[quote=etudiant;2148369]Admittedly, it is a bigger item to carry, but decent neoprene straps or harnesses make that a non issue.
QUOTE]
Sounds kinky!
Just kidding. But I mostly dislike neoprene--heavy and sweaty. I recently went back to a stock full-size (8.5 SV) after favoring mid-size for a few years, and I'll say that's worth the weight. I'll put up with it simply because it's so incredibly good. Would I be willing to carry more weight for a 10x50? I seriously doubt it. 10x42? The times I tried that format I didn't see anything more because of handshake--but that might just be me.
For "general birding" my opinion is stick with 8-8.5x42. It just works for everything.
Mark