A bigger lens means a heavier and bigger pair of binoculars. A larger magnification produces a narrower FOV.Īre you travelling, hunting, or cruising? Are you going to carry them in a bag or wear them all day? Weight is an important factor. If you want to see small objects really close up from a distance, like for hunting or bird watching, you need a narrower FOV. If you want to watch a game or race and want to see as much action as possible, then you need a wide FOV.

This is the width of the area you will see through the binoculars. Some binoculars have a zoom feature where you can adjust the magnification to suit a number of situations. Binoculars with higher magnification will get you closer to your subject, but will be a bit harder to keep steady. The lower the magnification, the brighter the subject, and the wider the area you will see. In this case, the 10 means 10 times closer than seeing the subject without binoculars. The first number (10) is the power or magnification and the second number (42) is the size of the lens in mm. What you will use them for will help you decide the features you need, like weight, zoom, lens size, magnification, field of view and coatings.īinoculars have a pair of numbers in their name, for example 10x42. For example, travel, tramping or hunting, on the sea, on the land, bird-watching, sports events, or theatre just to name a few. There are binoculars designed specifically for different uses. If you want more information or technical details see us in store. Here are some of the basic features to consider before buying your binoculars. It can be really confusing trying to work out what are the best binoculars for you.

Binocular buying guide