Chapter 2: Roof and Porro Prism Binoculars

The two types of binoculars available in market today come in 2 general designs: Porro Prism Binoculars and Roof Prism Binoculars. They both use image-erecting prisms so you can see images in the correct orientation.

See the comparison of the two here:

Prism	Roof	Porro
General Information	Have straight tubes Newer design by Zeiss and Leitz companies during the 1960s	Named after Italian designer Ignazio Porro Standard design pre-1960s
Design	The straight tube design gives the appearance of light traveling in a straight path with complex light path High-end roof prism binoculars requires more complex light pathways and are usually costly as a result	A classic “dog leg”, wider frame design The objective lens is spaced offset from the eyepiece Simpler light path with higher light efficiency
Advantages	Generally more compact Easier to carry around on traveling trips or to spectator events	Rich depth of field & wide field of view Lower cost to produce
Disadvantages	In most cases, roof prisms are much more expensive to produce Requires more optical precision to manufacture Comparing dollar-for-dollar, the roof prisms are more costly for the same performance as the Porro	Bulkier design The less expensive prisms (the BK-7) may not have circular, perfect exit pupils

Figure 2.1 Comparison between Roof and Porro Binoculars

See the comparison of the two here:

Other Special Features of Binoculars

Customer Service

About Us

Company Info