Hi All,
I've recently been trying contact lenses again and am trying to have them fine tuned for distant viewing. My question is this. When looking through binoculars (or optics in general) is that considered close up viewing being that the picture is right there in front of your face? Or is it distance viewing, albeit closer by the magnification factor? Because you're still looking at things far away.
Not a life or death situation, just want to hear some opinions.
Thanks,
Paul
Hi Paul;
Distant viewing. Properly focused binoculars present an infinity (afocal) view to the eye, parallel rays.
You can check this out by focusing on either a near or far object, with a large exit pupil set of binos, then, while looking at a focused object move the binos away from your eyes. The object will stay focused and the same angular size and only appear to get larger, take up the whole exit pupil as you get a foot or two away from the exit pupil, indicating there is no focal point.
I'm sure Ed, our vision expert, can tell you more than you will ever want to know about this :-), but I'm going to stick out my degenerate disc neck and say that it's far away, because as a Presbyopian (late convert), I couldn't see an image that was 12mm-20mm in front of my face without my reading glasses.
Brock