Why do Binoculars have Red (Ruby-Coated) Lenses?

The color of your lenses can have a big impact on your experience when looking through binoculars. Red lens binoculars offer the best contrast and sharpness in low light conditions, which is why they’re often called night vision binoculars.

Ruby or Red Coating on Binoculars lenses was originally developed by Steiner Optics to help hunters have a sharp and clear view of their prey. However, many manufacturers copied the idea to sell binoculars with red, green or blue coatings that merely serve any purposes.

The reason for better contrast in red lenses is that human eyes adjust better to dim light than it does to bright light, so if you use a pair of red lens binoculars, you’ll be able to see much better in low-light conditions. Also, it reduces glare from water or snow.

Ruby Coated Lenses – Purpose

The purpose of the ruby coating on binoculars is to reduce the amount of blue light entering your eye, which can distort your vision and disrupt your natural night vision. This is done because the human eye adjusts better to dim light than it does to bright light, so if you use a pair of binoculars with red lenses, you’ll be able to see much better in low-light conditions.

3 Benefits of Red Coated Binocular Lenses

Prevents your Eyes from being Dazzled by Light — If you are using binoculars during daytime, the red lens will help prevent light from overloading your eye.

Enhances Contrast — It helps in enhancing the contrast in low-light conditions due to its ability to reduce the amount of blue light entering your eye.

Improves Depth Perception in low-light Conditions — The reason for this is that it reduces the amount of brightness in low-light conditions, which is likely when hunting at night, hence when one sees an object through a pair of binoculars with red lenses, it has more depth perception than when they are viewing the same object under direct sunlight.

Are Red Coated Binoculars Lenses Good for Hunting?

Yes, they are! Ruby-coated binoculars lenses are a great choice if you’re going to use your binoculars for hunting because it will have a clearer picture and sharper vision by not producing”too bright” image.

Hunting at night can be more difficult as compared to daytime. In order to compensate for this, hunters need to use low-light settings with their hunting optics.

 If you are into Hunting, then do not miss out on our Top Picks for Hunting & Night-Hunting Binoculars 

Why Cheap Binoculars Also Use Red Coating on Lenses?

Cheap binoculars are often of poor quality and hence use the artificial ruby coating on lenses to make them look attractive. They also often use green or blue coatings to enhance the overall look of binoculars.

These coatings also help cheap binocular manufacturers to hide any defects on the lenses. Therefore, you must be careful about the real ruby coating and the fake ones to prevent any scam.

Conclusion

If you are a hunter who loves hunting in low-light conditions, it is best to invest in red-coated lenses binoculars. The benefits of having these lenses are that it is effective in low-light conditions and it allows your eyes to adjust better to the dim light, thus enhancing your vision.