For decades, 8x Leicas have done the job both here in the woods and out on the prairie. Tried 10x, but like others have said, eye strain and shake made the 8x much more desirable. I also use smaller 6x Kowa's at times when sitting on woods stands....
8 vs 10 power binos
- Thread starter Hikinghunter
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Here's my 2 cents worth. If your a tree hunter 8X all the way. If you hunt in the open mountains or desert (like myself) and are glassing for far away animals the 10X is the way to go. If you're getting eye strain then it is because you have boughten cheap glass. Quality bio's are worth every penny you spend on them. I have spent 2 hours watching my nephew stock an Antelope without any eye stain, Swarovski 18x56.
A trick I learned to help hold my 10X Zeiss is to bring my elbow in close together and prop them on my chest while glassing kinda like a tripod. Also I'm a bow hunter and I rest them on top of my bow.
A trick I learned to help hold my 10X Zeiss is to bring my elbow in close together and prop them on my chest while glassing kinda like a tripod. Also I'm a bow hunter and I rest them on top of my bow.
Flip a coin. Pretty insignificant difference between 8 and 10 in my opinion. If primary use is out west then 10 if back east with limited distance then go 8 for the wider view. Personally whichever you can find the best deal with the best glass is what I'd buy. These right now are a fantastic buy….. I'm not a Vortex guy but their UHD Binos are pretty dang good when comparing.
www.eurooptic.com
Vortex Razor UHD 8x42 Binocular RZB-3101
Vortex Razor UHD 8x42 Binocular RZB-3101 are designed to be the most versatile long-range binoculars! The superb optical system in the Razor UHD Binoculars is protected by a lightweight, durable magnesium alloy chassis. Shop Vortex Optic online.
azarcher10x
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I prefer 10x for normal glassing. 15x on a tripod. Most eye strain (other than from cheap glass) comes from having to small of an exit pupil. (Not having big enough objective lenses) My preference is 10x54. They are awesome even in low light!
fta0303
Well-Known Member
Years ago, I bought a pair of Swarovski 8 power, mostly due to lighter weight, but also conscious of the idea that 8 power is optimium combination of magnification and image stability. I inhereited my Dad's 10 Swarovski of about the same generation, and they bore out that conventional wisom. In the last 10 years, I bought a pair of 12 power Swaros, which are light, and for some reason as stable as the 8's I already had. Improved ergo, reduced weight, dunno, but todays 12 power Swaros are good held in hand, especially when you reflect on the fact that you can nearly always find something to brace yourself on.
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
I use 12x binos for hunting groundhogs and never noticed an issue with their intermittent use throughout the day. Other than that, 8x seems to cover most bases.
Crockett12
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I don't have 8x binos but some years ago I bought a pair of Swarovski
7x SLC binoculars and they're as heavy as a pair of 10x SLC binoculars I got for Christmas 2 years ago. According to the Swarovski web site they weigh almost 2 lbs, which is quite heavy for binoculars. I wear a simple harness similar to the Vortex Binocular Harness Strap that I got years ago from Cabela's and I don't even notice the weight. I'm certainly more steady with the 7x bino's and have heard the complaint about not being steady enough with anything beyond 8x and 10x. Yes, the 10x Sworo's aren't quite as steady as the 7x Sworo's but I can still glass all day with the 10x Sworo's because the weight of the Sworo's help with the steadyness -- and even though I can tell the difference in steadyness, it's not that much different -- but I wouldn't want 12x or greater without a tripod!
I also have a pair of 10x Leupold Cascades which weigh about 1.5 lbs but feel noticeably lighter than the 10x Swaro's and the resolution is noticable poorer than the Sworo's! I couldn't glass all day with the Leupolds because they are more shaky due to the lighter weight!
Also there's this: since the resolution of the 7x Sworo's is so much better than the 10x Leupolds, I can find and identify game at a much further distance in the wide open west with the 7x Sworo's than I can with the 10x Leupolds!
7x SLC binoculars and they're as heavy as a pair of 10x SLC binoculars I got for Christmas 2 years ago. According to the Swarovski web site they weigh almost 2 lbs, which is quite heavy for binoculars. I wear a simple harness similar to the Vortex Binocular Harness Strap that I got years ago from Cabela's and I don't even notice the weight. I'm certainly more steady with the 7x bino's and have heard the complaint about not being steady enough with anything beyond 8x and 10x. Yes, the 10x Sworo's aren't quite as steady as the 7x Sworo's but I can still glass all day with the 10x Sworo's because the weight of the Sworo's help with the steadyness -- and even though I can tell the difference in steadyness, it's not that much different -- but I wouldn't want 12x or greater without a tripod!
I also have a pair of 10x Leupold Cascades which weigh about 1.5 lbs but feel noticeably lighter than the 10x Swaro's and the resolution is noticable poorer than the Sworo's! I couldn't glass all day with the Leupolds because they are more shaky due to the lighter weight!
Also there's this: since the resolution of the 7x Sworo's is so much better than the 10x Leupolds, I can find and identify game at a much further distance in the wide open west with the 7x Sworo's than I can with the 10x Leupolds!
Rick Richard
Well-Known Member
My preference is 10X regardless if I am hunting in the southeast, Midwest or out west. Also, as mentioned premium glass has not given me headaches or eye strain. ,I use Swaro NL Pures.
