Our eyes are limited in how far they can see. For instance, if you are standing on a flat surface the furthest you can see is about 3 miles away (5 kilometers) But if you are standing on the top of a mountain at night, you can see the flame of a burning candle from 30 miles (48 km) away. If you want to see beyond 3 miles when standing on a flat surface, you will need an optical instrument. Two of the most popular optical devices for observing distant objects are binoculars vs telescopes.
But how do you know which one to buy or use? That’s what this article is about. We are going to compare these two optical devices, covering their similarities, differences, features, and uses. In the end, it should be easier to know which of the two is most ideal for your specific needs.
Binoculars vs Telescopes: What is the Difference?
Binoculars and telescopes are optical instruments used to magnify distant objects that are difficult to see with the naked eye. Because the two devices are constructed for different viewing purposes, they have different features but use the same working principle.
Key Features of These Two Optical Instruments Comparison Table: Telescopes vs Binoculars
| Telescope | Binoculars | |
| Purpose | Astronomy | General Observation |
| Optics type | Reflecting or refracting | Refracting |
| Types | Refracting telescopes Reflecting telescopes Compound telescopes Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopeMaksutov-Cassegrain telescope | Roof prism binoculars Porro prism binoculars Night vision binoculars Marine binoculars Astronomy binoculars Foldable binoculars Zoom binoculars Waterproof binoculars |
| Magnification | Medium to high | Low to medium |
| Field of view | Narrow | Wide |
| Image stability | Poor | Good |
| Image brightness | Poor | Good |
| Size | Large | Small |
| Weight | Heavy | Light |
| Price | More expensive | Less expensive |
| Mounting | Alt-Azimuth mount. Equatorial mount. German Equatorial Mount. Dobsonian Mount Fork Mount | Handheld Tripod |
| Specific uses | Observing planets, Observing stars, Observing comets, Astrophotography Observing nebula, Observing galaxies, Observing the moon, Observing satellites | Bird watching, Watching sports, Hiking sight viewing Hunting, Stargazing, Marine/Whale watching ,Safari ,Military purpose Sightseeing |
Binoculars vs Telescopes
What are Binoculars?
A binocular is a handheld optical device made for observing distant objects. It comprises two similar telescopes mounted on the same frame, one for each eye.Each of the two refracting telescopes produces a different image for each eye. This results in a three-dimensional image (Stereopsis), giving a sense of depth.
Binoculars have a series of prisms and lenses, to refract the light coming in.These devices get their name “binocular” from the fact that they “involve both eyes” or have two eyes.
What is a Telescope?
A telescope is another optical instrument, and just like binoculars, its purpose is to magnify distant objects. A telescope contains lenses, mirrors, or a combination of lenses and mirrors. Telescopes are larger and more powerful, and they are primarily made for observing terrestrial objects such as the moon, planets, stars, and galaxies, unlike binoculars.
The name telescope comes from the Greek words tele, which means far, and skopos, which means seeing in English. Both devices have been in existence for centuries. The first astronomy telescope (3-10X) was introduced in 1609 by Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei. Galileo Galilei discovered, among other things, the four moons of Jupiter, sea craters on the moon, phases of Venus, and sunspots.
The first design of binoculars was patented in 1823 by J. F. Voigtländer.
Working Principles Of Telescopes and Binoculars
Both telescopes and binoculars use the same working principle to magnify distant objects. They work by collecting and amplifying the light from a distant object to make it brighter and clearer when viewed through the eyepiece.
Binoculars and telescopes use either mirrors, lenses, or prisms to focus the light and magnify distant objects. The reason the human eye cannot see distant objects is that these objects take up very little space on the retina. The only way to see these objects is to collect more light and magnify them.
That’s why the strength of a telescope depends on the amount of light entering through the aperture and the magnification powers. Magnification power depends on the arrangement of the lenses and mirrors.
The only difference between telescopes and binoculars is the arrangement of the lenses, mirrors, and prisms.
Types of Telescopes
- Refracting telescopes (Refractors)
- Reflecting telescopes (Reflectors)
- Compound telescopes (Catadioptric)
This classification is based on how the telescope focuses light.
In reflecting telescopes, there are one or more curved mirrors to reflect light back to the focus.
In refracting telescopes, there are lenses that refract light to a focal point. A refracting telescope usually has an objective lens and eyepiece.
For the compound telescopes, they use a combination of lenses and mirrors to reflect and refract light to a focal point.
This design is aimed at solving some of the major downsides of refracting and reflecting telescopes.
Types of compound telescopes include Schmidt-Cassegrains and Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes.
Generally, there are two types of Binoculars.
- Roof prism binoculars
- Porro prism binoculars
This classification is based on how the prism and lens are arranged.
In roof prism binoculars, the prisms and lenses are lined up in a straight line. Because of this design, this type is more compact and lightweight than Porro prism binoculars.
While this design looks simple, they have a very complex construction, which makes them more expensive than Porro prism binoculars.
Roof prism binoculars are easy to identify since the objective lenses line up perfectly with the eyepiece.
On the other side, Porro prism binocular prisms are not lined up. This makes them larger and heavier.
The other classification of binoculars is based on their application. They include
- Night vision binoculars
- Astronomy binoculars
- Marine binoculars
- Opera binoculars
Now that we are done with some general comparisons, let’s get a little bit deeper and compare telescopes and binoculars in specific areas.
Magnification of Both Binoculars and Telescopes
The magnification of a telescope refers to the relationship between the size of the image on the telescope and the size of that image when viewed with the naked eye.
Magnification of a telescope is calculated by the formula
Telescope focal length
Magnification = ———————-
Eyepiece focal length
The magnification of binoculars is calculated using the formula
fo (focal length of the objective lens)
Magnification = ———————————————-
Fe (focal length of the eyepiece)
Every binocular usually has the magnification indicated alongside the diameter of the objective lenses.
For instance, in 8×42 binoculars:
8 = magnification power
42 = diameter (mm) of the objective lenses
The magnification of binoculars ranges between 1X and 160X, with most binoculars ranging between 8X and 10X. Any magnification beyond 12X is regarded as high.
You can also find higher magnification binoculars such as 15X, 18X, 20X, 25X, 40X, 70X and 160X
On the other hand, the magnification of telescopes ranges between 4X and 50X the size of the aperture.
The magnification of telescopes goes up to 250X. This is higher than the necessary magnification needed to observe even faint sky objects.
Compared to binoculars, telescopes have a higher magnification than binoculars. However, in optics, higher magnification is not always necessary. That’s why, despite having lower magnification, binoculars are preferred in some areas, such as hunting.
Winner – Telescopes.
Aperture of Telescope and Binoclulars
The aperture of a telescope or binocular refers to the size of the objective or primary lens. While magnification is the most important feature of binoculars, the aperture is the most important feature of telescopes.
The aperture size determines the amount of light entering the telescope, which eventually determines the nature of the image formed.
Thanks to the big tube, telescopes have a bigger aperture than binoculars.
The size of the objective lens in binoculars ranges between 10 and 130 mm. On the other hand, the aperture for most telescopes ranges between 2 inches and 14 inches.
While a 70 mm aperture is the recommended entry point, the best aperture ranges between 120 mm and 350 mm.
Higher apertures are ideal for professional astronomers.
Winner – Telescope
Field of view
The field of view of an optic device such as binoculars or a telescope refers to the size of the area that the user can see through the eyepiece.
The field of view is calculated using the following formula
Eyepiece FOV/
FOV = ————————–
Magnification
From the formula, you can tell that the field of view depends on the magnification. The higher the magnification, the smaller the field of view.
The ideal field of view depends on what you are observing. For instance, a large field of view is necessary to view star clusters.
This is also the case when one is birdwatching. A large field of view lets you track the birds
Because telescopes have higher magnification, they have a smaller field of view compared to most binoculars. That’s what makes binoculars ideal for birdwatching and sightseeing.
Winner: Binoculars
Size and Weight
When it comes to size and weight, binoculars are the clear winner. Typically, telescopes are huge, which is also one thing that limits their use.
For instance, Celestron CGX-L EQUATORIAL 1400 HD TELESCOPE which has one of the largest aperture size (14 inches) among Celestron line of telescopes has a mount head weight of 23.8 kgs (52.6 lbs) while the tripod weighs 21 kgs (46.2 lbs)
On the other side, binoculars are lighter, with most of them being handheld. The Celestron SKYMASTER 25X100MM PORRO BINOCULARS which have one of the biggest objective lenses (100 mm) among Celestron binoculars, weigh 140 oz (3.7 kg)
While the aperture of a telescope is its most important feature, the bigger it is, the bigger and heavier the telescope gets.
The larger the mirror or lens, the heavier it is, and the heavier the tube gets. Since this also means the telescope is more powerful, dealing with the weight is a worthy sacrifice.
The heavier the telescope gets, the harder it is to mount and hold it. The mount adds to the total weight.
Winner – Binoculars
Portability of Binoculars and Telescopes
Because binoculars are lighter, they are more portable than telescopes, as they weigh between 200 – 1000 grams. Most binoculars come with straps to hang around the neck.
Because of ease of portability, binoculars are always preferred when it comes to
- Hunting
- Sightseeing
- Bird-watching
- Marine
- Military use
- Watching sports
- Whale watching
- Safari
- Watching wildlife
- Spying
Thanks to being lightweight, it’s also easier to shift the target location when observing with a telescope.
Winner: Binoculars
Mounting
Generally, binoculars are designed to be handheld as they are lightweight. There are also binocular tripods, which come in handy when one is observing from a central place. The biggest advantage with tripods, however, is stabilized images, especially when it’s windy.
Tripods also free up your hands, which is important during hunting or watching birds.
On the other hand, telescopes always require mounting.
First, these optical devices are heavy. Secondly, mounting keeps the telescope sturdy, resulting in more stable images.
There are several types of telescope mounts that include
- Altaz mounts that support right and left and up and down movements.
- Equatorial mounts that allow for movement around the axis
- Go-To mounts and Push-To Mounts
Winner – Binoculars
Binoculars and Telescopes Ease of use
When it comes to ease of use, binoculars are the clear winner. First, they are lightweight and hence easier to direct at the target object. Secondly, they are easier to set up and only take a second to remove the lens caps and start to watch.
On the other hand, telescopes are harder to use. While they are easier to set up and mount, it’s rare to get good results when you are starting.
Also, finding and identifying astronomical objects is a major challenge. While it is easier to find the moon, finding and identifying the planets, star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae is a big challenge for most people.
Day and night use of Both
Binoculars, with the exception of night vision binoculars, are designed for use during the day. Examples of night-use binoculars include astronomy binoculars.
On the other hand, telescopes are mostly for nighttime use. While you can use it even during the day, you won’t get as good results as during the night.
This is because the sun dominates the light from other stars and objects, making it very hard to spot them.
Tip: You should never point a telescope directly at the sun, as this would cause permanent damage. If you must, invest in a full aperture solar filter for your telescope.
Day winner – Binoculars
Night winner – Telescopes
How do They Compare on Price
Telescopes range in price from $100 to $30,000 or more. On the lower end are kids’ telescopes, while on the upper end are telescopes for serious astronomers and organizations.
On average, a good quality telescope ranges between $500 and $1000.
Binocular prices range between $10 and $10,000. And just like binoculars, the lower end comprises kids’ models.
However, you don’t always need a $10,000 pair of binoculars, a $300-500 pair is a great starting point.
Winner – Binoculars
Similarities Between Telescopes and Binoculars
1. Both binoculars and telescopes are optical devices that are used to magnify faraway objects.
2. They both use lenses and mirrors to focus light inside the device.
3. They can both be mounted on a mount or tripod for support and to improve stability.
4. They are both used to magnify a wide range of objects, including terrestrial and celestial objects.
5. They are available in a wide range of sizes, magnification, aperture, and focal length.
6. They can be used with a wide range of desktop and smartphone software to help in the recognition of celestial objects.
7. When of high quality, both produce high-quality images.
Differences Between Telescopes from Binoculars
1. Telescopes are majorly designed for astronomy, while binoculars are majorly made for outdoor viewing.
2. Telescopes feature higher magnification, which makes them ideal for astronomy. Binoculars have a lower magnification giving them a wider field of view, which makes them great for outdoor observation.
3. Telescopes are heavier than binoculars. While a large aperture increases the amount of light a telescope can gather, it makes a telescope bigger adding to the weight. Binoculars are lighter and come with a strap to put around the neck.
4. When it comes to price, the best telescopes are more expensive than the best binoculars. However, not every telescope is more expensive than binoculars. There are binoculars that cost more than $1000, which is higher than most telescopes.
5. Binoculars are more portable than telescopes.
6.Binoculars have a wider field of view than telescopes. This is because telescopes have a higher magnification which translates to a smaller field of view.
7. A binocular comprises two telescopes mounted together, while a telescope is a single telescope.
8. Binoculars provide stereopsis (three-dimensional vision) thanks to the two parallel telescopes that form two different images.
9. With a telescope you can upgrade or interchange the eyepiece, which is not possible with binoculars.
Telescope Vs Binoculars: Which Is Best For Stargazing?
While binoculars are also used for stargazing, telescopes are best suited for astronomy. Telescopes have a bigger aperture and higher magnification, allowing you to see celestial objects more clearly.
A 15×56 and a 12×50 binocular are two examples of stargazing binoculars. With any of these binoculars, you can see planets such as Mercury and Venus. However, you won’t see as many details as if you were using a powerful telescope.
Telescope Vs Binoculars For Bird Watching?
When it comes to bird-watching, binoculars are the most ideal. They are lightweight and highly portable. Binoculars also provide a three-dimensional view of the birds through the two telescopes.
While binoculars are the most preferred among birdwatchers, telescopes can also be used, especially with flying birds.
Binoculars Or Telescope For Whale Watching?
Spotting scopes and binoculars are the most preferred devices for whale watching, especially when you are onboard a boat or ship. The issue with a telescope is that it is heavy and hard to transport. Secondly, a boat or ship doesn’t provide a stable surface for placing the telescope.
That’s why it’s recommended to use binoculars with a maximum of 8X magnification when on a boat.
Binoculars Or Telescope For Spying?
Obviously, the most ideal optical instrument for legal spying is a pair of binoculars. First, they are lightweight and easy to set up. They are also the most preferred among private investigators and law enforcement.
Binoculars also come in handy when you are spying from inside a room.
Should I Start With Binoculars Or A Telescope?
It will depend on your budget. If you have less than $300 and want to get into astronomy, you are best off with a pair of binoculars. A good beginner’s telescope will set you back more than $300.
Can You Use Binoculars As A Telescope?
Yes, binoculars make very great astronomy optic instruments. While you won’t see the finest details, you can see several planets, including Mercury, Venus and Neptune.
Which Is Better: A Telescope Or Binoculars?
The answer depends on your personal needs. Telescopes are mostly suited to astronomy, while binoculars are ideal for general observation.
Conclusion-Telescopes and Binoculars
Binoculars and telescopes use the same principle to magnify faraway objects. Telescopes are bigger, have a higher magnification, and are primarily made for astronomy. Binoculars are lightweight and more portable, and they are the most suitable for bird-watching, safaris, whale watching, and hunting.
