10x50 vs 10x42 question (1 Viewer)

tealboy1 · Dec 19, 2015

I know many of you like lighter and smaller, so do i on average but after years of carrying 10 power roofs with a 42, including my heavy 10x40 conquests, im wondering if i will pick up a noticeable improvement in low light performance if i go to the 50mm instead of 42. After looking at a few on paper, the weigh differential seems to be small in the grand scheme, going up 4-5 oz from 24 to 28-29 in many cases. Varies by brand but point is, not a ton but having never owned a 10x50, im wondering what the pros and cons of such a pair vs sticking to what ive always used in the 10x42 class.

Far less popular and many less allbino reviews to sort through. Swarovski el has an offering as does vortex viper and then the zeiss but it jumps to 54 i think

jring · Dec 19, 2015

Hi,

the 50mm objectives have 40% more area and thus light in a low light situation. And unlike real night bins with a 7mm exit pupil with a 10x50 chanches are good that you can still use it - maximum eye accomodation goes down from 7mm for young persons to 4mm in old age.

Joachim

SteveTS · Dec 19, 2015

10x42 - 4.2mm exit pupil
10x50 - 5.0mm exit pupil

Individual eye accomodation is unique and may well not be age determined!

Best wishes,

Hermann · Dec 19, 2015

jring said:
the 50mm objectives have 40% more area and thus light in a low light situation. And unlike real night bins with a 7mm exit pupil with a 10x50 chanches are good that you can still use it - maximum eye accomodation goes down from 7mm for young persons to 4mm in old age.

That's too simplistic. Statistically there are plenty of people with a wider range of accomodation, even at old age. The average value at the age of 65 is 4.75mm and remains constant in later years. Cf. e.g. Merlitz 2013: 79.

Hermann

tealboy1 · Dec 19, 2015

I realize this post is not exactly in the right place. Seems all binocular related questions are brand specific unless general questions are supposed to go in the "other" category.

I've been reading and think I will try a few 10x50s. One that I liked initially was the viper hd but was surprised and disappointed by the small fov. I'm reading about some of the zeiss but between price and larger than 50mm obj, they get heavy. The conquest could be an option but really heavy. The vipers are only 28-29 oz.

Theo98 · Dec 19, 2015

tealboy1 said:
I've been reading and think I will try a few 10x50s. One that I liked initially was the viper hd but was surprised and disappointed by the small fov. I'm reading about some of the zeiss but between price and larger than 50mm obj, they get heavy. The conquest could be an option but really heavy. The vipers are only 28-29 oz.

TB1,

Not sure what your budget might be, but if you're looking into the extra low light capability, superb resolution and clarity, wider FOV and deep stereopsis of the 10x50 roofs, you may want to check out the Swaro EL 10x50 SV. If you can get behind a pair, you'll soon see the superb image quality they posses. They are well balanced and I recently spent a weekend of 16 hours glassing scenery (stunning views) without any fatigue. The older model #35010 (same glass as the recent 10x50 release) can be purchased with 35% or more clearance discounts from several on-line authorized dealers.

For my eyes, The 10x50 SV's have truly amazing optics that offer a clearly more immersive viewing experience over any 10x42's I've looked through!

Ted

denco@comcast.n · Dec 20, 2015

tealboy1 said:
I know many of you like lighter and smaller, so do i on average but after years of carrying 10 power roofs with a 42, including my heavy 10x40 conquests, im wondering if i will pick up a noticeable improvement in low light performance if i go to the 50mm instead of 42. After looking at a few on paper, the weigh differential seems to be small in the grand scheme, going up 4-5 oz from 24 to 28-29 in many cases. Varies by brand but point is, not a ton but having never owned a 10x50, im wondering what the pros and cons of such a pair vs sticking to what ive always used in the 10x42 class.

Far less popular and many less allbino reviews to sort through. Swarovski el has an offering as does vortex viper and then the zeiss but it jumps to 54 i think

I agree with Theo98. I tried a Viper 10x50 HD because it is lighter than a lot of 50mm binoculars. The small FOV disappointed me also especially at $1300. I returned mine the next day. I have found the 50mm objective makes a LOT of difference in low light viewing and eye comfort because of the bigger 5mm exit pupil. The Swarovski 10x50 SV's are the best binoculars I have ever used and I had a LOT of different binoculars. I also have the 8x32 SV's but I use the 10x50's more even with the extra weight because it is worth it to carry them for the view. I have never had such an easy view as the 10x50 SV provides. You have no eye fatigue. I personally like having a flat field and edge to edge sharpness. Why not have the edges sharp when you can see them most of the time at least in your peripheral vision can't you? I don't understand birders that say they don't care about sharp edges. I got rid of my Nikon 8x32 SE's and Nikon 8x30 EII's and my Leica 8x32 BA's. I didn't use them. The big SV's are better. To answer your question. Yes, the 10x50's are better than the 10x42's and they are worth the extra weight and size. The Conquest's are too heavy when you get over 50mm and the Zeiss 10x54 HT's are more of a low light specialty binocular which are not as versatile as the 10x50 SV is. The 10x50 SV beat the Fujinon 10x50 FMT-SX which is a porro on the night sky and the Fujinon is known for being a top astro binocular and it is a porro prism which are usually always better than roofs for astro use because of higher transmission. A sky test is one of the best tests you can get because it is not based on somebodies opinion but rather you can see the object or you can't see it and because of that it is a very good test for optics. The binoculars were on loan also. Here is the link to that test.

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...slate.google.com/transla...df&prev=search

stereotruckdriver · Dec 20, 2015

Theo98 said:
TB1,

Not sure what your budget might be, but if you're looking into the extra low light capability, superb resolution and clarity, wider FOV and deep stereopsis of the 10x50 roofs, you may want to check out the Swaro EL 10x50 SV. If you can get behind a pair, you'll soon see the superb image quality they posses. They are well balanced and I recently spent a weekend of 16 hours glassing scenery (stunning views) without any fatigue. The older model #35010 (same glass as the recent 10x50 release) can be purchased with 35% or more clearance discounts from several on-line authorized dealers.

For my eyes, The 10x50 SV's have truly amazing optics that offer a clearly more immersive viewing experience over any 10x42's I've looked through!

Ted

I have to agree!

Bryce...

Torview · Dec 20, 2015

[email protected] said:
A sky test is one of the best tests you can get because it is not based on somebodies opinion but rather you can see the object or you can't see it and because of that it is a very good test for optics.

Trouble with the SV comes when looking anywhere towards the Sun. in which case I often could not see the object or much else due to appalling glare and flare, I missed several great Birds due to this annoying failing, to the point the SV`s are gone.

And yes I tried the 42` and 50` and both are poor with glare control IMHO.

denco@comcast.n · Dec 20, 2015

Torview said:
[email protected] said:

A sky test is one of the best tests you can get because it is not based on somebodies opinion but rather you can see the object or you can't see it and because of that it is a very good test for optics.

Trouble with the SV comes when looking anywhere towards the Sun. in which case I often could not see the object or much else due to appalling glare and flare, I missed several great Birds due to this annoying failing, to the point the SV`s are gone.

And yes I tried the 42` and 50` and both are poor with glare control IMHO.

Click to expand...

Any binoculars will show some glare when looking towards the sun that I have tried. I have not found any glare free ones yet. It is tough to totally eliminate glare when looking towards the sun. I think if the binoculars were designed to totally eliminate glare they would probably have some shortcomings in other areas. I don't find the glare objectionable in either my 8x32 or 10x50 SV's but the 10x50 does handle glare better than it's smaller brother which is normal for a bigger aperture.. I guess it would depend on how much you are using them looking towards the sun.

mooreorless · Dec 20, 2015

"I guess it would depend on how much you are using them looking directly into the sun. Are your Zeiss HT and SF's glare free when looking towards the sun? If they are I would give them a go. I had the Zeiss 8x32 and 8x42 FL's and they showed glare under those kind of conditions. I would be really surprised if the HT or SF doesn't show any glare when looking towards the sun."

I would just like to say, I am sure everyone knows this, but you never know, Never ever look directly into to the Sun with any optics or just your eyes. There are filters out there you could do that with.
Someone reading this might not know and why I am bothering to post this!

Torview · Dec 20, 2015

[email protected] said:
Torview said:

Any binoculars will show some glare when looking towards the sun that I have tried. I have not found any glare free ones yet. It is tough to totally eliminate glare when looking directly towards the sun. I think if the binoculars were designed to totally eliminate glare they would probably have some shortcomings in other areas. I don't find the glare objectionable in either my 8x32 or 10x50 SV's but the 10x50 does handle glare better than it's smaller brother which is normal for a bigger aperture.. I guess it would depend on how much you are using them looking directly into the sun. Are your Zeiss HT and SF's glare free when looking towards the sun? If they are I would give them a go. I had the Zeiss 8x32 and 8x42 FL's and they showed glare under those kind of conditions. I would be really surprised if the HT or SF doesn't show any glare when looking towards the sun.

Click to expand...

I`m referring to glare that I would consider poor in a £100 optic, in something 15-20x that price its appalling.

I don`t have an HT or SF, but my UVHD+ controls glare more than well enough under conditions that would have rendered the 8x32SV useless.

denco@comcast.n · Dec 20, 2015

Torview said:
[email protected] said:

I`m referring to glare that I would consider poor in a £100 optic, in something 15-20x that price its appalling.

I don`t have an HT or SF, but my UVHD+ controls glare more than well enough under conditions that would have rendered the 8x32SV useless.

Click to expand...

I have tried the UVHD+ and I agree it controls glare a little better than the 8x32 SV but not the 10x50 SV. The 10x50 SV is quite a bit better in glare control than the 8x32 SV. All these alpha level binoculars are excellent but each one has it's strong points and you have to decide how important glare is to you. Maybe the way you use your binoculars glare is very important to you. For me I found the 8x32 SV to have slightly better contrast and a little better sharpness than the UVHD+ which is more important to me than glare control. I also really LIKE the flat field and sharp edges of the Swarovision's. IMHO the 8x32 SV is the best available 8x32 but if glare is more important to you the UVHD+ would probably be a better choice. The UVHD+ has more saturated colors also which some people really like whereas the SV is more neutral. It all depends on what is the most important criteria for you personally. The 10x50 SV is way better than the 8x32 SV in controlling glare though. I don't really think it is a problem at all.

denco@comcast.n · Dec 20, 2015

mooreorless said:
"I guess it would depend on how much you are using them looking directly into the sun. Are your Zeiss HT and SF's glare free when looking towards the sun? If they are I would give them a go. I had the Zeiss 8x32 and 8x42 FL's and they showed glare under those kind of conditions. I would be really surprised if the HT or SF doesn't show any glare when looking towards the sun."

I would just like to say, I am sure everyone knows this, but you never know, Never ever look directly into to the Sun with any optics or just your eyes. There are filters out there you could do that with.
Someone reading this might not know and why I am bothering to post this!

I actually meant looking TOWARDS the sun. Thanks for the safety warning. I don't want anybody looking directly into the sun with any optical instrument because of me. It will FRY your eyes.

Torview · Dec 20, 2015

[email protected] said:
Torview said:

I have tried the UVHD+ and I agree it controls glare a little better than the 8x32 SV

Click to expand...

We`ll have to differ on "a little better", as I`v stated the SV was at times unusable.

I`m not knocking the SV as in every other respect its staggering, but to miss out on Birds completely because of such a fundamental failing, for me relegates it to the bottom of the Alpha pile.

I want my binocular to let me see in all light and weather conditions, and the 7x42 UVHD+ excels at this.

I won`t take up any more of this thread on this subject.

As to the op`s question if you`re happy lugging around the extra size and weight of a 50mm objective then go for the 10x50, its definitely a bit special.

denco@comcast.n · Dec 20, 2015

Torview said:
[email protected] said:

We`ll have to differ on "a little better", as I`v stated the SV was at times unusable.

I`m not knocking the SV as in every other respect its staggering, but to miss out on Birds completely because of such a fundamental failing, for me relegates it to the bottom of the Alpha pile.

I want my binocular to let me see in all light and weather conditions, and the 7x42 UVHD+ excels at this.

I won`t take up any more of this thread on this subject.

As to the op`s question if you`re happy lugging around the extra size and weight of a 50mm objective then go for the 10x50, its definitely a bit special.

Click to expand...

No, you are right. The Leica 7x42 UVHD+ I am sure is an excellent all around binocular. Dartmoor looks like a great place to bird. Kind of a National Park area with some wetlands also. With that big 6mm exit pupil the Leica probably works well in all those tough conditions. I will have to try the 7x42 UVHD+ sometime. They are not stocked here in the states in any of the sporting goods stores so it is difficult to try them out. I liked the saturated colors of my Leica 8x32 BA but the SV was brighter so I sold it.

tealboy1 · Dec 20, 2015

Holy smokes, those things are expensive. I got excited after reading the post and believing the discontinued price might put them in reach but found virtually few in stock and those available are 2500$ or more. Not sure if you are aware of better deals on these but slim pickings. One retailer had them for 1900$ but long gone now. That's still a huge chunk but I'm always tempted by a good deal on high quality optics

Theo98 said:
TB1,

Not sure what your budget might be, but if you're looking into the extra low light capability, superb resolution and clarity, wider FOV and deep stereopsis of the 10x50 roofs, you may want to check out the Swaro EL 10x50 SV. If you can get behind a pair, you'll soon see the superb image quality they posses. They are well balanced and I recently spent a weekend of 16 hours glassing scenery (stunning views) without any fatigue. The older model #35010 (same glass as the recent 10x50 release) can be purchased with 35% or more clearance discounts from several on-line authorized dealers.

For my eyes, The 10x50 SV's have truly amazing optics that offer a clearly more immersive viewing experience over any 10x42's I've looked through!

Ted

denco@comcast.n · Dec 21, 2015

tealboy1 said:
Holy smokes, those things are expensive. I got excited after reading the post and believing the discontinued price might put them in reach but found virtually few in stock and those available are 2500$ or more. Not sure if you are aware of better deals on these but slim pickings. One retailer had them for 1900$ but long gone now. That's still a huge chunk but I'm always tempted by a good deal on high quality optics

You are kinda late to the party. Most of the discontinued models sold out pretty fast especially the ones at Europtics for $1900. Probably your only chance now is to watch Ebay for a like new model that somebody wants to sell. I picked mine up for $1900 that way and they were basically new except the box was open. I see Cameraland does have some new stock of the discontinued model for $2199.99. Not too bad. The new model 10x50 SV retails for $3110.00 so you are still getting a pretty good deal.

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/swarovski.pl?page=swarovski35010

tealboy1 · Dec 21, 2015

You have gotten me thinking, maybe I just need to pony up and get a high end model. Given the rave reviews and obvious low light performance, a good value appears to be the discontinued zeiss fl 8x42 series. The ht's are intriguing too. Maybe a way to get lighter binocs with similar light gathering as the el 10x50s

breydon · Dec 21, 2015

tealboy1 said:
You have gotten me thinking, maybe I just need to pony up and get a high end model. Given the rave reviews and obvious low light performance, a good value appears to be the discontinued zeiss fl 8x42 series. The ht's are intriguing too. Maybe a way to get lighter binocs with similar light gathering as the el 10x50s

Hello My friend check out a 7x50 The Navy used them. Great for low light use even in the dark with a good moon light

10x50 vs 10x42 question (1 Viewer)

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