FAQ Group: Binoculars (page 2)

There are various levels of waterproofing, such as water resistant, splashproof, waterproof, etc. Waterproofing levels are usually stated in IPX ratings, with a higher number relating to a higher level of protection.  

Fogproof means the internal surfaces of the binoculars won’t fog. This doesn’t apply to external surfaces. Typically, the binoculars are pumped with an inert gas and sealed to prevent internal fogging. For external fogproofing, you could apply a safe fogproof…

Field of view (FOV) is the degree of the angle of the visible field seen through binoculars. Although the FOV specifications may seem limited, it’s the apparent field of view (AFOV) that will dictate view perception, giving you a larger…

An antireflective or anti-reflection (AR) coating is a type of optical coating applied to the surface of lenses and other optical elements to reduce reflection. Without anti-reflective (AR) coatings, there would be a significant reduction in the amount of overall…

On a roof prism, the image is split into the two roof parts of the prism. Because of the split, a phase shift error occurs between the images. When the two halves of the image recombine, there can be some…

ED glass stands for Extra-low Dispersion. Dispersion occurs when colors spread out due to the wavelength, like a rainbow effect. Since this also occurs in lens systems, some lens elements can be made from ED glass to minimize the dispersion…

Yes, binoculars can be mounted to a tripod with a binocular tripod adapter. This is great for stability over long hours and highly recommended for digiscoping.

Close focus or minimum focus distance is the closest/minimal distance that a pair of binoculars can focus on. The shorter the close focus distance, the more one can focus on details that are typically not visible to the naked eye. 

Porro prism binoculars have a prism design that results in a binocular tube with a bend, so there is not a straight line between the eyepiece and objective lenses. These binoculars can provide greater depth of field and a wider field…

Roof prism binoculars use two roof prisms, resulting in an instrument with parallel sides and objective lenses that are the same distance apart as the eyepiece. A roof prism binocular has straight barrels, so it’s more compact and easier to…