Galileo first introduced the concept of the telescope with a purpose to observe space, its celestial bodies, observe the innumerable galaxies, know about the stars, in short, gain knowledge and implement it in the vast field of astronomy. After this revolutionary invention, other scientists were also intrigued and wanted to use it. Due to which many modifications were made, thus we have different types of telescopes. Today we’re going to look at the difference between monoculars and binoculars.  

Monocular Telescope

A monocular telescope is a refracting telescope that passes light through a series of lenses and prisms to magnify distant objects. 

Binocular Telescope

As the name suggests, binoculars consist of “two telescopes” mounted on a single frame to provide a magnified view of distant objects. 

Features of Monoculars and Binoculars 

Using monocular telescope results in the formation of 2 dimensional and erect images, whereas the best feature of a binocular telescope is that the focus of each telescope can be separately adjusted according to each eye which results in a three-dimensional upright image with improved visual acuity that further makes it more convenient and easier to use.

Monoculars vs. Binoculars: The Comparison

There is definitely an evident difference between monocular and binocular telescopes. While monoculars show you a more realistic and more accurate version of the view in front of you, binoculars are designed to produce a wide-angle view of the scenery you are looking at. The field of view for both telescopes differs according to their uses. Because monoculars are mainly used for briefly viewing a distant object, binoculars are used to observe constantly moving objects.

1) Working Principle

A monocular telescope works on the principle of light refraction. The light is passed through different prisms used in variable orientations and magnification powers, unlike the standard optical lenses to make the distant vision clearer. Every time the light passes through the prism, it goes towards the base, and the object moves toward the pointed top of the prism. 

Whereas, in the binocular telescope, two lenses are situated at each end, named the objective lens and the eyepiece. The objective lens collects the light, and the eyepiece creates a visible magnified image. The working principle behind these binoculars is “phase shifting.” In this phenomenon, the light beam is first divided into two and then converged to create a 3D, upright and visible image.

2) The Applications

Monoculars are usually used for short-term scanning and viewing distant objects. They also have military applications during surveillance, looking out for enemies, and searching purposes. 

Binoculars are used for land surveys to collect data, birdwatching, hunting, range finding, and astronomical purposes. 

3) Lens and Prims

Monoculars are designed based on Porro prism technology, which works on installing a curved lens with a prism; the image thus produced is inverted. While the lens does the job of admitting the light and amplifying the image, the prism works to invert the thus formed picture.

On the other hand, binoculars have two sets of lenses and prisms, which is why they are more expensive than monoculars. These telescopes are developed on several prism technologies; Porro, Galilean, and Roof. 

4) Magnification 

Monoculars’ single-tube vision is built explicitly for short-timed glances at distant objects. Viewing for more extended periods from a single eye can put a lot of strain on your eyesight. 

Although binoculars have almost the same level of amplification that monoculars offer, the advantage is that you can make use of both eyes while causing little to no eye fatigue. 

5) Field of View

Monoculars usually allow you to see things at a distance of 50 miles and magnify them ten times their original size. A good monocular should have a field of view between 300 and 375 feet at a distance of 1000 yards.

Binoculars have the same field of view in essence. You can also measure the field of view for your binoculars by measuring the area or width of the image being shown on your binoculars.

Pros and Cons of Monoculars and Binoculars

The pros would be ease of use for monoculars due to their compact size and lightweight design. Eye fatigue is also significantly lessened with the help of monoculars. The downside of buying monoculars is a lesser field of view than binoculars.

Binoculars minimize eye fatigue and provide a greater field of view than monoculars. But, they are heavier and more challenging to handle than monoculars and put quite some strain on your pocket with their high prices.

Monoculars & Binoculars: Which One Should You Choose? 

Choosing the best option for yourself means weighing out the pros and cons for both monoculars and binoculars while keeping in mind whatever activities you need to carry out with these devices. While bird watching and golf may require you to handle monoculars easily, activities such as marine sightseeing are better carried out with binoculars. Choose your desired option by keeping in mind the things you have to do with the monocular or binocular you plan to buy.

In Summary

We hope after going through this write-up, you will now be able to pick which one is more suitable for you; a monocular or binocular telescope. APEXEL offers top-notch quality monoculars and binoculars for all the optic enthusiasts out there that you can get at the most reasonable prices. Here are some of the reasons why APEXEL should be your first choice for getting any type of outdoor optics solution:

• Provide various optics, ranging from small pocket size to large observation telescopes
• It comes with rubber body armor that is not comfortable to use but also protects the product from wear and tear.
• Wide range of magnifications such as 6x, 8x, 12x, 8-24x, 10-30x, etc.
• Every product undergoes different stages of testing to make sure that you get top-notch quality.

So, what are you waiting for? Make an informed decision and get yours right now!