How to Use A Monocular – Ultimate Beginner’s Guide!

 

Since you have searched “How to use a monocular,” this most likely means that you are familiar with the purpose and mechanical/technical aspects of the device. So, let’s skip all those boring details and jump straight to knowing how to use these small yet amazing telescopes considering you have successfully found the best monocular after a lot of research.

 

How to use a monocular?

Use the dominant eye

 

In case you have impaired vision, it is vital to use your eye with the superior vision while using a monocular. Hold the monocular close to your eye. Make sure you are using the hand on the same side of your dominant eye. This is a useful monocular using tip even when you have normal vision.

If you are not certain about which eye is the dominant one, there are several tests you can take to find it out. Also, various articles are available on the internet which can determine your dominant eye.

 

No problem with glasses

 

If you are a regular spectacle user and want to use a monocular, you better put those glasses on. Press the monocular gently against your glasses as you peek into it. To help aid the field of your view, you can fold down the rubber end.

14mm of eye relief in a monocular is a great choice if you wear glasses. It’s because you can hold the monocular minimum 14mm away from your eye and yet see clearly through it. The eye relief size will be clearly stated on the monocular storage box or on the manufacturer’s website.

 

How to hold the device?

 

Method 1: Place the monocular onto your eye.

 

At the same time grip the barrel close to the lens near you (ocular lens). The lens has to be as close as possible to the eye without touching it. To maintain focus, close the other eye and to make the monocular steady, rest the forefinger against your brow. To keep your arm still, place your elbow against your body.

 

Other ways to steady the monocular

 

• Hold your wrist still with the other hand
• Provide a balanced anchor for the lens by laying on your stomach and resting elbows on the ground.
• Not touching any one of the lenses on the scope.

 

Adjust your focus

you can adjust some monocular by rotating the ridged dial by one finger. Other monoculars need both hands to be adjusted. Rotate the dial in another direction if the view becomes blurry when you rotate it in one direction.

 

Method 2: Track and trace with your monocular

 

Locate the object

 

Position your eyes and feet straight at the desired object. Before looking through the monocular, look at the object. This makes it easier to find the object once you see through the monocular.

Move your head with the target: if your target is moving, follow the target with your vision. Slowly move your body with the target if it moves to a great distance. You can lose track of your target if you move abruptly.

Read Also: Best Coffee Machine Brands

Refocus: as your target might move across near and far distances, you will have to refocus your lenses. You can practice this focusing activity by changing focus on a ball rolling back and forth to learn this skill fast.

 

Refrain from moving: when you have the monocular pressed against your eye, it is not wise to move around. This is because the monocular only shows objects far away and not the ones close to you. So if you use it during activities like walking, running, driving or paddling, you may trip or injure yourself by a nearby object. It’s best to turn your body to keep an eye on a moving target.

 

Advanced monocular cues: to understand the position of your target better

 

“Monocular cues” mean what one of our eyes interpret while the other is closed. They essentially help us to know the actual physical distance i.e. how far/near our target is from us. Here is a set of different points to help you focus better on your monocular:

 

Large and small: even when two objects of different sizes are placed at the same point, the larger target will appear closer than the smaller one

 

Familiarity with the size: if you are well aware of the shape/size of the object, you can assess better about how near/far the other objects are from you in the scene.

 

Comparative size: when two targets are of the same size, the larger target appears much closer to you.

 

Aerial view: if there are multiple targets at the scene, the ones farther away from you seem blurry or hazy.

 

Linear view: with two targets positioned parallel to each other, as the targets come closer to one another, the distance of the target from your position increases.

 

Overlapping or interposition: between two overlapping targets, the one that partially blocks the view of the other target seems to be closer.

Also read: Meet Lemuel Nsiah-Kusi, the KNUST graduate who didn’t mind doing a cleaning job for 6 months

Parallax motion: while moving with multiple targets, the nearer one moves much rapidly with you than the others.

 

Light and shadow: not properly visible or shaded targets seem farther than bright ones

 

Distortion of texture elements: consider watching a bird with beautiful feathers with colorful spots. As it moves farther from the original point you noticed it at, the vibrant spots become less visible.

 

 

Some things to keep in mind for a monocular user:

• Initially practice focusing on still objects before moving on to targets in motion.

 

• The magnification of your monocular is inversely proportional to its field of focus. It might also be more critical to stabilize.

 

• Don’t touch the monocular’s lenses as your fingers can leave marks and blur your vision.

 

• It’s essential to keep monocular in its case after use as the lens is delicate. Permanent scratches can appear if kept outside. Debris on the lens has to be removed very gently to avoid unwanted scratch formations.

 

Points to consider while using a night vision/infrared monocular:

 

• Never look directly into the infrared light! Your night vision monocular consists of an almost invisible infrared light. Staring right into it can harm or even worse, impair your vision for ever.

 

• Using your IR monocular in intense bright light conditions can gradually damage its image intensifier.

 

• Always consider covering the lens with its cover whenever you are not using it.

 

• If you come across dark/bright spots on the image intensifier tube of your monocular, Don’t panic. It’s a very common issue.

 

Taking Care of your Monocular

 

It is essential to take care of your monocular if you want to guarantee its long term and accurate use. Compared to other telescopic equipment, monoculars are easy to take care of. But proper handling, storing and cleaning is mandatory. Go through your instructions manual thoroughly and learn about the basics of lens technology

.

Use straps: your monocular can come with a strap with itself or you can buy this essential accessory on your own. Either way, keep the strap wrapped around your wrist or neck. This reduces the monocular’s chance of dropping and breaking. This precaution is significant if you are riding on a boat or around water as the monocular can accidentally fall and sink.

 

Lens caps: you MUST have the lens cap on place whenever you are not using the monocular. That way, the lens will be protected from debris, dust or water.

 

Wipe that lens! If you don’t clean your monocular’s lens for a while, your view will be obstructed or blurry. Eyeglass wipes are available and you can use them to clean up the lens. You can also use a can of compressed air to blow away any speck of dust or sand particles sitting on the lens. Even though they appear mild, window cleaners, toilet tissue or paper are too harsh for the monocular’s delicate lens and using them creates micro scratches instead. It’s best to avoid them. Sometimes we are lazy to fetch a wipe and choose to clean the lens with our t-shirts instead. In this case, the T shirt will leave streaks on the lens if you used fabric softener to do your laundry.