1. Opera glasses maintain some of the properties of binoculars, but are designed for use in indoor venues. They allow you to see costume details, facial expressions, and dance moves clearly from any seat position.
2. Opera glasses are often as much of a fashion accessory as they are a useful tool. Many opera glasses feature stylish designs well-suited to an opera-goer's elegant attire.
3. In addition to being fashionable, some models are considered highly collectible, too. Look for those decorated with Swarovski crystal or decorative colored accents.
4. Lorgnette opera glasses are an homage to a bygone era. They are elegantly designed, beautifully crafted, and feature a foldable handle.
5. Fold-up binoculars are the most convenient of the opera glass models. They fold down into a compact case, which can easily be slipped into a pocket or purse.
6. Most opera glasses feature center focus, which is easy to use, as it only needs to be set once. Some models offer fixed focus, which is automatic and never needs to be set at all.
7. Opera glasses generally feature a magnification of about 3x, which is strong enough to zoom right in on the set, but not so strong that your field of view is lost.
8. Extended zoom models are not considered an option because of the fact that, with a very long zoom, most light is lost, and these units are designed for use indoors, where ambient light is at a priority.
9. Opera glasses typically feature objective lenses of 21 to 25 millimeters. This larger lens size allows in a good amount of ambient light, making for a crisper, brighter image.
10. As any camera enthusiast will tell you, focusing indoors is tricky when light is limited. That's why these models are specifically designed for indoor use, and why a typical binocular or monocular may not do the job.
