Focussing: Just Do It! (1 Viewer)

[Binocollector]

Yes, that's what it means. The sharp field of view of human vision is only 0.5 to 1 degree wide depending how strictly you define sharpness. This means, in your typical binoculars with 60-degree apparent field of view, only 1/3600 of the visible area is seen sharply at any given time!!

Very interesting, so I guess my thinking "a larger FoV is always better, even if not perfectly sharp to the edge" is based in fact. And as long as moving the binoculars and not rolling around the eyes in the FoV -- the bluriness of the outer field wouldn't even matter, right?

 

[Omid]

Very interesting, so I guess my thinking "a larger FoV is always better, even if not perfectly sharp to the edge" is based in fact. And as long as moving the binoculars and not rolling around the eyes in the FoV -- the bluriness of the outer field wouldn't even matter, right?

An excessively large field of view will interfere with your perception of horizon. In the natural world, your peripheral vision constantly monitors the position of ground relative to your body. If you look at the world under magnification, your peripheral vision will see (more correctly, sense) a virtual ground whose orientation and location have little to do with the position and orientation of the real ground. As you move the binoculars around, the virtual ground will move and tilt very rapidly in your field of view while the gravitational sensors in your ear do not register such movements. This will cause fear, anxiety and stress not the pleasant "wow feeling" that you might expect. There is no such a thing as an immersive magnified world.

-Omid

 

[Binocollector]

@Omid
Hm, interesting. I never had that effect however. 7x35 with 11° or 8x30 with 10° seems just about perfect to me. But I also never get carsick or seasick. So others might have a different experience with super wide angle binos.

 

[Troubador]

An excessively large field of view will interfere with your perception of horizon. In the natural world, your peripheral vision constantly monitors the position of ground relative to your body. If you look at the world under magnification, your peripheral vision will see (more correctly, sense) a virtual ground whose orientation and location have little to do with the position and orientation of the real ground. As you move the binoculars around, the virtual ground will move and tilt very rapidly in your field of view while the gravitational sensors in your ear do not register such movements. This will cause fear, anxiety and stress not the pleasant "wow feeling" that you might expect. There is no such a thing as an immersive magnified world.

-Omid

But how do you define 'excessive' ?

Lee

 

[Binastro]

Pilots lose all sense of position and orientation.

They have to be taught to fly by instruments.

But if these instruments are faulty the result can be fatal.

I was in the cockpit of a Trident going down from about 20,000 ft into the Thames estuary.
The pilots could not understand why I could not get my bearings, even though I was flying over our holiday home.

It took several minutes until I understood the ground beneath me.

Our senses are very flawed.

B.

 

[Omid]

Hi Lee!

But how do you define 'excessive' ?

Lee

Excessive field of view is when the eye doesn't positively see the field stop as a "frame" surrounding the "magnified view".

@Binastro: Very nice story! It proves my point

 

[Troubador]

Pilots lose all sense of position and orientation.

They have to be taught to fly by instruments.

But if these instruments are faulty the result can be fatal.

I was in the cockpit of a Trident going down from about 20,000 ft into the Thames estuary.
The pilots could not understand why I could not get my bearings, even though I was flying over our holiday home.

It took several minutes until I understood the ground beneath me.

Our senses are very flawed.

B.

I think this happens to some drivers too......

Lee