Binoculars





At most Airsoft sites I have been to there is no real reason to need binoculars and to be honest you can game without them anywhere.
That said at Spartn we have large area's where they can come in useful. I will stress the word can. If you do choose to buy and use any form of optic be it binocular monocular or scope for airsoft there are a few of things you need to keep in mind.

1. Cost. The last thing you want is a £1600 worth of Zeiss binoculars being shot or sat on. On the other hand very cheap lenses do not work (see below)

2. Quality. It has to be a juggling act cost verses quality needs. Very cheep lenses do not allow enough light in or have to be very big to allow the light in. Also they can be prone to fog and glare. Try any optic before you buy pay particular attention to how crisp the image is and how much colour it allows in.

3. Size. The objective lens or front lens is the thing you need to make first priority. The bigger the objective lens the clearer the image and better it will be in low or failing light. The magnification is NOT a good thing to look at. In many instances the higher the magnification the worse the image.
The reason for this is because the higher the magnification the more the slightest little movements of you hands are emphasised.
This is normally countered by either a stabilising aid i.e. a tripod or a larger objective lens.

If you buy an optic with a small objective lens (<35mm) and a high magnification (>10x) you will have to use it excellent light conditions and on a tripod.

If you buy an optic with a large objective lens (>40mm) and a low magnification (<8x) you will be able to see in failing light and even if you have an unsteady hand. I would recommend using a rule of thumb of either 4 or 5 to 1 so if you buy a 8x mag you will need an objective lens between 32mm and 40mm for a good all round performance.

In my experience cheep small bino’s are not worth carrying and if you carry larger expensive ones you are worried something will happen to them. So I have opted to go for a low end monocular that cost around £50 this is a 8x50 and is gas filled to stop fogging.