Use this configuration as a baseline and prepare to compromise after reviewing the other specifications that we delineate below. The larger objective diameter will deliver a brighter image.Ī versatile all-around choice for normal field use is a 7x50 glass-but these can be large and on the heavy side for some purposes. Stay on the low side in the 7x or even 6x power range but get a pair with the largest objective diameter you can find. If the image jumps around, that leads to eyestrain and headaches, and means you’ll probably leave the glasses at home. Imagine looking through a microscope during an earthquake. Binoculars in the 10X range and higher can be very difficult to handhold. Higher power glasses are not always better. Because of differences in lens coating, prism material and other factors, actual performance may vary (and usually does). Remember, these are mathematical comparisons. For example, the theoretical brightness of 7x35 and 10x50 binoculars is the same: 35 divided by 7 equals 5, the same factor we get if we divide 10 into 50. When comparing glasses of different powers, divide the power number into the objective diameter to calculate relative brightness. A pair of 7x50 binoculars is brighter than a pair of 7x35 because more light can pass through, all else being equal. It partially determines the amount of light that can physically pass through the optics. The number after the “x” is the Objective Diameter. Seven power makes things appear seven times closer. It indicates how many times closer the subject appears. Yeah, they’re a lot like Nikon premium lenses. Nikon Monarch M7 binoculars are newly redesigned and built with extraordinarily high quality materials.

Binocular buying guide