binocular markings?

Question

can anyone explain to me the three markings on binoculars, I would like strongest ones for wild life in the mountains where I live.

Answer 1

Binoculars size and power are stated as 8x50 for example. Where 8 represents the magnification power and 50 is the size of the objective lens in mm.

When choosing a pair of binoculars you need to consider a few things.
How big do they need to be? The lager the objective lens the more bulky they become but bigger objective lenses allow more light to enter the prisms and produce a brighter image, particularly in dull weather or at dusk. Smaller lenses mean more compact binoculars.
How much magnification do I need? Having more magnification power means they will be more difficult to hold still, especially over 10 x mag, and may need to be mounted on a tripod.

Something like 8x40 is a good size for general wildlife use, and also good for looking at the sky at night. If you want more close up views it may be worth considering a telescope.

Answer 2

High magnification isnt as important as good optics. A mediocre pair of 10x50s may magnify the object 10 times, but you will see less detail than with an excellent pair of 8x40s. My rule of thumb is figure out how much you money you have for them, then spend twice as much! LOL

There is a very good free guide to buying binoculars that you can get from Eagle Optics. Their web page is www.eagleoptics.com. It is concise and clear.

By the way, avoid zoom binoculars like the plague. They have very poor optics. I dont know a single serious birder who would even consider them.

Answer 3

Do you mean the numbers - like 10x40? If you do, the first number is the magnification - 10 times bigger.
The forty in this case is the field of view the bigger the wider the picture.
I would recommend getting a pair of zoom binos for want you want. Then you can start off low (where view is more steady) and increase magnification to suit. These would normally be marked something like 10-50x40 where the 10-50 is the zoom range.