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Monoculars – A Compact Monocular for When You Need it The Most

Monoculars are basically small, lightweight, mini-telescopes. Monoculars are easy to carry around with you and are a great option for birdwatching, hunting, golfing, sports and events as well as general outdoor viewing. A monocular is represented by two numbers. The first number is the magnification (also known as zoom or power) and the second is the lens diameter. For example a 6×25 monocular has 6x magnification and a 25mm objective lens.

In general monoculars will have a magnification of 6x, 8x or 10x. Monoculars with higher magnifications (8x or 10x) are good for long distance viewing but can sometimes be hard to stabilise. This is because every small shake of your hand is also magnified by the monocular resulting in a shaky image. Monoculars with lower magnification provide a wider view and are easier to stabilise. When buying a monocular you should consider where you will be using it the most and if you prefer a lower or higher magnification.

The second number of the monocular is the lens size, typically 20mm to 42mm. Monoculars with bigger lenses allow more light to come in and therefore provide a brighter image. This is a good feature if you often use your monocular during early mornings or at dusk. On the downside, the larger lens also makes for a bigger, heavier and bulkier monocular.