DEON is a pioneer in the use of wide-angle eyepieces to provide the shooter with a wider than usual field of view (FOV).  DEON introduced this wide FOV with the initial version of the March-FX 5-42X56 FFP High Master back in 2019. The measurement of the FOV capability of s riflescope is something called the AAOV (apparent angle of view) or AOV (angle of view). The unit of measure for this measurement is an angle, and that will be something about 20° for most common riflescopes, anywhere from 17° to about 22°. This AOV is applicable to the low end of the magnification scale as well as the high end. A proper riflescope should have the same AOV at throughout the magnification range. It is more difficult to have a wide AOV at the low end of the magnification compared to the high end and this is why some supposedly wide-angle riflescopes have a narrower AOV at the low end compared to the high end. These are called double vision scopes in other words tunneling effect. (* For March Scopes, all our models have the same AOV throughout the magnification range, but only for 5-42×56 it is different. The AOV is 26 degrees throughout the magnification range except at 5x which is 25 degrees. )　

DEON prides itself of riflescopes design that have the same AOV throughout the magnification range. The most recent one is the March-X 8-80X56 SFP HM Majesta with a 25° AOV from 8X to 80X. The March-FX 4.5-28X52 FFP HM also has the same 25° AOV.  The March-FX 5-42X56 FFP HM has the widest 26° AOV among all our riflescopes, throughout its entire range except at 5x which is 25 degrees. At 26°, FOV is 70% larger when compared to the size of the area of the standard 20°.  At 25°, FOV is 60% larger in area comparing to the standard size.

The benefits of wide-angle viewing are many, and one would think that more is better, but as in all optical formula, there is a trade-off.  The biggest trade-off is what is commonly referred to as the eyebox, but in effect, in this case, it’s the eye relief.  To present a wide field of view, the eye relief may be reduced and thus create eyebox issues where none existed before. There are also issues of chromatic aberration creeping in because the light must be bent further to reach the edges of the larger eyepiece. Yes, a wider FOV requires a larger eyepiece, adding bulk, weight, and complexity.  Some people have reported information overload using wide angle eyepieces, to the point where they may become a distraction when you’re trying to hit a small target.

To this end, DEON figured out sometime back, that 25 to 26° AOV was pretty much optimum for riflescopes, the Goldilocks AOV Zone, and worked hard to enhance the viewing experience at those numbers.  The March wide-angle riflescopes all present the same AOV throughout their ranges and the use of Super-ED lenses virtually eliminates any CA, especially on the periphery of the image.  The eyebox experience is not affected at these AOV values and the shooter gets the benefit of the much larger FOV without the downsides that manifest themselves at larger values.

*The above article was contributed by Denys Beauchemin (a long time March Scope owner, member at Bayou Rifles in Texas and also the designer of the industry-first F-Class MTR-WFD reticle in the March 8-80×56 Majesta riflescope) and then reviewed by DEON’s engineer.