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Your guide to the design, function and features of binoculars and spotting scopes.

For hundreds of years we've used optics such as binoculars and spotting scopes to augment our vision and to see our world in new and exciting ways. A binocular is essentially a hand-held double-barreled telescope and a spotting scope is a shortened, single-barrel telescope. Both are multi-purpose instruments that expand our own eyes' abilities to see and are useful for a number of different activities including (but certainly not limited to):

• Hunting
• Birdwatching
• General nature observation
• Hiking & camping
• Astronomical observation
• Sporting events & concerts

Although perceived as technical in nature, there are really only a few things you need to know about binoculars and spotting scopes in order to make an informed decision and purchase.

What are binoculars & spotting scopes for? Binoculars and spotting scopes exist to both magnify and clarify images viewed through them. They make things look bigger and images viewed through them are clearer, have finer detail, and have a more three-dimensional appearance than when seen with the unaided human eye.