If you use a binocular as much as I do, you get a little hypercritical about some specific binocular features, even to the point of returning or exchanging an otherwise excellent binocular when it does not meet your expectations on those one or two points. Okay, call me fussy, but I do expect a lot from
binoculars, given that my taste in binoculars runs on the expensive binocular side.
One of my fussy points when it comes to
binocular features is edge sharpness – how sharp and clean the image out at the edge of the field when I look through a binocular. An average binocular is sharp, say in the middle 70% of the field and fuzzy or distorted a bit at the outer 30% of the field. I can and have used such binoculars and this kind of edge sharpness will be enough for any binocular application. The problem is that I don’t want to use such a binocular; I’m spoiled from using binoculars that are sharp right to the edge of the field. It annoys me when I now use a binocular that is only average as to edge sharpness and I am willing to pay the price to get a model with better edge sharpness.
My other must have in a binocular is a binocular that focuses smoothly, evenly and with little effort. This is important to me, especially in a
birding binocular, because I often use a binocular with only one hand and focus it with a single finger as I carry other equipment such as
spotting scopes and
digital cameras. Unlike edge sharpness, which is fairly consistent for a given binocular model, ease of focusing tends to vary widely for individual binoculars within a model. Again, I am spoiled and will reject an otherwise perfect binocular if it is a hassle to focus.
What’s your binocular pet peeve?