Dad, Can you focus my binoculars?

Most Americans Can’t.

Most if not all of us have problems focusing our binoculars, let alone someone else’s.

We simply don’t know how to focus binoculars correctly.

Don’t despair. There is help close by.

There are two common focusing systems used in binoculars, Individual Eyepiece Focus and Center Focus.

First: Individual Eyepiece Focus.

This is simple to understand, and easy to do.

This is the way to focus sealed optical tubes. It is usually the focusing system used for waterproof binoculars.

Individual Eyepiece Focus is necessary because human eyes are not the same; both of yours are different, even though you might not think so.

Individual eyepiece focus means to focus the binoculars to your individual eyes. Simply focus the left eyepiece to your left eye and the right eyepiece to your right eye. There is no centrally located focusing mechanism.

Here is how: Look at something in the distance. Close the right eye, or cover the front of the right binocular, and focus the left eyepiece to your left eye using the focus ring near the eye piece. Close the left eye or cover the front of the left binocular, and focus the right eyepiece to your right eye. That’s it, you’re done.

At least you’re done until you need to look at something at a different distance, in which case you need to repeat the process.

Second: Center Focus is more common because individual eyepiece focus is time-consuming. Only a few people understand how to correctly use center focus binoculars.

Here is how: Aim your binoculars at something in the distance. Close the right eye or cover the front of the right tube, and focus the left side of the binocular to your left eye using the center focus control, which is part of the pivot shaft between the binoculars. Please note that the left eyepiece itself does not focus on center focus binoculars in most cases. Next, close your left eye or cover the front of the left tube, and focus the right eyepiece to your right eye using the focusing ring by the right eye cup. DO NOT touch the center focus control while you are focusing the right eyepiece to your right eye. That’s it, you’re done.

What you have done is to adjust the binoculars for your individual eyes. As mentioned, nearly everyone's left and right eyes are different. From now on, you only need to adjust the center focus control when you look at things at different distances.

Center focus is faster and easier to use than individual eyepiece focus, once you have adjusted the binoculars for your eyes.

Now when your kids ask you to focus their binoculars, you can say: Sure, I’ll teach you.

Hero Dad! Or Super Mom!

Roger Johnson, Author