A binoviewer is an optical device designed to enable binocular viewing through a single objective, primarily to reduce fatigue when peering down a single objective.
A binoviewer is an optical device designed to enable binocular viewing through a single objective, primarily to reduce fatigue when peering down a single objective.
In contrast to binoculars and stereo microscopes, which provide independent optical paths to each eye, both images in the binoviewer are produced by the same objective: 98 and do not differ except for aberrations induced by the binoviewer itself. Because the eyes and brain still process the image binocularly, it provides a false stereoscopic view from a fundamentally monocular design.
A binoviewer consists of a beam splitter which splits the image provided by the objective into two identical (but fainter) copies,: 98 and a system of prisms or mirrors that relay the images to a pair of identical eyepieces. The two eyepieces serve to provide greater viewing comfort.: 196 : 87
The binoviewer was first popularized by a design credited to Francis Herbert Wenham around 1860.: 197 : 94 The binoviewer was refined using roof prisms by Jentzsch and Siedentopf in the 1910s.: 38 : 47
Binoviewers are a standard component of laboratory microscopes and are also used with optical telescopes, particularly in amateur astronomy.
Trinocular splitters are also used, where a camera is to be attached as well.
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