Wearing eyeglasses, even if helps their owners see clearly, has few disadvantages. In the first place, who would prefer to wear eyeglasses if he could have a good eyesight? But using binoculars is a different case. Binoculars are used to magnify and to get better views of images. They make it possible for human beings to see images beyond their innate capability. But like eyeglasses, using and keeping binoculars in a good condition can be sometimes demanding.
Cold weather causes eyeglasses to fog up. Water and grit easily accumulate on the surface, so it is important to wipe them off the eyeglasses’ surface. Lenses can get scratched, cracked, or broken, the same way binoculars can be.
But how does it feel to use both of these instruments at the same time? Arming oneself with key information would make this challenge less harder.
Eye relief is the distance of the eyepiece from the viewer’s eyes. The eye relief permits the viewer to see the full image in the field of view. It is the major concern of those wearing eyeglasses when using binoculars. Modern binoculars commonly posses eye relief measurements between 12mm to 20mm.
When not wearing eyeglasses, the viewer should put his eye closer than usual to provide him the same view non-users get. But when eyeglasses are worn, there is a gap because of the space occupied by the eyeglasses. That is why it is not recommended to wear eyeglasses when using binoculars. If it’s inevitable to wear one, users should be aware of the kind of eyecups the binoculars possess.
To avoid hassles in positioning the eyes to the eyepiece lenses, most binocular units have rubber or plastic eyecups surrounding the eyepiece lenses. Few years back, these eyecups were made from metal or hard plastic and could not be adjusted. This kind of design made it difficult to use binoculars while wearing eyeglasses.
Luckily, today’s designs have addressed this issue. New models usually come with soft rubber or adjustable eyecups. Soft rubber eyecups can be folded down when desired and adjustable eyecups can be retracted upon twisting. These eyecups allow user to have the appropriate depth between the eyecups and lenses. If this is the case, the binoculars can be put close to the user’s eyeglasses, permitting him to clearly see the field of view. But how can you determine if the set up is improper? A tunnel vision type of effect, when viewing through the binoculars, indicates that the set up is not right. This sight is caused by a shifting black shadow.
In most instances, wearing eyeglasses is a matter of personal preference. But if the person knows that he needs to wear them while using binoculars, it is recommended to choose a frame style which let lenses to be near the eyes. This grants the user to have a wider set of options. In some situations, wearing contact lenses is the best way to help correct eye problems. However, wearing contact lenses has its own drawbacks, and not everybody feels right using them, particularly if not worn regularly. If a person is used to wearing eyeglasses, it is better to look for binoculars suitable to them, instead of making them wear contact lenses.
But the very first thing to consider, even before the functionality of the eyecups, are units with an eye relief distance of at least 16mm. While this measurement won’t surely fit with all eyeglass styles, it will be appropriate to most styles. Magnification should also be considered.
Low-magnification binoculars have the tendency to have longer eye relief distances. A magnification level of 8x, minimum exit pupil of 4mm, has more compatibility potential with eyeglasses. Those which hold higher magnification levels less likely allow a full view of the image field.
Listed below are a few suggestions of models widely known for their compatibility with eyeglasses:
- Bushnell 8x42mm Elite E2- It has a very close eyepiece lens to eyeglass lens distance. Price is at $510.
- Leupold Katmai 8x32mm- It has a great eye relief, and twist-up eyecups for comfortable extended viewing. Price is at $340.
- Minox HG 8.5x43mm BR- This model has a very light Magnesium chassis. It provides users with long eye relief and lets them wear their corrective lenses with no troubles. Its lightness reduces shake, and therefore providing a steady image. Price is at $1300.
- Nikon 8x32mm and 8x42mm Premier- Come with very large eyepiece lenses, and superior eye relief make these two Nikon models distinctly eyeglass-friendly. Prices are at $650 and $1300.
And for the high-end models:
- Leica 7x42mm Ultravid HD- With a generous exit pupil diameter of 6mm, and an eye relief of 17mm, you can never go wrong with this legendary 7x42mm optical design. Price is at $2000.
- Swarovski 8.5x42mm EL- Its admirable large eyepiece lenses combine with improved great eye relief permit users to survey the entire wide-angle field of view. Price is at $2350.
- Zeiss Victory FL 7x42mm- The Zeiss Victory FL provides users with binoculars that have a wide field of view, giving users extremely high edge sharpness and unsurpassed resolution. Price is at $2200.
