Binoculars - How Much Power Is Too Much

October 15, 2009 by binocular

It’s not entirely unreasonable to assume that you’d want to buy as powerful of binoculars as possible, but you may find that you’re mistaken in going down that road. There is an ideal power for different uses, and to get the most enjoyment out of your pair you’ll want to try to find that sweet spot.

What do we mean by power? When it comes to binoculars, the term power and magnification are used interchangeably. They both refer to how much larger or closer an object will appear through the binoculars than if it were viewed by the naked eye. So if a pair of binoculars have a power of 2, anything you look at through them will seem twice as close as if you were to just look at it with your eyes.

The biggest issue constraining the power of binoculars is the ability of a person to hold them still. As your magnification increases, smaller and smaller movements become visible or even distracting when looking through the lenses. This completely ruins the experience and usefulness of a pair of binoculars. For most people, the practical limit of magnification for hand held use is 10x, although it may be more like 8x or 7x for many people or in non-ideal situations.

You should generally try to pick binoculars that provide the maximum power that is practical for your situation, but not more. If you don’t need 8x magnification, by all means go with something a little lighter. It will be more relaxing and overall easier to use. Going for extra when you won’t need it is just going to create hassle where you don’t need any.