Photography News issue 19

Kit guide

Great binoculars forphotographers BINOCULARS

Having a pair of good binoculars is a real benefit whether you’re shooting wildlife, sports, air shows or just enjoying views on a walk with your camera. Offering a range of specifications, features and prices, here are some of best you can buy...

top end models use lighter alloys in their construction as a way of reducing weight. The position where the exit pupil is formed is called ‘eyepoint’ and the distance from this to the outer surface of the eyepiece lens is called eye relief. Eye relief is the distance a binocular can be held away from the eye and still present the full field of view without vignetting. Measured in mm, longer ratings produce less eyestrain and are better for people who wear glasses.

much enlargement you need depends on the subjects you’re likely to be viewing, but for general use, 8x or 10x is plenty. The magnification will have a big effect on the field-of-view, so while more may seem like a good idea, you’ll be able to see a smaller part of the scene as it increases, and this can be a problem when following fast moving subjects. Just as on a telephoto camera lens, higher magnification also means it can be more difficult to hold the image steady. The second number is the diameter of the objective lenses (the ones at the front), measured in millimeters. This size lets you know how much light can be obtained and therefore how bright and clear the resulting image will be. Bigger lenses are therefore good, up to a point: the larger the lenses the bigger and heavier the binoculars are likely to be. Binoculars with lenses below 25mm are considered compact models; 30-49mm is standard and over 50mm tends to be used on astronomical and nautical models. This brings us onto size and weight and what you go for will depend on how much you want to lug about. Like taking a lot of photo kit with you on a day out, if you’re tired from carrying stuff around, you’re less likely to enjoy using it; with binoculars you’re also going to be holding them up for extended periods, and heavier models can soon start to drag unsupported. Another specification often mentioned is the ‘exit pupil’. This is the size of the circle of light produced and is found by dividing the diameter of the objective lens with the magnification. So, a pair of 7x35 binoculars would have an exit pupil of 5. Higher ratings mean better performance in low- light, so the specification is important if you plan to view at dawn or dusk, but less so if you’ll mainly be using them in the daytime. Coatings on the lenses, and the use of highly engineered glass can also increase brightness, while many

Words by Kingsley Singleton

We’re willing to bet you already own a pair of binoculars. Most people do. The thing is, they’re probably not very good. Many of us have dusty old ‘bins’ that we’ve had for years, or little folding sets that came from a garage (or more likely a cracker). They live in lofts, or at the bottom of bags, brought out occasionally at air shows or on wild walks, and then they’re forgotten again, because they’re disappointing. You see, until you’ve used a really good pair of binoculars, you won’t know how brilliant they can be. The clarity of modern lenses is often superb, creating a much brighter image, while, like so many things, the ergonomics have been revolutionised to offer easy, more comfortable handling and lighter weights. Modern binoculars, like cameras and lenses, come in all shapes and sizes, and with a huge range of specifications. Some are lightweight and extremely portable. Others offer special features that you’ve come to expect on cameras, like image stabilisation,, zooming, and weather-proofing. Some can even tell you how far off the subject is. In this guide we’ll look at some superb examples of what’s out there and demanding your cash. There are models to suit all budgets and some really amazing pieces of technology to put on your wishlist. What to look for Once you’ve decided you need some new bins, the prickly issue is picking a pair. Consider the following factors. Most binoculars are specified with numbers like 8x40 or 10x25. The first of these tells you the magnification that’s offered, ie how much bigger the subject will look to you in use. How

If you want more reach and a brighter image than binoculars can provide, it’s time to consider a monocular ‘spotting scope’ or ‘fieldscope’. To achieve this, scopes – basically smaller telescopes designed for terrestrial use – have much larger objective lenses and high-powered or zooming eyepieces, which are usually interchangeable via a bayonet fitting, allowing you to swap them fast. The objective lenses of spotting scopes tend to start around 60mm, so that draws in a lot more light, and a typical zooming eyepiece can provide a magnification range of 20- 45x or higher; that’s a lot of reach. Another handy feature of scopes is that they’re easier to mount on a tripod, which offsets the problems of shake at such long focal lengths, while many models also feature image stabilisation for smoother viewing handheld. Scoping formore

Olympus 8-16x25 PC I Zoom £90 Designed for the optimum mix of portability and optical quality, these small, light binoculars have a handy adjustable 8-16x magnification, making them adaptable. The 25mm objective lenses put them firmly in the compact bracket and they’re certainly a pocketable size, meaning you can take them to a theatre or sporting event without feeling like you’re lugging too much gear around. The stepless zoom control is accessed via a rotating lever around one of the eyepieces and is easy to operate while the binoculars are to the eye. The ribbed focus ring is also easy to locate even when wearing gloves. Optically, they use multi-coated, UV-protected lenses and barium crown glass to ensure clarity and brightness, and while the zoom range produces an exit pupil of between 3.1 and 1.6, and is dimmer at the long end, they still produce an excellent view. In addition to a comfy hold, the 8-16x25 PC I Zoom’s smooth shape and curved design makes it easier to quickly stow or access themwithout snagging, and they come with a 25-year European warranty.

Pentax 7x50DCFHydro £130

Supplying tremendous light-gathering, top image quality and some first-class features at an affordable price, the Pentax 7x50 DCF Hydro’s 50mm objective lenses and 7x magnification provide a massive 7.1mm exit pupil, making them useful in very dim conditions and keeping any vignetting to a minimum. The use of Super Multi Coated (SMC) lenses, allows light transmission of up to 98% and barium glass in this model’s prisms keep the quality high. Classified as marine binoculars, but a great choice for most activities, their build-quality is equally good, offering a magnesium alloy chassis, full waterproofing and protection against internal fogging due to sudden shifts in temperature or humidity. The O-rings and use of nitrogen gas within the housing allows temporary immersion in up to 1m of water, so that you can splash off mud and dust with no problems. Also included is an oil-filled compass built into the eyepiece, and lit by an LED. Available in orange or blue rubberised finish, they provide a good grip and are easy to find.

SPECS

FIELDOF VIEW AT 1000M: 116m MINIMUMFOCUS DISTANCE: 3m SIZE: 175x134x62mm WEIGHT: 976g

FIELDOF VIEW AT 1000M: 7.9-5.1m MINIMUMFOCUS DISTANCE: 5m SIZE: 114x111x48mm WEIGHT: 315g

MAGNIFICATION: x7 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 50mm EYE RELIEF: 17.6mm EXIT PUPIL: 7.1mm

MAGNIFICATION: x8-16 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 25mm EYE RELIEF: 15-12mm EXIT PUPIL: 3.1-1.6mm

CONTACT: www.olympus.co.uk

CONTACT: www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 19