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Largest objective size for roof binos?

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shaocaholica View Drop Down
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    Posted: July/27/2009 at 14:23
Seems like the limiting factor for objective size is IPD.  Where the objective size is pretty much the minimum IPD plus a little overhead for the actual housing.  So what's the absolute minimum IPD that would work for most of the adult population?  Seems like 50mm is already pushing it for females.
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Klamath View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Klamath Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/27/2009 at 14:35
The biggest that pops to mind is 56mm.  About the only complaint ever heard about the Swarovski 15x56 is that it has IPD measurements too wide for at least some people.
Steve
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shaocaholica View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shaocaholica Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/27/2009 at 14:44
So I guess Swaro thinks that 56mm is good for most of us.  You could always shave off housing thickness to get a few mm.  I think I might have seen a cheapie 60mm roof but its probably not worth buying.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/29/2009 at 19:26
If you look carefully, you will see that with some roof prism binoculars, the IPD is a little smaller than the spacing between the centers of the objective lenses.

Some roof prism designs offset the eyepieces from the objective lenses a little.

In practical terms though, once you start making roof prism designs with a bit of an offset, why not just go to a simpler porro prism and be done with it?

The largest objective lens I recall on a roof prism binocular is 60mm (Fuji bino no longer available, I think), while 56mm is pretty common on roofs (Swaro, Vortex, Nikon, etc all make them).

Minox makes or used to make recently a 58mm roof prism binocular.

ILya
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