How to Get the Most Out of Your Binoculars

Whether a seasoned hunter or curious birder, knowing how to maximize your binoculars’ potential can transform your experiences from mundane to truly unforgettable. 

With a few simple techniques, you can bring distant objects up close and personal while achieving the clearest images. 

From adjusting the diopter to positioning, here’s how you can tap into the full capabilities of your binoculars.

1. Adjust the Width

Your binoculars come with two barrels connected by a hinge system. This hinge mechanism allows you to adjust the distance between the two objective lenses.

A binocular hanging by a carabiner on your backpack or coat rack can easily jostle and shift. You’ll want to check the distance between the eyepieces before you can start a new viewing session.

Some binoculars allow you to lock in this setting; be sure to do so if your pair has this feature.

2. Invest in a New Strap

You can easily tamper with lens calibration when carrying binoculars in your hands. You’ll, therefore, want to carry your binos with a neck strap. That way, you can hang it around your neck for easier portability.

While most binoculars come with a factory-shipped, we recommend buying a new one. Most factory-made binocular straps are short and brittle. 

When looking for a neck strap for your binoculars, choose one that’s:

• Comfortable with enough padding
• Strong and durable: aspects like stitching and quality materials are crucial here.
• Adjustable for a customized fit
• Aesthetically appealing 

If your binoculars have large lenses and scope, a neck strap won’t get the job done. In such a scenario, you’re better off with a binocular harness instead of a neck strap. A harness will secure your optics and evenly distribute the weight on your shoulders.  

3. Position Your Binoculars Correctly 

If you can’t find the image when you look through the lenses, you need to position your binoculars in front of your eyes.

You’ll NOT achieve the best performance by pressing the lenses against your eye sockets.

Your binocular comes with an adjustable feature around the eyepiece — the eyecup. The eyecup can be a foldable soft rubber or a hard plastic cylinder you can screw up or down.

To position your binoculars properly;

• Fold or screw your eyecups down if you’re wearing glasses.
• Screw or fold your eye cups into a fully extended position if you’re looking through the binocular through the naked eye.
• Then, hold the lenses to your eyes and experiment with various distances, angles, and positions.

There’ll be no black void when you hit the sweet spot, only clear images of what you’re viewing.

4. Learn to Focus Your Binoculars 

Focusing the binoculars is often the most challenging procedure to effective birding or hunting for first-timers.

Depending on the model, your new binocular will have two or three focus knobs —the main knob between the two eyepieces and a diopter on one or both barrels.

While this can seem like a complex setup, it’s necessary because humans have a different vision in both eyes.

The diopter setting enables you to cater to this difference in your eyes and customize your binoculars to suit your vision.

To focus a binocular with one diopter (which is the most common):

• Determine if the diopter is in the right or left eyepiece
• Hold the binoculars to your eye
• Close the eye with the diopter
• Pick a distant spot and focus on it using the main knob
• Once you’ve attained sharp focus, close that eye and open the other
• Adjust the diopter knob until you achieve sharp focus through that lens
• Once you’re satisfied, open both eyes

To focus binoculars with two diopters

• Set both diopters at the midpoint. Most models have some measurement mechanism, either numbers or a plus/minus system
• Shut your right eye while looking through binoculars
• Pick a distance spot
• Adjust the main focus knob until you achieve a sharp image
• Close your left eye and open your right one
• Adjust the diopter until the image is in sharp focus
• Your image should be sharp when you open your eyes

Side Note: Make sure you’re standing still when focusing your binoculars on maintaining a consistent distance away from your focal point.

Also, ensure you adjust the distance from your face as you switch between your eyes. You want to hold your binoculars at its optimal distance from your face. 

5. You’ve Optimized Your Binoculars, Let’s Keep it in Good Condition 

Sturdy binoculars like the Stealth Vision®10×42 are built to hold up to rugged outdoor use.  

But even the sturdiest of binoculars are prone to rough handling. The four hazards that can doom your new pieces are;

• Water 
• Scratches on the lenses
• Sand or dust 
• Collision against hard surfaces                     

Protecting Your Binoculars Against Water 

The Stealth Vision binoculars are water resistant, so you can use them near a lake, stream, or pool without experiencing any problems. 

Still, you should avoid dropping or spilling water into it as this can allow liquid to get inside the barrels, fogging the lenses.  

Fogged binocular lenses are a recipe for disaster, and you’ll have to hire a professional repairer. While using your binoculars in humid environments isn’t advisable, a good pair should be up to the task. 

Still, try to keep your binoculars as dry as possible. Blot any water with soft water immediately to prevent damage. 

Protecting Your Binoculars Against Sand and Water 

Bird watching at the beach can be a thrilling experience, but it can be rough on your binoculars. 

Besides the sand scratching the lenses, it can impair the focus knobs or the prisms inside the barrel. The same effect is true of fine days, so you must take great care when using your binoculars in sandy environments. 

Protecting the Lenses Against Scratches 

Your binocular lenses will inevitably get dirty; you should clean them regularly.

Cleaning the lenses will improve visibility, but on the flip side, it can leave scratches on the eyepiece.

So, buy a soft lens cloth that can remove grit and dirt on the lens without damaging the glass.

Protecting Your Binoculars Against Collison

There’s every likelihood that you’ll drop your binocular at some time. While most binoculars can withstand occasional jolts, hard impact can knock out the alignment, resulting in an unsynchronized focus mechanism or double images.

Whatever you do, be gentle with your binocular. Hang it around your neck or harness when you’re not using it.

What to do When You Notice a Problem?

You can repair most binocular issues for a reasonable price. While a high-end binocular like the Stealth Vision®10×42 comes with a lifetime warranty , it’d be best to schedule a service for your binocular every couple of years. 

Most companies will repair your binocular for a low fee; if not, refer you to a reputable alternative. 

Some common issues include:

• Lack of synchronization in the focus mechanism
• Scratched lenses
• Misaligned prisms and lenses inside the barrel
• Grit on the focus knob or hinge 

Final Thoughts

Owning a pair of binoculars can offer a transformative experience for outdoor enthusiasts.

 You can take your viewing by understanding factors such as focusing your binoculars, maintenance, and positioning.

So, learn how to use and care for your binoculars properly. It is worth your time!