Binocular Lens on You

Category: File - :Binocularp.svg|thumb|300px|A typical Porro prism binoculars design

Binoculars, field glasses or binocular telescopes are a pair of identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes with binocular vision when viewing distant objects. Most are sized to be held using both hands, although sizes vary widely from opera glasses to large pedestal mounted military models. Many different abbreviations are used for binoculars, including glasses, binos and bins.

Unlike a monocular telescope, binoculars give users a three-dimensional image: for nearer objects the two views, presented to each of the viewer's eyes from slightly different viewpoints, produce a merged view with depth perception. There is no need to close or obstruct one eye to avoid confusion, as is common with monocular telescopes. The use of both eyes also significantly increases the perceived visual acuity, even at greater distances where depth perception is not apparent.