Over the past few decades technology have improved to the extent that binoculars of average quality can be manufactured very cheaply. So, in most of the cases people tend to be satisfied with poor to average quality unless they have tried better optics with which to compare it. As a result, binoculars that may have been rejected by quality control get accepted to some customers, particularly if the price is low. But once you use high quality binoculars it would be really difficult to be satisfied with average or poor quality ones. Hence, it is important to understand some features and testing methods of binoculars before you buy.

Here is the guide to choosing high quality binoculars for your next big outdoor adventure:

The Price

You know ‘you get what you pay for’. Quality binoculars are of course pricey, but also there are some best binoculars for money as well. If you research you may get some top quality binoculars at very decent price range. So set a budget before you set out to shop. Know what you are willing to spend. How comfortable you are while spending it. There isn’t any need to spend on impulse.

The Need

Apart from the price, understand the reasons why you need the pair of quality binoculars. What are you going to use it for? If you are a n occational birdwatcher an astrological binocular may not be exactly what you need. This is because the design and overall optical quality of an astronomical binocular should be different than the terrestrial binoculars.

Magnification & Objective

There are two numbers that you will find on good binoculars for example 8×42, 7×20, or 10×42. These numbers refer to the magnification. Objective respectively. A 10×42 pair for instance means it has a 10X magnification power (the object can be seen 10X closer than they actually are); while the 42 refers to the objective lens diameter in millimeters. The larger the objective lens diameter the brighter the view you will get.

Lens Glass Type

The types of glass that are used in quality binoculars also play a huge role. High quality binoculars contains a sophisticated combination of lenses to give you different view variations. Generic glasses could have specific imperfections thus needs great polishing to bend the light correctly. It is therefore important to focus on specialized glasses for instance low dispersion or even extra low dispersion glasses that are virtually engineered to have minimum distortion when transmitting light. When this is done, the resulting image will always remain clearer, crisp, sharper, and with the correct color rendition and possibly a higher contrast.

BAK 4 Prisms

Barium Clown Glass commonly referred to as the BAK4 is viewed as the very best glass if you are looking for a good quality prism material. It boasts of a high refractive index and enjoys a lower critical angle compared to the BK7 and the SK15 glasses. It is therefore no surprise that the BAK4 will transmit light better with pretty much less or no light lost at all. Buying good binoculars with this prism would be a plus.

These are films of coatings (usually magnesium fluoride, MgF2) that are often applied on the surfaces of the binocular’s lens so as to reduce the glare and light reflections while at the same time increasing the contrast and light transmission. An uncoated lens will reflect at least 4 percent of the light or more. By using right coatings, this can be reduced to as low as about 0.15 percent and will leave you with more vivid colors and also bright images.

Prism Coatings

Apart from the lens coatings are the prism coatings. These ones will also increase light reflections and consequently improve the brightness and the contrast of the images. A common coating for the prism is the “phase-correction” coating that corrects the “phase-shift” and gives you a great image.

The field of view (angle of view) refers to the amount of scenery that you are able to view clearly under the lens when measured horizontally. A wide and comfortable view is always a plus (usually 8×42 and 10×42 models). But some people also like narrow field of view (usually 8×32 and 10×32 models) because it helps them concentrate on the object under observation.

Build Quality

Finally, you should choose a durable build quality binocular. Hard plastic covers are much more durable especially when fixed with additional metallic alloy/ plates. The components of your binoculars should not move when shaken. The external cover should be close contact with the binocular housing.

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