Binoculars or Telescopes? Which is better for me?

First of all, this post is going to be quite a general look at binoculars and telescopes, and a brief weigh up of the two – and hopefully it gives you an idea of what you get to see though these optics and point you toward a better purchase decision.

Binoculars
Binos come with two identical optics mounted side-by-side. The two glasses are aligned to the same magnifying distance and you would use both eyes to look though each of the ocular. Viewing with Binoculars usually offer the viewer a more three-dimensional image.

However, binoculars – due to its construction – do not offer as much magnification as Telescopes. Even astronomy binoculars like the Saxon 30×80, is a 30x power scope, while some Telescopes get up to 60x or 80x quite easily. For casual star gazing, moon viewing, these binoculars would be sufficient.

Binoculars are more compact. Lower magnification binos (5x to 8x) could easily be kept in a small everyday bag. Bigger binoculars may come with a carry bag out of the box, and you’ll just need a tripod accompanying it, to get more stable views. That setup, however is still going to be more compact as opposed to telescopes.

Telescopes
Telescopes come in a single optical tube. They were invented with the purpose of looking at very remote objects. Galileo Galilei’s first make of telescope started man’s first close views into space.

Today, telescopes come in different makes (Refractors, Cassegrains, Reflectors, etc) and depending on its size is ideal for a range of applications. Refractors, with thin tubes are often used for land views and some casual celestial viewing. A Reflector is almost always an astronomy telescope.

The highest magnification on a telescope can go up to 200x. Getting a range of eyepieces will also help vary your magnification. Unlike binoculars which has a fixed magnification (unless you get one with a zoom feature, but let’s leave these ones for another post).

Telescopes have to sit on a stand / mount due to it’s high power, which makes it a less portable pair compared to binoculars. If you think the scope is something you are going to use from a single location, like your home, then it is ideal.

Is one better than the other?
Between the Binocular and Telescope, there is no ‘better’ instrument. Instead, work out what the scopes are going to be used for and also ask yourself if portability is a big deal. Asking these questions will help you take the first steps in purchasing the right viewing instrument. If you tossing up between Telescopes or Binoculars, I would suggest first asking – what will I be using my scope most frequently for?