6 Types of Binoculars
There are several types of binoculars. When you’re a newbie it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed.
But if you know the main features of binoculars, you’ll realize choosing one is not that hard.
There are many things you can enjoy doing with a pair of binoculars. You can use them to admire the beauty of the stars, enjoy an opera performance, or watch animals from afar.
Different Types of Binoculars:
1 – Roof Prism Binoculars
Roof prism binoculars gather light and bounce light waves around until they exit in your eyepieces. The lights travel an intricate route. And this yields greater magnification and brighter images.
There is also a straight line between the objective lens and the eyepiece. The optical pathway is more narrow and straighter compared to Porro prism binoculars. This allows them to be compact and lightweight.
2 – Porro Prism Binoculars
Porro prism binoculars typically have a classic design. These are the kind of binoculars you often see in movies.
Porro prisms consist of a pair of interdependent light-catchers that causes the light to move in a quick, horizontal jag.
They are heavier than roof prism binoculars. But the advantage is, their field of view and depth perception are usually higher.
Also, Porro prism binoculars are more cost-effective to manufacture. So, they are cheaper than Roof prism binoculars.
Porro prism binoculars got their name from an optician, Ignazio Porro who started using this prism image system.
3 – Marine Binoculars
Marine binoculars have a low magnification strength and a big lens size. When you’re on rough seas and the object is magnified too much, it will appear shaky because it’s hard to stabilize the image.
Marine binoculars are used both on the surface or underwater.
4 – Astronomy Binoculars
Astronomy binoculars typically have a large lens diameter and strong magnification. Some top manufacturers make models that are specifically for astronomy.
On a regular pair of binoculars, if it says 10×50, you’re all set to enjoy the planets, moon, comets, or meteors.
Pro tip: You can enjoy astronomy binoculars best with a tripod to stabilize the images. Binoculars with high magnification tend to give you shaky images.
5 – Night Vision Binoculars
Night vision binoculars work like so: They gather light through a large objective lens. The lens amplifies the light and then turns it into a green hue for enhanced eye absorption in the dark.
This type of binoculars doesn’t have a high magnification feature. When it’s dark, high magnification gives you blurry images.
Night vision binoculars are not just for espionage or military operations. If you love the outdoors, night vision binoculars allow you to enjoy nocturnal wildlife watching and can be useful for camping or night time surveillance.
6 – Opera Glasses or Theater Binoculars
They are special binoculars made for the purpose of enhancing your opera or theater experience.
They usually have a small frame with a stylish design. They are small enough to fit into purses or jackets.
Needless to say, they also have smaller lenses and the magnification is weaker when you compare them with other types of binoculars meant for the outdoors.
You can use binoculars for so many reasons.