Try Purchase Opera Glasses To See The Show

Posted by | Posted on 3:06 AM

By Jeff Bridges

Opera glasses are often called theater binoculars. These optical instruments are compact and low in power, but useful in magnification of the performers. Originally the glasses were used exclusively at operas. Due to the lower light conditions the magnification power of opera glasses is always kept under 5x power and most are at a 3x power.

In some ways, opera glasses may look like binoculars. They are however designed for use indoors. They are useful for those at an opera or other performance who have seats that are seated in the back of the theater or in the balconies. The give the theater goers the ability to see the stage from the locations that are far away.

Opera glasses work on a different optical basis than do binoculars. Binoculars are classified as a matched set of folded telescopes while opera glasses are made on the principle of a Galileo's first telescope. They have a convex lens nearest the stage and a convex lens nearer the eye. This makes the image to appear right side up, unlike other telescopes. The image is not the quality of binoculars, but is still acceptable for indoor viewing of shows. In addition mirrors are not needed as they are in binoculars.

The design of opera glasses is so that they are small. They should not be obtrusive or distracting to other theater goers. Some models are designed to fold so that they easily fit into the pocket or purse.

Use of opera glasses may take some work to get used to. One way to see if you enjoy the use of opera glasses is to rent a pair. Rental is often available in larger theaters where they are needed most and inexpensive.

During the nineteenth century, opera goers used spectacles that had a long handle called a lorgnette. These glasses were more ornamental than useful. The lorgnette was preferred to spectacles by some of the more fashionable ladies. Some of the fancier opera glasses that are used today are shaped after the lorgnette of that time.

Opera glasses use is certainly a personal choice. While some patrons find them very useful when trying to follow a story line other find them quite annoying and unnecessary to follow the plot. Of you do not want to use opera glasses, but have difficulty in following a story line, you may want to pay more for a better seat next time to get a better view of the show without using the glasses.

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