Porro Prism Binoculars Vs Roof

Porro prisms are the more traditional ones and these are seen in older binoculars with a zig zag shape.

Porro prism binoculars vs roof.

Roof prism binoculars have lately become more popular than porro prism binoculars. Roof prism binoculars were compact light and comfortable to hold. Prism in roof binoculars doesn t reflect 100 of the light that enters its lenses. Roof prism design looks as if the light goes straight through.

Though it is more cumbersome than roof prism binocular its less complex. They made the offset zig zag shape of the porro prism design look as old fashioned as propeller driven aircraft. Roof prism bino sets are often much more expensive than porro designs of the same magnification. The difference between porro prism and roof prism binoculars is in the design and the respective features.

And they re much better for overall general use. Porro prism design has a jog in the light path through each barrel. The prims are in the shape of a right angled triangle and they reflect the light rays through the binoculars so you see your image clearly. That s why usually porro binoculars produce brighter image.

So if you re on a tight budget go ahead and look for a porro set sporting bak 4 prisms. In roof binoculars prisms are arranged in a straight line which makes roof binoculars more compact and lightweight compared to porro binoculars. Roof prisms are the newer option. However porro prism binoculars are great watching birds or other small objects.