8 vs 10 power binos

Looked around and was surprised I didn't see another thread on this topic.

What power binos are people using freehand for longer-range (out to a mile) glassing? 8 to 10 power seems to be the norm. Supposedly you can't hold a binoculars steady enough to get any advantage past 8x, but 10x sure seems to be popular!

I've tried both and agree that 8x is less shaky, however my 8x are full size and my 10x are compact. Also, they are both low-end glass, so I feel I'm not learning much from that.

what do you guys think, does 10x give you any advantage over 8x freehand, or do you need to brace on something to make it worth it?

I use 8X. I've tried 10 but they seem a bit shakey and I get eye strain. That said the main thing I use mine for are spotting gulls over schooling stripers at various distances. The 10x are even more uncomfortable in a rocking boat. Probably not what you are looking for but I figured I'd weigh in.

For western style hunting I use 10X but I wouldn't be very steady without a binocular harness. For tree stand hunting in my home state I prefer 8X without a harness.

I'm strictly a Western state hunter, mainly elk and mule deer. I like the 10 power binoculars and with age I've noticed that I'm not as steady as I used to be. My solution has been, I pack trekking poles and use one of them when glassing. Can be quite steady using them. Good luck with your decision.

Good advice here. I'm leaning toward the 8x. Seems like a hunting style preference. I'd be pretty handicapped by a pair of binos I need to stabilize in some way. Eye strain is a concern too, I have very good eyesight, but I've definitely given myself a headache a few times trying to stare things down through shaky optics.

10x to find / locate. I have my spotting scope to judge.

ran swaro cl companions that are 10x32 for the last few years and carried a Leica 2800.com to range, really liked the light weight of the binos and how they handled. nothing glassed over 900ish yards at game and usually only for a few hours at a time but they were good enough and the system worked fine for me for years.
I bought a set of geovid pro 8x32's off the classifieds here the other day and spent Saturday morning in the field with them. I know it's apples and oranges and all that but the pros were noticeably heavier and bulkier but in use I liked them more, glassing felt smoother with them for lack of a better word.

liked the 8's enough I'll end up selling the other setup.

Hikinghunter said:

Looked around and was surprised I didn't see another thread on this topic.

What power binos are people using freehand for longer-range (out to a mile) glassing? 8 to 10 power seems to be the norm. Supposedly you can't hold a binoculars steady enough to get any advantage past 8x, but 10x sure seems to be popular!

I've tried both and agree that 8x is less shaky, however my 8x are full size and my 10x are compact. Also, they are both low-end glass, so I feel I'm not learning much from that.

what do you guys think, does 10x give you any advantage over 8x freehand, or do you need to brace on something to make it worth it?

Click to expand...

I use 8x30s for most of my hunting as they are lighter and easier to steady. If I'm stand hunting or sitting on a hilltop trying to spot game, I go with the 10x40s.

I have both 8x and 10x lightweight compact binos and the only preference I have is that the 8x have a wider field of view but for anything beyond 100yds I'd definitely prefer the 10x. Both are Zeiss and frankly my larger binoculars with the big lenses (also Zeiss) end up staying at home for SE US hunting. The only advantage I see in them is low light viewing but even then it's only the very last few or first few minutes of daylight and then my rifle scope is fine.

All that is based on my living and doing most of my hunting in the piney woods of NW Florida and that's an all together different type of optics use than "out west" were I prefer to hunt but can't afford many trips out there very often.

That's why I hold onto my bigger optics and spotting scopes.

BTW.... I've owned Zeiss, Bushnell, Leupold, Swarovski and various other binos and my preference has settled on Zeiss mostly for the good color recognition and overall quality of lenses. Swarovski might have had a small advantage in clarity but I just couldn't get used to the fact that I couldn't spot color differences as easily as with other optics.

One more thing... For anyone that hasn't used Kowa spotting scopes, you simply don't know what you're missing and they're also a great deal for the money.

I have used both 8x and 10x and prefer 8 for 90% of my application. I primarily hunt in timber and in the hardwoods of the east, but I don't feel like trips west are hindered. My current set up is SLC 8x42 and a Leica 2800 rangefinder. I love this setup.

Whatever you decide, I know that getting your own system dialed in is awesome. It took me some trial and error with both 10x and 8X models. I would also add that I absolutely love the SLC models. Previously had EL model and I don't know why and I'm probably in the minority, but the SLC is my favorite. Just works so well for my eyes.

Good luck!

I have used both 8X, and 10X for LRH and prefer my 8x bino's. As others have mentioned, after a full day of glassing I experience less eye fatigue due to less shake, and the greater coverage area over the 10x is material. At least for me, under most circumstances it's sufficient magnification to establish whether I should get on my rifle, spotting scope, or pass/keep glassing.

Anyone tried the Maven binos? I don't know about them but the glass in my Maven rangefinder is pretty doggone good. For what I do with binos though I don't need expensive.

8x for me. I use the Swarovski 8x42 SLC and an older Leica rangefinder. I prefer the broader field of view of the 8x.

I use 10x, don't have any issues with eye strain or steadying.

With binoculars, I highly recommend going to a store that is open at dusk and that will let you stand outside and look at objects in the distance. Everyone's eyes are slightly different and a better image for one person may not be the same for you.

Also, if you are going to pack a spotting scope or always have someone with that does; clarity of image may be more important to you than magnification in your binoculars.