Binoculars 101

A prospective buyer unacquainted with binoculars will likely quickly become inundated with the number of makes and models on the market. Some have funny Z shaped anatomies, others look like opera glasses, where the objectives are in-line with the eyepiece lenses. Some are tiny, fitting in the palm of one’s hand, while others are enormous and heavy, requiring a substantial mount to do them justice. You’ve probably been daunted too by the huge range in their price ranges, with the cheapest coming in at $10 or $15, while other brands, sporting binoculars that outwardly look the same as those cheap instruments command price tags in excess of $2000. How can we even begin to make sense of the enormous numbers of models available today? A good place to start is to briefly explain the basic features of all binoculars before delving into a more detailed discussion about the major differences between modern binocular designs.