How do you enjoy the Theater? How well do you appreciate the Opera? If you are going to the Opera or Theater House without a pair of Opera Glasses (often referred to as Theater Binoculars), you aren’t enjoying it as much as you should. You may ask “What could I possibly be missing?” Well I was able to answer that question for myself a few years back.

I was attending a play put on by a local company with a close friend named Julie. Julie had been given a pair of Opera Glasses the week previous as a gift, and we had agreed to break them in together. Neither of us had ever used Opera Glasses or Theater Binoculars before nor did we think it would be of much impact on our lives. We took our seats about twenty rows or so back in the theater the play soon started. About fifteen minutes into the play I noticed that Julie would never take her Opera Glasses away from her face for more than a few seconds at a time. My curiosity began to grow, as the play went on, Julie remained glued to those Theater Binoculars. Just before the intermission my curiosity got the best of me and I asked if I could take a quick peek through her Opera Glasses, she reluctantly handed them to me.

I peered through the lens and it was like I had entered a new world! I knew instantly why Julie had been so reluctant to let me use them. I could see each and every expression in the faces of all the actors; I could see with great detail the intricate designs of the various costumes as well as stage props. But more importantly I did not lose the sight of the wide stage, because Opera Glasses and Theater Binoculars are designed to have a broad field of vision, enabling me to see the stage as a whole, but at the same time offering me fine details with crystal clarity. Julie allowed me to use her Opera Glasses till the intermission. Sadly though, she had become so attached to her Opera Glasses by then that she used her Opera Glasses for the rest of the performance. I was left suffering through the play without.

The following week we attended another play together. I was able to show of my new pair of Opera Glasses to Julie. Fortunately for her she had brought hers, so neither of us was left wanting. Since then I have not attended a single play or performance without a pair of Opera Glasses or Theater Binoculars and I don’t intend to. Be wise to my advice; buy yourself a pair of high quality Opera Glasses or Theater Binoculars today! Click on the link below to start enjoying shows like you have never before!

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Thanks to Davin Perkins for contributing this article to our Binoculars blog:

Night Vision Binoculars

Binoculars are an excellent tool to help bring the action up close and personal, whether observing birds in a nature preserve, football players in a stadium, or your favorite rock star at a concert. Yet different uses require different types of binoculars. With hundreds of different models to choose from, it can be difficult to figure out the best pair to buy. Yet with the understanding of a few basic concepts, choosing a pair of binoculars can be made much easier. Let's take a look at some of the most important concepts when choosing a pair of binoculars.

Magnification - Magnification is the first number in a pair of binoculars. So when you see a pair of binoculars labeled as a 10×50, the magnification is 10x, or 10 times. That means that the binoculars will make the object appear 10 times closer.

So is more magnification always better? Not necessarily. When you increase the magnification, the object will appear closer, but the image will shake more due to the magnification and the field of view will get smaller. Most binoculars are between 7x and 10x. As a general rule, if you are going to be closer to the subject, choose a lower magnification. If you are further away, choose a higher magnification. So if you have excellent tickets to your favorite football team, go for something in the 7x range. If you are a bit higher and further back, then choose a higher power around the 10x range.

Aperture - Aperture is simply the size in diameter of the front objective (in millimeters). The front objective is the lens (usually glass) in the front of the binoculars. If you look at our example of the 10×50 binoculars, the aperture is the number 50. So the 10×50 binoculars have a magnification of 10x and an aperture of 50mm. The bigger the aperture, the more light the binoculars will gather and the brighter the image will be. Also, a larger aperture will provide greater resolving capabilities providing greater detail. However, a larger aperture will also make the binoculars larger, heavier and more expensive.

So what is the best size to choose? Think about where and when you will be using the binoculars. If you are using the binoculars in a low light situation, such as at nighttime or in a darkened theatre, then go for a larger aperture in the 35mm to 50mm range. If you will be in daylight, then you can do fine with something in the 20mm to 35mm range.

Also make sure to think about portability. If the binoculars have to go into a purse, pocket or other small area, then go with a smaller aperture in the 20mm to 30mm range. If portability is less of a factor, then a full size pair in the 35mm to 50mm range will provide a brighter, higher resolution image.

There are a number of additional concepts and specifications for binoculars, but magnification and aperture are the two most important. Understanding these two factors can make choosing a pair of binoculars much easier. So whether you are looking for binoculars for hunting, sports, birding, boating or any other use, you are now that much closer to finding the right pair of binoculars.



Thanks to Benjamin Hauck for contributing this article to our Binoculars blog:

Have you claimed your Genesis site?

When viewing distant objects through the use of a telescope, the most important part of that telescope is called the objective. The objective is that component of the telescope that has the ability of gathering the light that is available. Obviously, the larger the objective the greater is the capacity of the telescope to gather light which in turn allows the viewed image to be better visualized.

In addition, there are two types of telescopes. One type of telescope is called the refractor telescope and the other is known as the reflecting telescope. The difference between these two telescopes is how the light is captured.

Refracting and Reflecting Telescope

The refracting telescope obtains the light through its objective that is made out of glass. Basically, in this type of telescope, the glass lens is situated towards the front of the telescope. As the light is captured by the objective, it is then refracted or deflected through a lens which allows for the viewed image to be magnified. Examples of this type of telescopic equipment include scopes that are used on rifles, binoculars and spyglasses.

A reflecting telescope uses a mirror as its objective. This mirror is located towards the distal end of the telescope. In addition, the mirror has a concave shape. The curvature of the mirror allows for the midpoint of the mirror to be the focal point for all of the light that strikes each part of the surface of the bowl-like mirror. This reflection is then captured by the lens to view the item of interest.

Advantages Of The Reflecting Telescope

There are several advantages to the use of a reflecting telescope. The major advantage is that distortion of what is being viewed is minimal. This is because, through the use of the mirror, the wavelengths are all reflected consistently. This advantage also leads to the reflecting telescope being less expensive than the refracting telescope.

In addition, through the use of the mirror as the objective, the support for this mirror can be all along the posterior portion of the telescope. This allows for the housing to be very large which will accommodate a larger mirror. Larger mirrors mean more light which results in increased visibility.

Disadvantages

However, as with anything else, there are a few disadvantages in the use of a reflecting telescope. One of those disadvantages is size. This is due to the fact that these types of telescopes can accommodate larger mirrors. This results in the telescope itself being larger which may prove to be an issue when storing or relocating the reflecting telescope.

In addition, because of the use of mirrors, there may need to be occasional adjustments made so that optimum light alignment is maintained.



Thanks to Ann Marier for contributing this article to our Binoculars blog:

Astronomical Binoculars

Before answering the question 'what are the best binoculars (UK)' I need to make it very clear that a good pair of binoculars is something you can and should get really passionate about. The best binoculars bring distant images to life with amazing resolution and clarity making you feel as if you are part of a completely new and exciting world.

Imagine being able to see every little detail of what you are viewing with absolutely perfect contrast and clarity no matter where you are and what you are doing. If you experience such perfection you will become passionate and you'll wonder how you ever lived without the very best binoculars. UK binoculars do vary from what is available in the US and the two environments are completely different so the best binoculars in the US may not be available in the UK or may not perform so well under the different environmental conditions.

You also have to consider that people's opinions vary, sometimes quite dramatically, so what each person considers too be the best binoculars (UK) is probably not the same. Also, you need to be clear as to what you want to use the binoculars for, the best binoculars for astronomy won't necessarily be much good for bird watching and the best sport binoculars won't necessarily be very good as marine binoculars.

One thing that you need to look for in any binoculars is the quality of the lenses and prisms. The best binoculars come with fully multi-coated lenses and top quality Bak-4 prisms. Given the generally damp environment, the best binoculars for the UK, if you want to use them regularly outdoors, should be waterproof and fog-free to ensure a perfect viewing experience.

If you are looking for best marine binoculars in the UK then take a look at the Steiner Commander XP binoculars, they are amazingly high spec, waterproof to 10mtrs, nitrogen sealed with Steiner Nano-Protection (weather proof protection against the environment), high performance HD XP optics, long life rubber armouring and interchangeable eyecup system, truly professional marine binoculars which delivery an amazing performance in low light conditions and come with a 30 year guarantee.

If you are looking for the best binoculars (UK) with image stabilizing then look no further than the Canon IS Binoculars. I know I don't stand alone when I say that once you own the Canon 10×42L IS binoculars you'll wonder how you survived without them. Users absolutely rave about them. The lenses are just fantastic, they are the first binoculars to carry the red L-series ring only previously found on Canon professional camera lenses. These binoculars must come high up the list for the best binoculars in the UK, fully waterproof, unrivalled IS capabilities (in any moving environment), superb lens quality, close focus distance of just 2.5mtrs and long eye relief. The one main downside is perhaps weight (1030g) but to get the IS technology there always has to be a compromise regarding the weight.

Bushnell make great binoculars so in your search for the best binoculars for you take a look at the Bushnell Elite. Premium Bak-4 phase coated prisms, fully multi-coated lenses, waterproof, nitrogen sealed, rainguard lens coating and long eye relief. The new XTR technology utilises no less than 60 layers of coatings on each prism to deliver a combined 90% light transmission.

There are some great little compact binoculars to, one of my favourites is the Olympus RC I compact binoculars. Only 195g in weight, credit card size when folded, really stylish, high index Bak-4 prisms and multi-coated lenses.

When buying binoculars it all comes down to what you want to use them for and how much you are prepared to pay. Price doesn't always denote quality and binoculars that are the best for one activity aren't necessarily the best for another. Don't however make the mistake of paying too little, finding they are useless and casting them aside. The best quality lenses do cost! No one can say what are the absolute best binoculars (UK) unless they know what the binoculars are to be used for and even then, as I said, its still a matter of opinion. Just watch out for the lens coatings and the quality of the prisms, make sure the weight suits you, don't go for too high a magnification if the binoculars are to be hand held (unless you buy IS binoculars), for outdoors, in the UK, waterproof is usually best, if you are new to binoculars and looking to observe fast moving objects then go for binoculars with a wider field of view and if you wear glasses you want an eye relief of 15mm plus. Happy hunting for the best binoculars in the UK.



Thanks to Terry Ross for contributing this article to our Binoculars blog:

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Can you answer hello's question about Binoculars?:

i learned from the web that's the best kind of pair to use in stargazing for amateurs. where can i buy them?and can you tell me the price range?(i don't have much money, and i don't have an idea how much it costs here in the country.if there's a place where they sell second-hand ones, that's great).thanks a lot to those who'll help…^_^

Astronomical Binoculars