What Can You See With Binoculars?

 

If you have ever tried binoculars of different magnification power you probably know which one fits well your needs.

Depending on your purpose and task you know which binoculars to choose.

But for many people that haven’t had a chance to try different types of binoculars it becomes a challenge to choose the right one.

So, in this short article I want to show and help you choose the right pair of binoculars.

 

 

 

 

Magnification 2x, 3x

First group of binoculars is for theatre where you don’t actually need powerful binoculars. Magnification 2x, 3x or 4x will be an ideal choice.

Such binoculars are focus free and you actually don’t need to adjust the vision. They are very lightweight and you can hold it with one hand and comfortably view objects.

Since the distance between you and the observed object is short (theatre) magnification 2x-4x is more than enough to be able to see objects in details.

Such binoculars are cheap because of its magnification power. Normally, they are between $30-$50.

Some may be a little more expensive like extra wide field of view binoculars by Bushnell or Orion.

They cost around $60 and give you an excellent view of 17° (900 feet / 1000 yds).

Such binoculars don’t have to be waterproof or fog proof or have tripod adaptability because of limited functionality.

They are very compact and lightweight. 2x or 3x binoculars are good to be used at theaters while magnification 4x may be used for general purposes like viewing objects within 1km from you.

 

 

Magnification 6x, 7x

Now, let’s talk about binoculars with magnification 6x and 7x. Such binoculars are in fact multipurpose optical instruments designed for various groups of people.

It can be used at home, when hunting or traveling or for marine trips. They are not super powerful but powerful enough to be able to view objects 2-3km from you.

The biggest advantage of such binoculars is that they have a wide field of view due to a limited magnification power and they are lightweight.

If field of view is critical for you, then 6x, 7x magnification is the ideal choice for you.

They cause minimum hand shake and you get reasonably stable image when looking through it.

 

 

 

 

Magnification 8x, 10x

Binoculars with magnification 8x or 10x are generally used binoculars and it looks like they fit everyone’s needs and choice.

These binoculars are used for hunting, safaris, bird watching or general use and sometimes even at big stadiums.

8x binoculars are often used for bird watching and hunting. Because they have a wide field of view and powerful magnification.

With such binoculars you can comfortably view objects located 5-6 km from you. You can bring them closer to you as if you were standing 1km from the observed objects.

It’s pretty powerful. For hunting or bird watching it’s a super powerful configuration because objects are usually much closer to you.

If your main purpose is hunting or bird watching I believe 8x binocular is an ideal choice due to a wider field of view.

Otherwise I would recommend 10x binoculars because it’s more powerful and allows you to view objects at greater details.

 

 

Magnification 12x, 15x

Binoculars with magnification 12x and 15x are way more powerful than 10x. The difference when looking through it is pretty significant.

Field of view becomes narrower but the magnification power allows you to comfortably view objects located 7-10km from you.

If field of view is important for you then you better choose binoculars with magnification up to 12x. If magnification power is more important then choose 15x binoculars.

But 12x or 15x binoculars have lenses of at least 50mm for improved light transmission.

This means such binoculars are a little bulky and cause way more hand shake than 8x or 10x binoculars. Image becomes shaky as a result.

Especially, binoculars with magnification 15x and above need a tripod for getting a stable image when looking through an optical instrument.

 

 

 

 

Magnification 20x, 25x

Binoculars with magnification 20x and 25x are very powerful can be used to view objects located 12-15km from you.

25x binoculars can be used even for objects located up to 20km from you.

Using such binoculars without a tripod is very uncomfortably and causes hand shake. As a result you get very shaky image.

Such binoculars have objective lens of 70-80mm and sometimes even 100mm because of which they are bulky and must be used with a tripod.

 

 

Magnification 50x, 100x

Binoculars with magnification 50x or 100x are super powerful like telescopes and can be used both for terrestrial and astronomical observations.

They are very bulky and often times packed with a special tripod to be sued with such gigantic binoculars.

Such powerful binoculars allow you to view distant objects at greater details even those located 25-30km for you.

With such binoculars you can even see Saturn rings or star constellations.

 

 

 

Recently I uploaded a video to my youtube channel to give you a real example of what you can see with different types of binoculars, such as

• Bushnell Spectator 4×30 (extra wide field of view)
• Celestron Outland 8×25
• Bresser High Definition 10×50
• Levenhuk Karma Pro 12×50
• Pentax SP 20×60

I think it will give you a much better idea of what you can expect from various binocular magnifications.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the comment section and I will do my best to help you choose the right binoculars.