What’s a musical performance without having close up glimpses of the artist’s facial expressions and costumes? Looking at them sing and play with passion, playing dramatic melodies which capture the soul is enough to make one feel like they’re in heaven. Well, this may be a ‘bit’ of an exaggeration, but come to think of it: musical performances are much better when you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere and look directly at them. A combination of becoming part of the audience and having close up shots of the musician will result in the perfect experience.
Bringing regular outdoor binoculars to a performance is overkill, though. Not to mention, they aren’t among the classiest of objects to carry around in a theater. What you’re looking for are opera glasses. They look similar to regular binoculars, but are much more compact and stylish. You’ll look pretty sophisticated carrying one of these things around. This article will present some good quality binoculars for musicals:
The first item is the Blueline Opera Glass by BARSKA. These opera glasses are absolutely gorgeous to look at. They come with a 5 inch gripping handle, and weigh a mere 4.5 ounces. The lenses are 3×25, which means a large exit pupil and some good eye relief. The 3x zoom doesn’t hurt one bit, and is pretty much all that is needed in a theater anyways. The glasses come with a storage pouch, but it isn’t good in terms of quality, looks or feel, and you may want to get another pouch instead. The glasses have a roof prism, and a centered focus wheel to allow easy focus adjustment for you. Overall, this item is a relatively high end buy, and is good in terms of quality.
Next, we have the Theatre Vintage Glasses by Uarter. These glasses are somewhat cheaper than the pair given above. The design is nice, with a foldable handle similar to the Blueline Opera by BARSKA. The focus wheel is also in the center in a similar fashion. It has a 3x magnification, which is normally all that is required for indoor concerts and musicals. However, longer distances may be difficult to cover with this pair. They are only meant for smaller distances, and recommended for buyers who don’t have much experience with opera glasses and don’t want to spend too much on their first pair.
Lastly, binoculars for musicals without a handle might interest you. The Broadway 325F Opera Glasses by Levenhuk. Their price is pretty much in between the other two glasses given above, and in terms of quality, they exceed the Theatre Vintage Glasses by Uarter. They are great in terms of looks, and instead of a handle, they provide a chain, which gives them a different look. They have the same 3x magnification as their competitors. One feature that really sets this item apart is the LED backlight, which makes visibility all the more better. This opera glass isn’t a bad pick at all. In fact, it might be the best item to purchase from the list.