Field of view and viewing angle for optics such as binoculars and riflescopes

Binoculars and riflescope Field of view and viewing angle

The field of view of binoculars or riflescopes is described either as in degrees (viewing angle) or in metres is indicated. The size of the field of view indicates which Terrain width at a distance of 1000 m can be observed through binoculars.

In contrast, the field of view of riflescopes is usually specified for distances of 100 metres.

Binoculars without a wide-angle function have fields of view of up to 130 metres. A larger field of view makes it easier to observe large objects and track moving objects. With growing MagnificationThe magnification of a binocular model is perhaps the most misunderstood feature. High magnification can be useful! " More info the field of vision generally decreases for every optical system, which also depends on the design of the optical system.

If you compare the fields of view of several binoculars or riflescopes, you should therefore make sure that you use optics with identical or at least similar magnifications. And - one Generous field of view specifications for inexpensive binoculars is however with caution to consider.

It is possible that the larger field of vision at the expense of a reduced Edge sharpnessFor technical reasons, image sharpness decreases from the centre of the image to the edge with every lens (due to the shape of the lens). " More info achieved. Other providers, on the other hand, advertise optimum edge sharpness, but conceal the fact that this was achieved by reducing the field of view. However, if perfect edge sharpness is achieved solely by artificially reducing the field of view, this speaks more in favour of the provider's creative marketing approach than the convincing quality of the optics.

So that you can realistically assess the quality of an optic, the field of view and the edge sharpness of a product should only be assessed together. The following criteria are important for binoculars must be taken into account:

• Edge sharpness
• Image brilliance
• Twilight performanceIn order to be able to recognise details over long distances even in twilight, binoculars with high magnification and corresponding twilight performance (e.g. 10x56 or 8x56) are recommended. " More info
• Field of vision

The viewing angle (as a measure of the size of the field of view in the USA and Japan) is rounded and calculated using the following formula:

(Here, approx. 17.45 m per 1000 m equals 1°)