Why Do Binoculars Have Red Lenses? Pros & Cons

Binoculars are very useful tools that make life easier when you go out hunting or birding. But we have seen many different colors of lenses that are used to give you top-class visuals. In the recent past, almost all binoculars had red lenses. Have you thought and tried asking yourself why do binoculars have red lenses? In this guide, we cover everything about the colors of lenses that are used in binoculars. 

Why do binoculars have red lenses: The different colors of lenses are due to the level of coatings that are applied on the lenses to improve the quality of visuals. The binoculars having red lenses are called ruby-coated binoculars and that ruby coating that makes the lenses red reduces the effect of redness in the image and supports greenish and bluish colors which help in hunting in low light conditions.

It was a short introduction to ruby-coated binoculars that have red lenses. Do you have a serious interest and want to know more about the colors of lenses? Keep reading and you will definitely learn new things about the lenses and their colors.

Also Read: Why Are Binoculars So Expensive?

Why Do Binoculars Have Red Lenses? In-Depth Answer

We are living in a time of competition and every brand is looking to provide better quality to get more sales. The same goes for the optics industry. To get better visual quality, binoculars are coated as the coating increases the transmission of light. 

These layers of the level of coating have a direct impact on the colors of the lenses. It is believed that the redness effect in the image distorts the person who is hunting in low light conditions. 

Those binoculars made for hunters have such a coating level that makes the lenses color red but the image that such binoculars provide is bluish and greenish. The red colors get filtered out.

The coating which makes the lenses red is called ruby coating. You might have seen binoculars that have a ruby coating on their lenses. The lenses then look red and make the image bluish and greenish. At low light conditions, the bluish and greenish effect makes the image sharper. 

Fact: Steiner was the first optics company who made used ruby coating and launched binoculars with red lenses

What is the red lens on binoculars?

Red lenses of binoculars are due to the coating which is called ruby coating. With the help of this type of coating, the reddish effect gets filtered out and the image looks bluish and greenish which is useful when you aim to use your binoculars for hunting in low light conditions.

Misuse of Red Lenses

In the past, many companies advertised their binoculars using red lenses. The usage of red in the lens makes the binoculars more attractive and eye-catching. This advertising campaign worked really well for a shorter duration. Initially, people did give them attention and bought their products. 

But with time, this technique failed as these companies were not putting effort to make their product useful: instead, they were just cheating people by showing the red lenses that make the binoculars beautiful.

People soon got their trick and stopped focusing on the lenses’ colors!

Now, few brands use red lenses in their binoculars. Their purpose for using red lenses is to make them perfect for hunting. If you’re going hunting, then we recommend you to choose red lens binoculars as they will provide you with a sharper and clearer image. 

Note: If you’re not going to use your optics in low light conditions, then don’t buy them as they won’t give you ideal visual performance in daylight conditions. The extra greenish and bluish effect will make your eyes tired.

Red lenses: Are they good or bad? Pros & Cons

Nothing made on this earth is useless. Red tinted lenses are good in way that they give you an excellent image in lowlight conditions by reducing the reddish effect. With green and bluish colors, the image looks really sharp and clear.

But they have no usage in daylight. In fact, they do reduce the reddish effect in the image and prominent the bluish and greenish color which make the image awkward in daylight. For sure, you won’t like the effect of the red-tinted lenses in daylight.

Note: Buy binoculars with red color lenses only if you aim to go hunting in low light conditions.

Conclusion

Don’t be a victim of those advertisement campaigns set by optics companies. Instead, we encourage you to get complete information about binoculars to make sure that you make informed decisions.

Red lenses binoculars are very useful when used for hunting. But they don’t have any special role when you use your binoculars in daylight conditions. In Fact, the greenish effect in the image makes your mode off as their image gets too cold.

However, our aim was to provide in-depth knowledge. We hope you will be able to point out why binoculars have red lenses when asked by someone else. We hope that this guide will be very useful for you. We’re signing off for now!