unnecessary and frankly useless, and sometimes simply harmful material will be splashed on the head of the questioner. Therefore, here we will not load anyone with schemes of different types of binoculars in section, types of prisms, ways of calculating distances with the help of binoculars, and technologies of manufacturing of these binoculars. And we will only understand what the numbers that are indicated on all binoculars mean at all, what use do they have for us when choosing binoculars?

Information in figures

The value of magnification ratio and the diameter of the lens are the main numbers

So, usually in the digital name of binoculars is the basic information about the capabilities of these devices, what is their magnification (krats) and what is the diameter of their optics (8×30, 6×25, 7×35, 10×50, etc.). It would seem that this is somehow not enough? And that’s why additionally manufacturers usually specify a number of figures, more often already in the passport to their device. There, depending on the degree of advanced technology, you can find:

• width of the field of view in meters at a viewing distance of 1km, i.e. it is that strip of space in width, which we will see at a distance of 1km when looking through these binoculars;

So, the magnification value and the objective lens diameter are the main figures in the designation of binoculars because these figures are quite enough for the average user to choose binoculars, and everything else is just a useful addition to the basic information. By and large, the vast majority of people do not even remember all these values from the passport of their binoculars.

It is better to choose compact models for camping

Based on the size and weight we can make the first step in choosing the binoculars we need. It is unlikely that carrying heavy and bulky binoculars around your neck or in the pocket of your backpack will add to the pleasure of a long hike, no matter how distant and beautiful the views through its optics may be. Such powerful devices are usually chosen for stationary observations from a car, yacht, boat, from a balcony, roof or from hiding places during hunting. Of course, the larger the diameter of the lens, the greater the weight of the glasses of its optical system. Accordingly, the size and weight of the body and all other parts of the binoculars are larger. By choosing such weighty binoculars, we get an excellent picture when observing, the possibility of confidently holding such binoculars for a long time without trembling in our hands, and our eyes will not get tired for a long time when looking at distant objects through its optics. And light-aperture models will also help in observations at dusk and even at night. Here it is worth returning to the basic designations and a little more detail on this very luminosity of binoculars.

Simple calculations when choosing

Simple calculations will help you to choose the right model

The aperture is the amount of light that passes through the lenses of binoculars through its body to the observer’s eye. Hence it is clear that it depends primarily on the diameter of the optics, and that you can count on observation at dusk and even more so at night only with light-fast binoculars, and these are usually not the most compact and lightweight models. It is possible and necessary to use the main digital characteristics of binoculars, the very 8×40, 12×50 and others, which are indicated directly on the body of the binoculars, just when choosing them, having determined with their help the aperture of different models, and already based on your considerations to stop the choice on a more suitable variant according to the sum of all your requirements – magnification, aperture, dimensions, weight.

Calculations are not complicated at all and special accuracy is not needed here, you can even round the data, they will give you an understanding of the superiority of one optic over another. For example, in front of you are three suitable binoculars of approximately the same dimensions, but with different designations: 7×50, 10×50, and 12×50. It would seem that 12x binoculars will be more interesting, because their magnification is higher than others with equal size of optics, and the higher price hints at better specifications. This is probably the reasoning of the person I mentioned at the beginning of the article. So, you just need to calculate approximately the aperture of these three binoculars and then think again. The calculations are very simple – you just have to divide the optical diameter value of 50 by the magnification value and square the resulting figure (even if it is approximate). In this example:

• 50 divided by 7, getting approximately 7, squaring this figure, getting 49;

• 50 divided by 10, getting 5, squared to get 25;

• 50 divided by 12, obtaining about 4, squaring it, obtaining 16.

The greater the value obtained, the higher the luminosity of the binoculars. And the approximate division of optics into light-fast and not so light-fast looks like this:

Thus, we got that for observations in twilight, cloudy weather and even at night binoculars 7×50 will be out of competition, and for observation of the most distant objects in the daytime will be better binoculars 12×50, due to its maximum magnification. The 10×50 binoculars will definitely be a universal golden mean between them due to their sufficient luminosity and quite high magnification. And now, based on your preferences in the expected conditions and tasks of future use, you can choose one of them, or maybe even two. For example, 7×50 for evening vigils on hunting from an ambush, and 12×50 for mountain hunting and mountain tourism or for water travel at sea and large rivers and lakes. Or still take one 10×50 for everything.

The most popular segment

The most popular models have average aperture

Based on the above calculations, we already realize that the most popular compact binoculars that fit in a jacket, jeans or shirt pocket tend to have a very average aperture. But they are still more popular than large heavy models. They are forgiven uselessness at dusk, because they can always be at hand, you can use them almost at any second. The tasks of such binoculars do not include careful consideration of distant objects, these optics are needed primarily to quickly determine what is going on nearby? Is there no any threat in this obscure dark spot in the form of a bear or a wild boar, where there is a grouse or a marten hidden in the branches, what kind of suspicious people are hanging around our car, who is there on that bank or in that boat? That is, a compact binocular that is always at hand is just a useful attribute in the equipment of a tourist, hunter and fisherman, not interfering and not burdensome in the campaign, but ready at any moment to solve simple issues with poorly distinguishable objects.

When choosing, it is better to focus on the really important options

In its purest form, this is all you need to know when choosing binoculars. Of course, there are still things that affect the cost, despite its optics and magnification. Progress does not stand still, and all sorts of useful developments cost extra money. Therefore, just binoculars without any trickery, for example 8×30, and the same 8×30, but with a case filled with gas, which does not allow the optics to fog up, equipped with image stabilizer, rangefinder, better branded optics, will be more expensive, sometimes even in times. Therefore, choose what you need more, those options that are more important to you, and not only what you have enough money for. After all, if you buy a thing that will not please you, there is nothing good in this useless purchase. And it is better to wait, add money and buy the binoculars that will be a real helper and will not let you down in any journey.

Autor: Bob Nudd on asjatundlik kalamees, kellel on üle 20 aasta kogemusi ja kes on võitnud mitmeid võistlusi.