Binoculars

What Kind of Binoculars Should I Buy? The quick and easy answer should be based on two considerations: (1). How am I going to use them? (2). How much money do I want to spend? Like every other commodity, there is always a relation between function and cost - the more things you can do with something, the more it usually costs because the design and manufacturing process has to be able to satisfy multiple requirements. By the same token, in optics there's no one shoe that fits all. If you want to use the binoculars for more than one type of viewing, you'll probably have to make some compromises. So what we are going to try and do here is give you some guidelines that will allow you to come up with a good choice that will satisfy most of your needs and leave you with a little money in your pocket to also buy something else.
Function: There are two basic ways to use binoculars: (1). Do you want to make the object bigger? (2). Do you want to make the object clearer? Now let's define the object itself: (1). Is it moving or is it still? (2). Is it a specific target within a larger background or is it the background itself? Chances are that you will probably answer all those questions with a "yes." In other words, you probably want to carry binoculars that will perform multiple functions. You also will probably use the binoculars in multiple environments: dry, wet, dark, bright, walking, sitting, etc. Finding binoculars that are the "best of breed" for every function and every environment is impossible. Finding binoculars that will deliver satisfactory results in different functions and different environments is a much easier task.
Cost: Generally speaking, in optics you get what you pay for. Which means that the more you pay, the better you get. But how much better is better? Most optic requirements can be met with binoculars that have a power of 8x40 (we will explain what this means below.) If you pay $250 - $350 for 8x40 binoculars, you are probably getting a product that the market has judged to be sufficient. If you pay more, you may be paying for look, feel and marketing costs. If you pay much less, you are probably going to wind up with junk. As you go up the power scale, let's say to 12x50, your price rises accordingly. If you go down the scale, the price is somewhat less. Don't be fooled in thinking that the place of manufacture means a lot - it really doesn't. Thge kind of manufacturing techniques that German and Swiss optics manufacturers pioneered a century ago are generic to the whole industry, no matter where it is located. Computers grind glass just as accurately in Shanghai as in Lausanne.
Some definitions: Binocular design is based on location of the prisms; i.e., the reflecting glass that re-sizes the image through the lens. Until recently, most high-grade bincoulars used Porro prisms, which were offset from the eyepieces. Today most binoculars use what is called roof prisms which are in line with the eyepieces. Roof prisms result in smaller binoculars that are easier to carry, aim and hold. Porro prisms give greater depth.
Magnification. Expressed in the magnification of the object times the millimeter width of the objective lens. If you have 8x42 binoculars they will let you see an object 8 times larger than it really is through a lens that is 42 millimeters wide. Generally speaking, as you increase the size of the magnification, you gain view but lose sharpness. As you increase the width of the lens, you gain more light but lose depth. Binoculars that are 8x40ish seem to be about the best combination of view, light and depth. At least this is what the market is telling us now.
Last Thought: Try to remember this: The best binoculars I ever used were the pair that gave me a viewing experience that I will never forget. Don't buy binoculars that weigh more than what you feel is comfortable, generally speaking, this is 2.5 pounds or less. Not a lot less, but not more. If the binoculars work great in the car but are too heavy to wear around your neck, then you bought the wrong pair