How Far Can You See with 10×50 Binoculars?

In general, the larger the angle of view, the wider your field of vision will be.

Remember, when you are shopping for binoculars (use this buying guide), if you see a degree without a specific label, it's probably the "actual" angle of view and is referring to the angle at the objective lens.

Field of View

The field of view is how wide you can see and is generally expressed in feet at 1,000 yards or meters at 1,000 meters.

So, if it had a field of view of 350 ft, this would mean that when viewing objects at 1000 yards, you could see an area 350 feet wide.

Why are we going over these things? Because, if you want to know HOW FAR you can view, we need to understand some of the mechanics and uses of binoculars for it all to make sense.

Uses of Binoculars

You can use binoculars for everything from bird watching to hunting to even looking at stars or the moon.

Some people hike with them, navigate, fish, or even go to sporting events with binoculars.

Any time you want to see something at a distance, binoculars are the answer. 

Binoculars are an absolute necessity for hunting as they want to see long distances in great detail to spot prey.

Hunters shooting at a distance will need something with higher magnification and even a stand or tripod to hold it steady. 

Magnification Power

As mentioned earlier, the 10x is the magnification power.

It means that you will see the object 10x larger or in other words, 10 times closer.

Also, higher magnification isn't always a good thing. The further out you look, the more your slight hand tremors will affect the image. (consider image stabilization for higher magnifications)

How Far Can You See With 10 X 50 Binoculars?

As you might have become aware, the answer is not exact. It can see anything your eye can see, just 10x bigger or closer.

Your eye can see a ship sail over the horizon at around 12 miles. So, your binoculars can also see 12 miles and will see the ship 10x larger, but that might not help you discern very much.

Think about it this way, if the ship was 10 miles away, a 10x magnification would make it appear 1 mile away. How much detail could you really see a mile away?

Some, of course, but not much.

The point is, you need to understand WHAT you want to look at and how far away it might be. Then you need to pick a magnification that allows you to see the clarity you'll need.

You also don't want to pick a magnification that is too large. It will make nearby objects appear huge and you may not be able to scan the hillside or foliage for the animal or object that you are looking for.

Guide for Buying Binocular

Like mentioned above, what you want to look at dictates what kind of binoculars (and their magnification) you should buy. Here are some tips for you that will help you to buy the perfect binocular.

If you're focused on wildlife, you will want an objective lens of around 30-42mm. This is the amount of light that is allowed to enter and too large could mean too much light.

Too small means the image will be dim.

For general hunting and wildlife observing, an 8x or 10x magnification is good. 12x is better for long-distance and 8x is better for the woods.

Then, of course, there is budget. In general, the more you spend the clearer the image will be because it will have more precise and higher quality prisms and lens coatings.

Read the entire binocular buying guide to see all the ins and outs and mistakes to avoid.