Stupid scope question...
 

yes yes, I already know, I'm a noob with no experience or knowledge. whatever. thats why I'm here, trying to learn.

While researching scopes, I've found that they always have a bunch of numbers attached. Example:

50mm 3x9

I assume the 50mm is the size of the lens. what are the other two? I figure they describe how intense the scope magnifies, but how do the two numbers interact with each other? how do I read these numbers?

thanks for any help you guys can offer.

its 3-9x and refers to zoom, from 3x(times) zoom up to 9x

btw - shouldnt this be under accessories discussion?

how does one control the zoom factor?

by turning a little whell on your scope.

if that doesn't work then take it down, put it back in the box and return it as soon as you can.

okay... I dont have one yet...I have always just wanted to understand the numbers.

Your example shows 50mm 3x9, which doesn't really follow usual scope spec methods.

Almost every scope I've seen is spec'd as PxO (Or, Power x Objective)
3x50mm for a scope of 3 power/magnification with a 50mm objective lense.
were you perhaps meaning to write
3-9x50mm? This would mean the scope goes from a min of 3 to a max of 9 power, with a 50mm objective lense.

The Objective Lense isn't the piece you look through, it's the lense closest to the object your looking at. The larger this is, the bigger your Field of View, and the more light is let into the scope (making what you see through your end brighter.)

I hope that helped... cause a 50mm 3x9 sounds like a 5cm length scope with a 3x magnification and a 9 mm objective lense.

Hell... that's pretty much the peep hole on Apartment Doors!

Haha, thanks for the awsome description of the numbers...I think I've got it now.

And I wrote 50mm 3x9 exactly as the site showed it. *shrugs* their fault, not mine.

Usually is... :-|