Whether you're scanning the horizon from a cruise ship, going on a big-game photo shoot in Africa, backpacking in a state park or birding from your back deck, binoculars are standard equipment.
Depending on quality, they range in price from about $50 to more than $900. But, says Mark Abrams of Clairmont-Nichols Optics in New York, "only 15 percent of people who come in for binoculars know what type of glasses they should buy to fit their needs."Before buying, says Bob Meichsner of Swarovski Optik, you should decide their primary use and bone up on binocular-talk. Know especially the meaning of the two numbers the dealer will refer to, i.e., 7x42. The first number is the magnification, the "x" is shorthand for "power" and the second number is the objective lens diameter.
So 7x means the binoculars will make objects look seven times bigger than they really are. The 42 is the diameter in millimeters of each of the front lenses, called objective lenses. The wider the objective lens, the more light and thus a better image.
A good general-purpose pair of binoculars can be selected from 7x42, 7x50 or 8x30 models.
For more information, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to "How to Select Binoculars," Swarovski Optik, 1 Kenney Drive, Cranston RI 02920.