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Binocular Types | Making the Right Binocular Choice | Binocular Terminology
Tips on Choosing A Spotting Scope | Riflescope Terminology
Making the Right Choice With Bausch & Lomb® Riflescopes
Telescope Terminology

Binocular Types

7x35 - "The Standard" Excellent all-around binocular for travel, hunting and sports. Ideal for a wide range of viewing. Comfortable size and weight. Great binoculars for a closer look at those unexpected sights. Optimum balance of magnification, brightness and field of view. Available in wide angle and with Bushnell's patented InstaFocus® focusing system.

7x50 - For Low Light Viewing See more when the sun grows dim. Brighter viewing for night surveillance, overcast skies and marine/off-shore use. Up to 43% more light gathering power than a standard binocular. Wide selection of sizes and configurations to satisfy most users.

10x50 - More Power Get ten times closer. Delivers the greatest magnification practical for hand held viewing. High light gathering (objective) lenses deliver needed brightness. Here's your chance to see long distance detail with a crisp, clear view.

Zoom Binocular - Distant View, Near View Get the best of both worlds. Locate the action at a distance, then zoom in for closer inspection at the touch of a lever. Variable magnification lets you glide from the far turn to the homestretch.

Astronomical Binoculars - Power and Brightness Approach the power of a telescope with the comfort only delivered by a binocular. These binoculars are excellent for astronomy, surveillance, and nature study where close-up detail and long distance viewing are needed even under poor light conditions.

Roof Prism Binoculars - Reduced Weight, Compact Size The latest practical design. Eliminates the mass of the standard binocular with minimal loss of brightness and clarity. Roof "H" shape is easy to hold, easy to keep steady. Functional and stylish at any event.

Compact Binoculars - Small Size, High Power Small enough to slip into pocket or purse; strong enough to carry you into the center of the action. Rugged outdoor models. Fashionable and compact, improved design and manufacturing techniques pack high magnification into convenient, low profiles.

Camo/Armored Binoculars - For the Serious Outdoorsman Binoculars as tough and powerful as those who carry them. Camouflaged to avoid detection. Rubber clad to reduce noise and withstand abuse. Weights vary from less than 8 ounces to more than 50. Strong and durable. Standard issue for your next field adventure.

Marine Binoculars - Waterproof, Fogproof Protection These binoculars deliver clarity despite foul weather conditions including fog, rain, ice, and salt water. Standard equipment for serious sailors, avid hunters, and active sportsmen. O-Ring sealed and nitrogen purged for reliable fogproof, waterproof performance.

Binocular Terminology

Optical performance relies on the successful balance of a number of factors. When each factor is optimized, the result is an instrument with outstanding visual performance.

Prism Systems Binoculars have left and right side barrels linked to each other by an axle. The two most frequently used prism systems are porro and roof.

Porro Prism binoculars are characterized by the eyepieces being offset from the objective lenses.

Roof Prism binoculars feature lenses positioned in line for a more compact design.

Magnification Magnification is simply the degree to which the object is enlarged. With a 7x35 binocular, for example, the object appears to be seven times closer than without the aid of a binocular. The number immediately following the "x" is the diameter in millimeters of the objective (front) lens. A 10x50 binocular, therefore, has a 10 times magnification with a 50mm objective lens.

Exit Pupil The exit pupil refers to the size of the shaft of light transmitted to the eye. The more light, the better the contrast. You can actually see the exit pupil by holding the eyepiece of the binocular approximately 12 inches from your eye. It is the bright circle of light in the center of the eyepiece. Exit pupil is expressed in millimeters and is normally derived by dividing the power into the objective lens diameter. A 7x35 binocular has an exit pupil of 5mm (35 ÷ 7). A 15 power telescope with a 60mm objective lens diameter has an exit pupil of 4mm.

Coated Optics All Bushnell optical glass surfaces are coated by magnesium fluoride to reduce light loss and glare due to reflection. All Bausch & Lomb binoculars are fully multi-coated to further enhance viewing and reduce eye strain. InstaVision binoculars have a special image enhancing, amber, high contrast coating.

PC-3 phase coating system - Dramatically improves resolution and contrast by correcting the light phase-shift interference in roof prism binoculars. Available on Bausch & Lomb® Elite® roof prism models.

Rubber Eyecups The eyecups on all Bausch & Lomb and Bushnell binoculars are soft rubber for your comfort and protection. Most models allow the eyecup to be folded, pushed or twisted down, permitting eyeglass wearers to enjoy an improved field of view.

Field of View The field of view is the width, measured in degrees or feet, of the viewing area you would see at 1,000 yards.

Focus Systems Insta-Focus® - A touch of the fingertip is all it takes to hold your subject in sharp focus. This special focusing mechanism was developed and patented by Bushnell to let you follow the action and switch to another subject instantly.

Center Focus- One knob moves both lenses for fine focusing precision.

Individual Focus- This system is unique to the Bushnell standard sized marine binocular line. Well suited for people with large vision differences between left and right eyes.

Focus Free- Requires no focusing, the binoculars range is pre-set from 40 feet or 90 feet to infinity with your eyes doing the actual focusing.

The spotting scope you choose greatly affects how it will work for you under certain conditions. For example, the person who only wants to use his or her spotting scope at the rifle range can often drive up to the bench and conveniently layout supplies including a large objective porro prism spotting scope. The target shooter could easily use a 77MM porro prism scope on a full-length tripod and not worry about compact design or lightweight since their automobile is a few yards away. On the other hand, a person who is planning an elk hunt in Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness is probably very concerned with weight and the ability to fit the scope into a pack. Typically roof prism spotting scopes offer the hunter or backpacker a more compact and lightweight design to pack and carry long distances. While some porro prism spotting scopes are quite compact, such as Bausch & Lomb's Premier® HDR, others can offer larger fields of view and resolution, but they may not be practical to pack into the woods. Other features for the hunter to consider are rubber armoring to protect the scope from blunt force. A waterproof spotting scope offers piece of mind to the hunter working in rain and snow.

Magnification
The magnification feature of a spotting scope allows the user to view an object much closer than it would otherwise be using only the human eye. The magnification power is a function of both the scope's optical system and the eyepiece being used. Spotting scopes such as Bushnell's Spacemaster® series and Bausch & Lomb's Premier® HDR series offer the user a choice of zoom eyepieces such as a 15-45x variable eyepiece or high power fixed eyepieces such as 60x. Most hunters prefer the versatility of a zoom (variable) eyepiece for use at varying distances. Sometimes the higher magnification offered in a zoom eyepiece can make the difference between positively identifying a trophy animal and not knowing for sure whether this is the Boone and Crockett animal you've been tracking.

Objective Lens Diameter
The objective lens of a spotting scope serves to gather incoming light. A 60mm objective lens will gather more light than a 50mm lens. When more light is transmitted to your eye, you will view a brighter and clearer image. Resolution (ability to see detail) is also a function of the objective lens diameter.

Eye Relief
Eye relief is the minimum distance between the spotting scope eyepiece and your eye that still allows you to see the entire field of view. Hunters and shooters who do not wear eyeglasses can use most spotting scopes and eyepieces without any trouble. People who do not wear eyeglasses are more concerned with eye relief. When a person wears glasses while looking through a standard spotting scope eyepiece their glasses may touch the eyepiece. Bushnell offers two eyepiece enhancements for those users wearing eyeglasses. Most Bushnell® and Bausch & Lomb® spotting scope eyepieces offer the ability to roll down the rubber eyecup thus increasing the distance between your glasses and the eyepiece without impairing the view. If even more eye relief is required specially designed long eye relief zoom eyepieces are available. The need for eye relief is an individual specific need. Sometimes eyeglass wearers are more comfortable looking through a spotting scope without their glasses on.

Optical Lens Coatings
Lens coatings play an important role in getting the light gathered at the objective end of the scope transmitted through the ocular end to your eye. The lens coatings are partially responsible for delivering a brighter and higher contrast image. All Bausch and Lomb® spotting scopes offer multi-coated lenses for superior images. Bushnell® spotting scopes feature fully coated lenses.

This is not a comprehensive list of all the factors to consider when choosing a spotting scope but it will hopefully shed some light on some of the more critical factors to consider.

Eye Relief - The distance behind the eyeguard at which you can see a full-sight picture. Bausch & Lomb and Bushnell riflescopes give you an extra margin of comfort and safety with extended eye relief and soft neoprene eyepiece guards.

Field of View - The width of the sight picture at 100 yards. A wider field of view makes it easier to spot game and track moving targets.

Image Sharpness and Brightness - Our distortion-free optics give you a bright, super-sharp sight picture.

Magnification - Also called power and indicated by the symbol "x". A 4x riflescope makes the target appear four times closer than when seen with the unaided eye. Choose high power for varmint shooting, medium power for big game at moderate ranges, and low power for precise, close range shooting at fast targets.

Parallax - A condition that occurs when the image of the target is not focused precisely on the reticle plane. Parallax is visible as an apparent movement between the reticle and the target when the shooter moves his head or, in extreme cases, an out-of-focus image. Our centerfire riflescopes under 11 power are factory-set parallax free at 100 yards: rimfire scopes at 50 yards. Scopes of 11x or more have a special range focus to adjust for parallax.

Exit Pupil - The diameter of the shaft of light exiting the scope toward the eye. It is used to rate the brightness of a riflescope's sight picture. For example, a 4x scope with a 40mm objective lens (the front lens) has an exit pupil of 10mm, a very good rating. The larger the exit pupil, the easier it is to keep the eye aligned with the sight picture, and the better the scope will be in low light.

Rugged Body Construction - Bausch & Lomb uses a high-durability aluminum alloy formed into a one-piece tube. Each riflescope is rustproof, virtually scratch-proof and a beautiful complement to your most expensive rifles.

Sealed, Waterproof and Fogproof All 1" diameter Bausch & Lomb riflescopes are not only nitrogen purged to remove any vestige of internal moisture, they are O-ring sealed to prevent the entry of external dust or moisture. Your riflescope remains crystal clear in all types of weather.

Multi-X® Reticle - A Bausch & Lomb riflescope feature that gives you a clearly visible aiming point. Even when hard-to-see game blends into the background or the light is poor. The fine-line crosshair center section covers a minimum of the target. The heavier outside section leads your eye directly to the center intersection. The result is fast precision aiming.

Coated Optics  - All Bausch & Lomb riflescopes are multi-coated to further enhance viewing and reduce eye strain. All Trophy riflescopes have a special image enhancing amber, high contrast coating.

Making the Right Choice With Bausch & Lomb® Riflescopes

Intended Use

Recommended Models

All purpose big game hunting (deer, elk, antelope)

Shotguns (deer and turkeys)

Varmint Hunting (prairie dog, coyotes)

Extreme Low Light Hunting

Muzzleloader

Handguns

Airguns

Small game (squirrels, rabbits, etc.)

Shotguns (wing shooting)

Bench Rest

Optical Formulas - Telescopes are described by a numerical representation such as 450x60mm. The first number is the maximum magnification (an object will appear 450 times closer than viewed with the naked eye) and the second number is the diameter of the objective lens (the closest to the object being viewed).

Penta Mirror Technology - Unlike conventional telescopes, this patented technology breakthrough allows for left to right correct views of the stars--not reversed. No more guessing which way to move the telescope. This feature provides unparalleled ease of use for finding and tracking objects with a convenient 90 degree viewing angle and 1.25" eyepiece adapter.

Zoom Eyepiece Assembly - Astro-nomical and terrestrial viewers can zoom from 50x to 150x with no refocusing of the telescope. This feature allows for convenient magnification changes bringing the wonders of the night sky up close and personal with a twist of the power change ring.

Astronomical - Astronomical telescopes are designed specifically for observing heavenly bodies: stars, planets, moons, comets, etc. They are fitted with special features to stabilize the telescope and track the movement of stars and planets across the sky. They are very high
powered, with magnifications of 40x to 600x depending on the model.

Finderscope - On most astronomical telescopes a lower powered finderscope with a wider field of view lets the user quickly locate the object to be viewed by the high magnification main telescope.

Barlow Lens - An auxiliary lens that increases the power by a factor. For
example a 2x barlow would double the magnification of the telescope.

Eyepieces - In astronomical telescopes, interchangeable eyepieces are used to vary the magnification of the telescope.

Erecting Lenses - Lens used when viewing land based objects that correct the normally upside down and reversed image provided by an astronomical telescope.

Rotary Power® Turret - This patented feature allows for magnification and accessory changes to occur through a simple twist of the turret or accessory dial. Accessories are incorporated into the telescope so there are no loose parts, and magnification and accessory changes can be made instantaneously to suit viewing conditions.

Easy Track® - Allows for quicker and easier set-up and storage as well as reduces image shake caused by wind or ground tremors.