8x42 vs. 10x42 Binoculars (2 Viewers)

[Paultricounty]

Regarding brightness it's what expected. They should not differ at daytime.
I could see the edges of the field even with 8x32, but the field was not evenly "illuminated". I needed to come 1-2mm closer for the perfect open view. I use to describe it like "climbing into the image".
2mm difference of eye relief seems correct. And for me these extra mm was probably what had been needed to get that perfect open view even with the 8x32.
As you say NL Pure is definitely on a higher level than Conquest.
I compared Conquest HD 8x42 and NL Pure 8x42 at night and NL Pure actually looked brighter. It should hardly be a detecteable difference with only 2% light transmission difference, but it still was. I think the reason can be the cooler image which for the eye can be perceived as brighter. Adding to that better sharpness and contrast, it resulted in more details could be seen in the darkness.
It was just on axis sharpness of the 8x32 which highly impressed me, rivalling the sharpness of NL Pure in my eyes.

Absalulty I agree , it’s not just about percentage of light transmission. Ive learned that in the last year or, no thanks to albinos 😞. I have binoculars that have lower light transmission numbers and are clearly brighter in low light conditions than others with 2-3+% more.

Paul

 

[ArchStanton]

I compared the 8 x 42 and 8 x 32 conquests as well as the 10’s side by side, for two days that I had access to all four of them. Weather conditions was sunny and clear, so I won’t make any comments about how they performed in the lower light. Specifically speaking about the 8’s, I could barely see any difference in brightness. Eye box was very comfortable in both , and I was able to see the full FOV wearing sunglasses in both. There is only a 2mm difference (18 to 16) in eye relief between the two. I guess in you experience it could have something to do with the thickness or shape of your eyeglasses that hindered the ability to see the full FOV. I found all of these binoculars to be outrageously good, not on the level of EL’s or NL’s , at least to my eyes, but still phenomenal glass at that price point.

Paul

Appreciate the information. I was hoping someone would have an 8x42 Conquest on yesterday's guided bird walk, but there were only Vortex Vipers and Monarch 5's being used. If a Black Friday deal comes up, I might order a pair. Thanks and have a good afternoon!

 

[Paultricounty]

Appreciate the information. I was hoping someone would have an 8x42 Conquest on yesterday's guided bird walk, but there were only Vortex Vipers and Monarch 5's being used. If a Black Friday deal comes up, I might order a pair. Thanks and have a good afternoon!

Something else to consider which is almost the same binoculars as the Zeiss conquest (optically almost a clone) in a premium body is the GPO 8x42 Passion HD. I compared them side by side in 10x42 and kept the GPO, still have them.

 

[ArchStanton]

Something else to consider which is almost the same binoculars as the Zeiss conquest (optically almost a clone) in a premium body is the GPO 8x42 Passion HD. I compared them side by side in 10x42 and kept the GPO, still have them.

The GPO’s look like quality binoculars. I’ve read positive comments on another forum. Supposedly, the company was started by a former Zeiss executive. I’ll have to look into them further. Thank you the suggestion and posting the pictures. Have a good evening!

 

[Scott98]

I think you're on the right track w/ the 42mm binocular idea. They're my favorite all-around size for birds. After trying some very nice 8x42 and 10x42, I settled on 8x42 as the one I prefer for my expensive bird bino. It's also excellent for astronomy. 8x42 and 10x56 are now the sizes I use for astronomy.

8x is high enough power for me, I also like to use 7x on a regular basis. I save 10x for distant-bird sessions like looking out over the ocean at seabirds. 10x just shakes too much for me for most birding. I have been out on guided tours with pro guides that favor 10x for all bird watching. You can definitely see the details better, I just can't hold them steady enough. Other guides stick with 8x32 or 8x42 and use a spotting scope for higher power.

No one can tell you if 8x42 or 10x42 is better for birding, it's totally personal preference. I took a loss of $400-500 figuring out I didn't like 10x42 that much. I had to use them for 6 months or so to realize it.

 

[ArchStanton]

I think you're on the right track w/ the 42mm binocular idea. They're my favorite all-around size for birds. After trying some very nice 8x42 and 10x42, I settled on 8x42 as the one I prefer for my expensive bird bino. It's also excellent for astronomy. 8x42 and 10x56 are now the sizes I use for astronomy.

8x is high enough power for me, I also like to use 7x on a regular basis. I save 10x for distant-bird sessions like looking out over the ocean at seabirds. 10x just shakes too much for me for most birding. I have been out on guided tours with pro guides that favor 10x for all bird watching. You can definitely see the details better, I just can't hold them steady enough. Other guides stick with 8x32 or 8x42 and use a spotting scope for higher power.

No one can tell you if 8x42 or 10x42 is better for birding, it's totally personal preference. I took a loss of $400-500 figuring out I didn't like 10x42 that much. I had to use them for 6 months or so to realize it.

It would be nice to see the extra detail using 10x binoculars but tripod use would probably be necessary to get the full benefit. Most of the birdwatching I'm going to be doing will be fairly close anyway, and 8x binoculars are probably more practical. I also have a spotting scope if needed. I probably will keep the Conquest HD 8x32's because they were a heck of a deal and the return window is closing soon. If I end up selling these to get a pair of 8x42's, I won't lose to much from what I paid for them. I appreciate you sharing your experience with different power binoculars. Thank you and have a good afternoon!

 

[WJC]

I'm in the process of buying a new pair of binoculars. I own three pairs of autofocus Steiner binoculars and pair of Opticron Savanna porro prism binoculars. I recently purchased a pair of 8x32 Zeiss Conquest HD binoculars that aren't what I expected but am waiting on the extended eyecups before I pass judgment on them. I'm debating on whether to purchase a pair of 8x42 or 10x42 binoculars for birdwatching and general wildlife viewing. I live in a spot in AZ where birders come from all over the world and would like to start enjoying what they are seeing with a pair of quality binoculars. I am wondering if the extra power of a 10x42 will be negated by movement as these will be handheld when viewing birds in trees and wildlife at much further distances. As I'm getting older, I'm wondering if an 8x42 would be the better choice. Any experience that can be shared would be much appreciated.

There is no such thing as a non-electronic auto focus, binocular. Good advertising does not have to be accurate or even meaningful… It just has only to be believed, like the fraudulent Steiner auto-focus ads from the 1990s!

Don’t be shy … tell them exactly what I said!

 

[Elkhornsun]

With my 73 year old eyes I need 10x to have adequate detail for ID with many bird species. I have 10x25, 10x32, 10x43, and 12x50 binoculars that I use. The 25% increase in image magnification far outweighs any advantages of a 8x binocular for use on land.

On a boat a 7x50 is preferred although OS binos would be an alternative if they were more reliable or had longer warranties.

 

[ArchStanton]

There is no such thing as a non-electronic auto focus, binocular. Good advertising does not have to be accurate or even meaningful… It just has only to be believed, like the fraudulent Steiner auto-focus ads from the 1990s!

Don’t be shy … tell them exactly what I said!

Well, I used the Steiner "auto-focus" poro prism binoculars for many years and to me they've worked pretty well spotting wildlife. They seemed like a big step up many years ago from the Bushnell poro prisms we had been using. However, these Conquest HD 8x32's are noticeably clearer than the Steiners and are the first pair of roof-prism binoculars I've ever owned. Thank for the education on "auto focus" binoculars. Have a good one!

 

[ArchStanton]

With my 73 year old eyes I need 10x to have adequate detail for ID with many bird species. I have 10x25, 10x32, 10x43, and 12x50 binoculars that I use. The 25% increase in image magnification far outweighs any advantages of a 8x binocular for use on land.

On a boat a 7x50 is preferred although OS binos would be an alternative if they were more reliable or had longer warranties.

I originally wanted a pair of 10X42's but after briefly comparing them to 8x42's, I was more impressed with the lower powered binoculars. Maybe it was because of the wider field of view. I don't have shaky hands but maybe even slight movement could have affected the viewing experience of the 10x42's. I've read that quality 10x42's do very well on a tripod. I have a pair of Steiner 12x40's, and they've never impressed me and are seldom used. Now that the Conquest HD binoculars seem to be on sale at a few different authorized dealers, I'm almost tempted to try a 10x42 again to do a more in depth comparison. By the way, I'm wondering if the Conquests are on sale because they're being replaced with a new model. Thanks for sharing your experience with higher powered binoculars. Have a good day!

 

[sea otter]

I tried out a monopod for distant viewing. Very pleasant to use, even if my binoculars weren't stabilized all that much.

 

[ArchStanton]

I tried out a monopod for distant viewing. Very pleasant to use, even if my binoculars weren't stabilized all that much.

I’ve never used a monopod but have a trekking pole that I believe has a threaded end to mount a camera or binoculars. I might give it a try. Cheers!

 

[Elkhornsun]

The 10x and 12x binoculars work for me when I can extend the eyecups and rest the binocular against my eye sockets to steady them. I also find this minimizes the amount of stray light coming in and so special eye shields are not needed for the most part.

The field of view varies greatly independent of the image magnification. In general the FOV can be increased with larger objectives which also helps with light transmission. I have some 12x42 binoculars but replaced them with larger and heavier 12x50 one that provides a 45% greater field of view.

 

[Swedpat]

The 10x and 12x binoculars work for me when I can extend the eyecups and rest the binocular against my eye sockets to steady them. I also find this minimizes the amount of stray light coming in and so special eye shields are not needed for the most part.

The field of view varies greatly independent of the image magnification. In general the FOV can be increased with larger objectives which also helps with light transmission. I have some 12x42 binoculars but replaced them with larger and heavier 12x50 one that provides a 45% greater field of view.

Is there really such a relation between aperture and FOV?
I understand larger aperture means larger field stop, right?
But in general when it comes to binoculars larger aperture mostoften have narrower FOV than smaller. This is because of that the prisms don't allow the same FOV with longer focal length oculars.
And which 12x50 has 45% larger FOV than which 12x42? At least I understand the 12x42 in this case is not NL Pure. Just curious.

 

[Binastro]

The FOV is almost entirely due to the eyepiece, and type of eyepiece.

The larger objective is really nothing to do with larger FOV.

There is a Soviet 8x30 binocular with a 13 degree field of view.

The 1944 submarine periscope eyepiece had a Koehler 120 degree eyepiece.

A 12x42 has an objective about 160mm fl, so the eyepiece is 13mm fl.

A 12x50 has an objective about 190mm fl, so the eyepiece is 16mm fl.

A 13m eyepiece generally has a wider field than a 16mm eyepiece.

B.

 

[ArchStanton]

The 10x and 12x binoculars work for me when I can extend the eyecups and rest the binocular against my eye sockets to steady them. I also find this minimizes the amount of stray light coming in and so special eye shields are not needed for the most part.

The field of view varies greatly independent of the image magnification. In general the FOV can be increased with larger objectives which also helps with light transmission. I have some 12x42 binoculars but replaced them with larger and heavier 12x50 one that provides a 45% greater field of view.

I might consider a higher power binocular that can be tripod mounted for viewing a greater distances. My Steiner AF 12x40 binoculars aren't compatible for a threaded tripod adapter and are two wide for the Leupold adapter with the strap. I ordered a pair of Bino Bandits to shield some of the light. Thanks for the reply and have a good day!

 

[Steve222]

The GPO’s look like quality binoculars. I’ve read positive comments on another forum. Supposedly, the company was started by a former Zeiss executive. I’ll have to look into them further. Thank you the suggestion and posting the pictures. Have a good evening!

I have the GPO 10x42HD and they're excellent.
Might be worth trying their half price 10x42ED too.

 

[ArchStanton]

I have the GPO 10x42HD and they're excellent.
Might be worth trying their half price 10x42ED too.

I'm going to keep the Zeiss Conquest H 8x32's as the return window has closed. They seem to be pretty good binoculars for the price I paid and are especially clear on cloudy days. I've read good things about GPO HD's, especially their build quality. I will put them on my list when I decide to buy a pair of 10x42's. Cheers!

 

[hopster]

I’ve never used a monopod but have a trekking pole that I believe has a threaded end to mount a camera or binoculars. I might give it a try. Cheers!

It works excellently, and you can customise the support to your binoculars if you want to. I always take one, and with the 12x it makes a huge difference.

 

[ArchStanton]

It works excellently, and you can customise the support to your binoculars if you want to. I always take one, and with the 12x it makes a huge difference.

On the last bird walk I attended, someone had a large camera mounted on a monopod and it appeared pretty steady. I’m definitely going to see if I can use my trekking pole as a monopod. Thanks for the reply and have a good evening!