If you are a birding enthusiast and you want to enjoy your favorite pastime well, you definitely require a nice pair of eyeballs. However, besides good eyesight, your enjoyment will greatly depend on having a good pair of birdwatching binoculars. With these powerful marvels of optical engineering you will easily span the distance between the bird and yourself to be able to get the minutest details of a bird as is it is within your arm’s reach. You may have already invested in a nice pair of bird watching binoculars; you need these important tips so you can use them perfectly:
Let the binocular fit your face: Because we all have our different shapes and sizes the distance between people’s eyes vary dramatically. The first step in getting a clear view with your binocular therefore is to try and fit them to your head especially when you are sharing them with someone else. After raising the binoculars you need to fold them into position along the center hinge; if there are two circular images as you gaze through the eyepieces, should try and converge them into one by fine tuning accordingly.
Fine tune the focus: Next you will need to point your birdwatching binoculars towards some bright object in the distance with some degree of detail; you may want to try some rooftop TV antenna or a tree with large leaves. Cover the right barrel using your hand or close your right eye and turn the focusing wheel slowly until you have a clear and harp image. You may want to pick a small image such as the prongs of the antenna and adjust until you have the sharpest possible image you can get.
Discover the diopter ring: The diopter adjustment is what gives binoculars the greatest quality but most people don’t even know it exists. The purpose is usually to tweak focus from a single eyepiece so as to compensate for any visual discrepancy that may exist in a birder’s eyes. This adjustment is usually built into the right eyepiece and has visible tick marks around its edge. Check the owner’s manual if you can’t trace the diopter adjustment in your binoculars.
Zero in on the target: Once you have calibrated your birding binoculars it is time for you to explore the world. However, there are people will still find it difficult to trace a target in the binoculars. You may want to try and spot a target so you can make a mental note of where it is using a visual landmark; simply lock your eyes on that target as you bring the binoculars to your eyes. Adjust the focus using small subtle movements as you scan the area for the target using your visual landmark.
Keep the lenses spotless and scratch less: The birdwatching binoculars’ lenses are delicate and are treated with coatings to improve performance; learn how to maintain them in that condition as you enjoy your birding experience.