Binoculars Explained : Field of View

When looking through a binocular, the widest dimension of circular viewing area that you can see is described as the field of view. This is usually measured either in terms of linear metres at a 1000m range. As a general rule, the field of view will decrease as the magnification increases so a 12 power binocular will usually have a smaller field of view than a 7 power. Field of view, however, is also determined by optical design of the ocular lens (eyepiece) and rarely a sole function of the size of the objective lens.

For observing at close quarters in deep woods, scanning the sky for birds or for picking up fast moving objects such as rabbits, a wide field of view is desirable.

Wide-field binoculars, however, tend to be heavier and bulkier than binoculars with standard fields. Also, if you have too large a field (over 150m for instance) the object you want to observe may become lost amid the confusion of its surroundings.

Another problem is that people who need to wear eyeglasses when viewing will usually have difficulty seeing the complete field with wide-angle optics. Wide field binoculars are generally the most popular for nature observation but you should consider all these factors in your evaluation of this feature.