Binoculars are a necessary tool in the field when hunting a variety of prey. While they can bring clarity and vision to your hunt, finding the right set of hunting binoculars can be just as challenging as tracking your quarry in the woods and fields. There are plenty of deals on discount hunting binoculars, but you want to make sure that you aren’t sacrificing quality for a lower price point. Fortunately, there’s no reason you can’t have the best of both worlds. With a little research, you can find the best deals on binoculars.

However, selecting the right binoculars for your next hunt is more complex than simply finding cheap binoculars for sale. You want to make sure that the capabilities of your discount binoculars match the needs of the conditions in which they’ll be used. While the terminology and technical specs relating to optics may be somewhat confusing the layman, you can wade through the lingo to find the optics you need by knowing a few basic binocular details. Keep reading to learn some of the critical concepts you should understand when shopping for new hunting binoculars.

Types of Prisms

The prisms in a pair of binoculars represent key components of the optical device that allow the presentation of magnified images in their proper natural orientation. Prisms are simply finely crafted pieces of glass that feature special coatings to allow high levels of light transmission. Without prisms, the images in binoculars would appear upside down, but prisms correct the image to its proper orientation. There are two types of prisms commonly used in binoculars. Porro prisms are often found in less expensive binoculars and they feature offset prisms that make the binoculars bulkier. However, Porro prisms offer excellent range and field of view. Roof prisms are arranged in a straight line so that the light that passes through them does so directly. Because of the straight-line orientation, roof prism binoculars are more streamlined, but they don’t boast the field of view or depth of field demonstrated by Porro prism binoculars.

Objective and Magnification

Two primary considerations when selecting binoculars are the objective lens diameter and the level of magnification they will offer. You may have seen numbers associated with binoculars such as 10x50 or 8x42. These numbers represent the magnification one can expect as well as the width of the objective lens, or the front lens, in millimeters. Therefore, in a 10x50 binocular, the image presented by the optic will appear 10 times larger than it is to the naked eye. That is magnification. The 50 is the width of the objective lens. The larger the objective lens, the more light can be gathered by the optic and the clearer and crisper the images will appear. However, larger objective lenses also translate to bulkier binoculars with increased weight and size.

Prism Materials

While the prisms in binoculars are made of glass, the type of glass used in optics can vary widely and dramatically impact the quality of image their produce. BK7 glass is the most common type of glass used in binoculars. It’s made to provide excellent clarity and light transmission qualities and is considered optical-grade glass. The best binoculars will feature BAK4 glass, also known as Barium Crown Glass. Its superior optical qualities mean that it can transmit light better without interference from imperfections such as minute bubbles in the glass. Another uncommon type of material sometimes seen in binocular prisms is SK15. This glass has a higher refractive index than BAK4 and BK7 glass. Refractive index is a term used to describe the velocity at which light can pass through a material. Its dispersion, or the separation of light wavelengths as they pass through a substance, is between BAK4 and BK7. That means that images derived from SK15 glass offer great contrast and sharp detail.

When shopping for quality hunting binoculars on a budget, make sure you understand these few key elements that determine the optical capabilities and cost of various models. By understanding how prism arrangement, prism materials, and magnification impact image clarity and price, you can select a binocular that matches your needs and price point. To shop for affordable high-quality binoculars, visit our store!