Birding Binoculars

Part 5

Field of View

The field of view is how wide an area is encompassed in the binoculars' image. It can be expressed as an angle (8°), or as the width in feet of the image at 1000 yards (420 ft.) To convert the angular field to the linear field, multiply the angular field by 52.5.

Field of view is a matter of eyepiece design. More power usually means a narrower field of view. Wide-field-of-view eyepieces usually have shorter eye relief and may not work for eyeglass wearers. Though it is important, field of view is usually not the first concern in choosing birding binoculars.

—Michael and Diane Porter

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Need Specific
Recommendations?

If you're about to get some new binoculars but don't quite know where to start, check out the Binoculars Advisor for specific, name-naming recommendations.

Michael and Diane Porter, who have been reviewing binoculars for Bird Watcher's Digest for over a decade, suggest binoculars for particular needs and price ranges.

Birding Binoculars

Part 5

Field of View

Need Specific Recommendations?

Need Specific
Recommendations?