Magnification:
Understanding Binocular Terms

Magnification is the first of the numbers on your binocular or monocular. An 8x42 will magnify eight times, so the subject will appear 8 times bigger, or eight times closer. To put it another way, if the subject is 100 yards away, it will appear to be only 12.5 yards away.

It is often tempting to go for the highest magnification, but this isn’t necessarily a good idea.

Although it will make the subject appear closer, there are disadvantages.

  · The image will generally not be as bright
  · You will have a narrower field of view
  · It is harder to see a stable image because it is harder to hold still

For general-purpose use, and for field, sport and bird watching, 7 or 8 times magnification is ideal. If you want a little more power, then maybe a 10 times magnification would be useful.

If you need to be able to see more detail, then 12 times magnification could be useful.

Anything above 12 times magnification will be extremely difficult to hand hold – even 12 times is fairly difficult. Not only do you need a tripod, but also your subject will need to be still.

If you think there will be occasions you need the extra power, then it might be worth considering a good zoom binocular. For example, a 7-15x50 will allow you to change the magnification from 7 times to 15 times (and everything in between).

Zoom binoculars, however, are not generally as good as fixed magnification binoculars, and will tend to be a lot more expensive,

For most people who just want a general purpose binocular or monocular, the ideal choice would be 7, 8 or 10 times fixed magnification.