

For comparison, most binoculars have 40 to 50 millimeter objective lenses and spotting scopes will be 50 to 100 millimeters. Most range finders fall in the 20 to 25 millimeter range. An objective lens diameter is basically the size of the viewing field created by the exit lens on your range finder. The viewing scope of the range finder is monocular like a telescope or spotting scope but generally has a much smaller objective lens. The same could be said for most riflescopes, but it’s not a good idea to use a firearm’s optics to scan an area for hopefully obvious reasons, so a range finder makes a better alternative. If you hunt only densely treed areas such as Eastern hardwood forests, a decent range finder may allow you to leave the binoculars at home. It also makes it easier to transition from binoculars to range finder since binoculars are likely somewhere in the 8x to 18x range of magnification. Being zoomed in a bit makes it easier to range a specific target in your field of view, which might be more than a mile away. Range finders usually feature a small amount of magnification: between about 5 and 10x. Show more What to Consider in a Range Finder Magnification
