Choosing the right binoculars can be a very personal thing. Many people prefer something lightweight and easy to carry, some what strong magnification, while others want a superwide field of view so they can see all the horses in the race. Here are the basics about binoculars to help you choose the ones that best fit your needs.

Magnification
Magnification is a measure of how much images viewed are enlarged. Binoculars generally are described with two numbers such as 7x35. The first number is the magnification power and means the image is magnified to seven times the size you would see with your unaided eyes. In general, as the power goes up the field of view decreases.

• 7x Binoculars
• 8x Binoculars
• 20x Binoculars

Lens Diameter
The front lens of the binoculars is called the objective lens. The diameter of this lens in millimeters is the second part of the number describinga particular binocular. In the example above, 7x35, the lens diameter would be 35mm. The larger the lens the better the light gathering ability of the binoculars which means better detail and image clarity. Doubing the size of the lens quadruples the light gathering ability so a 7x50 binocular has four times the the light gathering ability of a 7x25 binocular.

Field of View
The size of the area that can be seen through a pair of binoculars is called the field of view. This is important to consider for race viewing since you want to be able to see the entire field and not just the front runners. The field of view is generally indicated in degrees and the larger the number the greater the field of view. To translate this into the number of feet observed at a distance of 1000 yards, multiply the angular field of view given in degrees by 52.5.

• Wide field of view Binoculars

Lens Coatings
The optics of the binoculars are coated to reduce glare and increase image sharpness. There are four levels of coating: coated, fully coated, multicoated, and fully multicoated. In general you should stay away from the plain coated lenses as they are low quality. Get at least fully coated or better for good results.

Zoom
Some binoculars have a zoom function that allows you to adjust the power, letting you see the whole field or zoom in on just the leader. These will generally be indicated as zoom binoculars with the power listed as a range such as 10-30x50, meaning it will allow you to view at 10 power minimum and anywhere above that up to 30 power.

• Zoom Binocular Models