Find the binoculars that fit your needs, Differences in brightness, Judging quality – Canon Image Stabilizer Series User Manual

Page 7: Waterproof and all weather, Lead-free optics, The importance of objective lens diameter, The key to field-of-view

Advertising
background image

a 6.5˚ field-of-view appears to have a

65˚ range; qualifying it as a wide angle

instrument. The greater the apparent

angle-of-view, the easier it is for you to

pinpoint and track your subject. The

Canon binocular line offers models with

apparent angles-of-view that range from

45˚ to 67˚.

Differences in brightness

The brightness of an image is associated

with the amount of incidental light that

is reflected by the lens. Uncoated lenses

can reflect away as much as 8% of

incoming light per lens element —

resulting in a dim image. For this reason

Canon employs Super Spectra Multi

Coating to enhance brightness.

Since many things contribute to the

brightness of an image, be sure to

consider the following factors as you

compare binoculars:

Exit pupil diameter

The size of the image that emerges at

the binocular’s eyepiece impacts image

brightness. In dimly lit settings, a large

exit pupil, for example 4.2mm found on

the 10x42L IS WP, delivers brighter

results. For daytime viewing, binoculars

with exit pupil sizes between 2.5 and

3mm are often sufficient.

Objective element diameter

This refers to the front lens element

measured in mm. All things being equal,

the larger the lens in front of the

binocular, the more light it can take in

and the brighter the viewing image will

be. The 18x50 IS AW and 15x50 IS AW

have the largest objective lenses in

Canon’s binocular lineup.

Twilight coefficient

One difficulty with using traditional

numerical ratings to determine a

binocular’s suitability for low-light

viewing is that higher magnification

binoculars, even those with smaller exit

pupil size or “relative brightness” ratings,

can often reveal better detail in low light

because of their higher magnification.

Twilight Coefficient or Twilight Factor

accounts for the magnifying power of a

pair of binoculars, and can be a useful

rating—especially if viewing at dawn or

dusk, or deep shade viewing conditions.

Judging quality

When evaluating binoculars brands and

models, here are few things to look for:

Alignment

If the parallel tubes of the binocular are

out of alignment due to a manufacturing

defect or accident, you’ll see two similar

but separate images. There is no way to

repair this problem and it renders the

binocular virtually useless.

Color

Focus the binocular on a white object.

Check two things: first, that the white

object appears a faithful white tone

Canon’s Super Spectra Multi Coating

Narrow field- of-view

a. Real field-of-view: 6.5˚

b. Apparent
angle-of-view: 65˚

c. Field-of-view at
1,000 yards: 340.6 feet

Looking through a 10x42L IS WP binoculars
at a subject 1,000 yards away

Wide field- of-view

13

Find the binoculars that fit your needs.

Waterproof and all weather

Several models in the Canon binocular

line are waterproof or water-resistant.

Designed to be used outdoors and on the

water, these models are built to withstand

a broad range of conditions including

rain, humidity and more. The new Canon

10x42L IS WP offers Canon’s highest

standard of waterproof performance—it

can be completely submerged.

Lead-free optics

Canon uses environmentally friendly

lead-free glass in its optical systems.

This creates the high-quality

performance you demand from your

binocular while protecting the

environment from unnecessary harm.

The importance of objective
lens diameter

Binoculars are described by the power

of their magnification (18x, 15x, 12x,

etc.) combined with the diameter of their

objective lenses (50mm, 42mm, 36mm,

etc.) The greater the magnification power,

the larger your viewing subject will appear

in the objective lens as you look through

the binoculars.

For instance, if you use the 10x42L IS WP

to track a subject 100 yards away, it

appears to be the same size as a subject

located just 10 yards away seen without

binoculars. All things being equal, the

larger the diameter of the objective lens,

the more light it can admit for brighter,

more detailed images. So binoculars like

the 10x42L IS WP, 18x50 IS AW and

15x50 IS AW produce particularly bright,

clear images.

The key to Field-of-View

The field-of-view is the area you see when

you look through the binocular. The higher

the magnification power, the narrower the

field-of-view. The apparent angle-of-view

is the product of the magnification times

the real field-of-view. So in the case of the

10x42L IS WP, the 10x magnification with

100 yards away
with the naked
eye.

10 yards away with
the naked eye.

With a 10x magnification binocular,
the hot air balloon 100 yards away
will seem as if it were 10 yards away.

When bright....

When dark....

Viewer’s pupil

diameter is 3.0mm.

Pupil dilates

as wide as 7.0mm.

Advertising