Wassup wit Binoculars?

For a long time now I have wanted a pair of Binoculars. Being the shrewd businessman I am, I scoured Garage sale after Garage sale until the years of searching finally paid off. There they were. A battered pair of beautiful optical technology.

$20.00 was the price tag...yeah right. Here's the conversation as it happened...

Me: (Cheekily) Would you take $5.00 ?

Old man: (waves hand) Haha, a bit more than that.

Me: (casually looks away) Hmmm...

Old mans assistant: I'll give you $10.00 !

Me: Ok, you can have them for $10.00

Old mans assistant: (silence...long pause)

Me: Are you sure you won't take $5.00 ?

Old man: (defeated) $7.00 ?

Me: (smiling widely) Ok $7.00 it is!

Yes! Finally! Woohoo! Come on kids (no you can't have the Koala) let's go!

So why did I want a pair of Binoculars?

Binoculars are almost a necessity for the astronomer, hunter, saltwater fisherman, boater, sports fan, and experienced traveler and bird watcher (the ornithologist not the other kind...dodgy)

I got home and gave them a clean up and spray with Silicone Spray (seized by years of salt air on the old man's boat). So now at least they don't have spider webs and they move freely. Basically they work good as gold.

Here's the specs:

Carton Optics Tokyo (7 x 50) Field 7.1 No: 351438 - Sweetness!

A 'good' pair of Binoculars depends on:

1. The type of glass selected for binocular lenses and prisms.
2. The design of the eyepieces.
3. The size and type of prisms.
4. The care in grinding and polishing the glass elements
5. The type and coverage of anti-reflection coatings etc etc (yawn)

Let's talk POWER.

Binoculars are commonly described by using a pair of numbers, as in "7x50" or "8x25."

The first of these numbers refers to the magnification offered by the binocular. In the examples above, "7x" means the binocular makes whatever you look at appear seven times closer than it does to the unaided human eye.

Common binocular magnifications are 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, and 10x.

Remember that everything (including movement) is magnified when you look through a pair of binoculars, especially your own shakes and tremors. So the higher the power, the harder it seems to hold the binoculars steady. 6, 7, or 8 power binoculars are easier for most people, even those with very steady hands, to hold reasonably still. The higher powers sound like a good deal, but often result in jiggly, blurred views. This is why 7x binoculars are chosen by so many experts, including the military.

So my 7x50's are sounding sweet!

The second number most commonly associated with binoculars refers to the diameter of the objective lens in millimeters. Thus in "7x50," the "50" means that the front lenses of the binoculars are 50mm in diameter, which is large for hand held binoculars.

The larger the diameter of the front objectives, the more light can enter the binoculars and be focused to your eyes. Therefore you can see better in dim light with binoculars that have large front lenses. For example, 7x50 binoculars are often called "night glasses" because they seem so bright in dim light.

Yes! 7x50's Rock!