The porro prism design was simpler and more light efficient and its images showed better contrast.
Roof prism design.
Roof prisms in binoculars.
However the costs of producing roof prisms are higher than those for porro prism binoculars.
Dachkante lit roof edge is a reflective optical prism containing a section where two faces meet at a 90 angle.
Roof prisms are the newer option.
Roof prisms enable slim binoculars.
While light loss and transmission rates are huge factors in optical quality there are many other factors that allows a roof prism bino for possible.
Today roof prisms dominate the top end birding binocular market.
Nevertheless the roof prism design s appeal was so great that manufacturers went all out to perfect it.
Roof prism binoculars with premium glass and precision prisms produce high quality images.
While the roof prism design is inferior to the porro prism in its basic form roof prisms often have higher quality glass and stricter engineering controls versus cheap porro prism binos.
Differences in binoculars build and design.
Reflection from the two 90 faces returns an image that is flipped laterally across the axis where the faces meet.
The open bridge design has a focus mechanism close to the eyepiece with the stabilizing section towards the objectives while the closed bridge design has an enclosed focus mechanism.
The design of the prisms means they work together to correct blurred images and let you see your target clearly.
These two 90 faces resemble the roof of a building giving this prism type its name.