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Jackson has brought a highly magnified binocular for birding. He can see long-distance birds, or any objects clearly but it’s quite difficult to track fast-moving birds or animals. Also, he has to struggle to see a large area to adjust his focus every time. He felt so upset because he did not do a lot of research before buying binoculars. That’s why he only considered the magnification power. The term field of view is skipped simply. And that’s the reason for these types of inconveniences. Considering the field of view during choosing a binocular for any type of outdoor activity is a must. But what should be a binocular field of view? Keep reading, you will get a clear idea about it hopefully.
What is the field of view in binoculars?
The field of view of a binocular defines the total area you can see at a time while looking through it. It is classified into 2 categories: Linear field of view and angular field of view.
Linear field of view
The Linear field of view of binoculars is the width of an area that you can see at once. It is usually determined in feet per 1000 yards. For instance, your selected binoculars have a 330ft/1000 yards field of view. When you are looking through it to a tree 1000 yards away, you can see 330 feet in width as well as 330 ft of its height.
Angular field of view
The angular field of view of binoculars is simply related to the angle your eyes are creating with the targeted objects. It’s the real angle of distant objects that is determined by degrees. The angular field of view is calculated by the linear field of view and vice versa. The general rule is simple: there is a constant number of 52.5 to calculate these values. If you have a 330ft/1000 yards bino pair, the angular field will be 330/52.5 = 6.23 degrees. Similarly, you can calculate the linear field of view by multiplying the value of the angular field of view by 52.5.
How important is a field of view in binoculars?
The field of view is one of the most vital considerations while choosing a bino pair. It’s the game changer in scanning your surroundings. Without a sufficient field of view, you cannot see your targeted areas. You can’t get the true angle of distant objects. That means you can see a portion of the long-distance objects, not the entire view. And sometimes you can’t figure out the frequent moving birds, and animals if the field of view is too narrow. Whatever the magnification, objective lens, eye relief, eye pupil, the body material, a perfect field of view is a must. Not only for observing, but you also need the right field of view to make precise shots too.
Field of view and magnification
Moving to Jackson’s problems, he picked highly magnified binoculars. That’s why he has to suffer from this area coverage problem. The relationship between the field of view and magnification is reversed. If the magnification power increases, the field of view will decrease and vice versa. You can understand these facts more easily when you use zoom binoculars. With zoom-in, you will see narrow areas where you can observe the full view when you zoom out the lens gradually.
If you want a pair for birding, hiking, or spying, you should choose moderate magnified e.g. 7x, 8x, or 10x binoculars. As a result, you can observe a wide area at a time along with fast and frequently moving objects. On the other hand, for long-range shooting, and elk hunting, you must go for highly magnified binoculars. Because you need to see distant objects and make every shot accurately. Where a large field of view is not that much necessary.
Recommended field of view
Usually, 300ft-370ft/1000 yards linear and 6 to 7.5 degrees angular field of view is recommended for regular outdoor activities. If you want to be more specific, I would suggest 330ft/100 yards for birding. For target shooting, nearly 200ft/1000 yards is also considerable. For sporting events, you can go for around 270ft/1000 yards in the medium size stadium. And, For large fields, you should choose more than 350ft of the field of view. While choosing binoculars, make sure the angular view is not less than 6 degrees.
Otherwise, you can’t see the true angle of your target. Again, for wildlife viewing, you can pick 370 ft+ fields of view binoculars. Otherwise, you can’t cover the whole area. You need to change your position and have to struggle with the focusing system every time. And, that will be a real hassle!! Along with the other features, make sure you have full concentration on the field of view while choosing binoculars.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a field of view at 1000 yards mean?
The Linear field of view of binoculars is mainly measured as ft/1000yards. For instance, if a binocular has a 350ft/1000 yards field of view, that means you can see 350 feet of height and width of your targeted objects from 1000 yards away.
How good is the large field of view?
A large field of view is good though it depends on which purposes you will use binoculars. If you use binoculars for outdoor activities like birding, hiking, and long-range object observation, then a wide field of view will be good for you. Professionals need to pick based on their activities whether it demands wide or narrow!
What affects the field of view of binoculars?
Magnification power affects both types of fields of view of binoculars. However, it is also affected by the design structure as well as the diameter of the objective lens.
Final Words
what should be a binocular field of view? It depends on the purpose. The narrower field of view does not work where a wide field of view is required and vice versa. Before making a purchase decision, you must consider the field of view of the binoculars. Otherwise, whatever the other specifications are or price range, it can’t be used in your activities properly.
