Buying a brand new pair of binoculars for traveling these days can be challenging, to say the least. There are so many options to consider that prospecting the market might leave you feeling just a little baffled. If this is your first attempt at getting binoculars, we would recommend reading as many guides and reviews as possible.
Without further ado, here’s how you can make sure that you get the right optical instrument for your travel endeavors.
Weight and size
Even before you look at aspects such as the magnification power and the objective lens diameter of the product you want to spend your money on, you need to consider its size and weight. Why are these two factors so important?
The fact is that you’re likely to carry your binoculars around your neck, so they shouldn’t hang heavy. If the unit is too big, it’ll be hefty and less user-friendly to use.
Objective lens size and magnification
With a bigger objective lens, the unit will be capable of capturing more light from the environment, which practically means that the images you are going to look at will appear brighter. But as you might have figured by now, the bigger the lenses, the bigger the size of the binoculars. Therefore, it might be counterproductive to choose a model that comes with the biggest lenses out there, and that’s because you might want to use it during the day when there’s enough light outdoors.
As for the magnification, here’s where most prospective buyers make a mistake. People seem to think that optical instruments should always have superior magnification and for some purposes, it really does make sense. But the fact is that a 7x or 8x pair of binoculars is better than a 10x one in this case, and that’s because the 10x model will make the image shaky.
You will have to use some sort of stabilization system like a tripod if you want your magnification power to be as superior as possible. Keep your expectations realistic. Most people’s hands aren’t particularly steady.
Innovations and gadgets
If you want your model to be really easy to use and convenient, you could consider getting a pair of digital camera binoculars. One thing we have to point out about this type of gadget is that it is usually impossible for manufacturers to provide it with the same quality optical components and magnification of regular binos.
Under some circumstances, though, digital camera binoculars can undoubtedly prove their worth. If you’re traveling somewhere to watch a game of soccer or football, for example, you could definitely use such a pair.
Finally, it’s worth noting that if you are an eyeglass wearer, you need to make sure that the product comes with decently sized eye relief. For those who want to hand their binoculars to their friends or family members when they aren’t using them, we would suggest opting for a model that features an adjustable interpupillary distance.
