is a binocular’s power magnification number the same as a camera’s zoom power?
May 25, 2010 by
Filed under Zoom Binoculars
i want to buy a consumer binocular and their magnification power all varies between 6 to 12. IE: 10×50
1. Is this the same as say a 10x optical zoom digital camera?
2. does a binocular 10×50 means the zoom is fixed at 10x? while a camera, the zoom is flexible, from 1x to 10x, im I right?
3.so basically if i have a 10x zoom camera, i dont really need a binocular… im not going to hunting just for scene sighting.. thanks
will this site help you http://www.bigbinoculars.com/nozooms.htm
No. Totally different numbers.
The 10x number you see on a camera specification is the zoom range. It is the largest focal length divided by the smallest focal length in the zoom range. This almost-useless number doesn’t tell you what the focal lengths (equivalent to 35mm camera or actual). Since this “10x” specification is only used on point and shoot cameras, you will be looking at a LCD screen which is no substitute for an optical viewfinder due to contrast and resolution limitations. Thus, this sort of camera is not a substitute for binoculars, especially 10×50 binos. On a DSLR camera, you can use your telephoto lens as binoculars, but it just isn’t the same as a good set of binoculars.
Binocular specs tell you the magnification and objective size. 50 mm is a healthy objective size which will give you a very nice bright image and usable in low light situations. You can find zoom binoculars, but most are fixed focal length which makes them cheaper and higher optical quality. You may be happier with a 42 mm objective since they are more common for hunting and can be found weatherproofed. Nikon has a wonderful 8×42 and 10×42 pair of binos for a reasonable price.
http://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/lineup/binoculars/highgrade/x42/index.htm
You may be happier with pocket sized binos like 8×21. The 42 or 50 mm objective sizes are pretty big to lug around just for casual use. Get a good pair. Optics quality vary widely.