Interesting facts about binoculars

Did you know it? Let’s light up some interesting facts about binoculars you might not know.

Fact about binoculars №1

The purpose of the device depends on the length and size of the pipes: compact and medium models (with a lens up to 40 mm) are suitable for basic observations, review (for example, binoculars for birdwatching).

Fact №2

If visibility is poor, full-size (up to 60 mm) and large-size binoculars (60-110 mm) are required. The parameters of their lenses allow you to collect more light, thus the image is bright, contrasting, but the weight will certainly be significant.

Fact №3

The largest binoculars are tripod-mounted and used for astronomical and field observations. Astronomical binoculars can even replace a telescope.

With ordinary binoculars in the starry sky, you can see:

• the brightest satellites and meteors;
• the moon;
• some planets (Mars during periods of opposition, Jupiter, Saturn);
• large star clusters (Pleiades, Manger);
• some nebulae (the most famous is the Orion nebula).

Fact about binoculars №4

Most often you can find variations of 8×40, as well as 10×42 binoculars.

Fact №5

The first binoculars, which did not have anti-reflective coatings, suffered from light scattered inside the tube, making images hazy and low-contrast

Fact №6

The first number in the name of the binoculars is magnification. How many times the binoculars magnify objects. The second number is the diameter of its lenses in millimeters.

Fact about binoculars №7

Although the most common binoculars are 8x and 10x, there are also binoculars with very low magnifications, ranging from 2x to 4x. Why so few? This low power is used in night vision binoculars as well as in theater binoculars – because a large magnification is not required indoors.

Fact №8

The name of the device "binoculars" from Latin means "two eyes" (bi oculus). The Italian Galileo Galilei became the very man who in 1609 invented an optical device with two lenses (scattering and collecting), thus laying the foundation for the history of binoculars. The first binoculars were made of two optical tubes connected and had a small magnification – about 3 times.

Fun fact №9 – from cinema world

If in a film scene showing view “through binoculars” you see the it as if through two connected circles with a black frame around them, then know: this is a mask. In fact, looking through binoculars, you will not see two circles – it will always be one.

Fun fact №10 – about militaries

The military uses fancy binoculars with features you may not have even heard of. These include: binoculars with night vision, binoculars with thermal imaging technology to detect hot objects, with image stabilization, and a laser finder. And in addition to the “all-seeing eye” capabilities, these devices are also indestructible, as they are protected from impacts by MIL-STD 810 technology, and from drowning and dust – by IP 68 protection.

Famous binocular owners and their optical preferences

Tsar Nicholas II and Carl Zeiss binoculars

Tsar Nicholas II frequently used Carl Zeiss binoculars during military inspections and while observing the front lines. These likely included Zeiss Marine-Glas models with 5x to 10x magnification. Archival photographs show him using finely crafted binoculars, sometimes engraved with the imperial crest.

Queen Victoria and Lemaire opera glasses

Queen Victoria helped popularize Lemaire Paris opera glasses. These were elegant, made with brass, enamel, and mother-of-pearl, and typically featured low magnification (2.5x–3x). They became fashionable accessories among the European elite.