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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Always used 10x but thinking about switching to 8x (1 Viewer)

I am in my mid 70s and have mainly used 8x32 EL for some time, having previously tried both 10x42 ELs and EDG, and ultimately gave up on 10s. But for past 3 months I have been very excited about Zeiss SF 10x42 because for the first time I can hold a 10 power steady. Worked very well for me in AZ this winter. But will probably continue to use 8x32 when hiking or kayaking. And when in the jungle or forest I really like using 7x42.

You have lots of very good reasons why there is not a perfect size for all.

I suppose that is why when you average everything out, 8 power rises
to the top. A great all around size.

Jerry
 
Well, I think it all depends. When I carry a scope 8x or even 7x works nicely for me. However, when I don't carry a scope, I very much prefer 10x. I can still hold 10x well enough to get more detail than with 8x or 7x.

Hermann
I think you are better off with 8x and a good spotter. Spot them with the 8x and then move in for a close up with the spotter. For birding 8x is it.
 
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I prefer 7/8X for stable targets that are relatively close at hand and 10X for moving targets. Handshake seems to disappear when tracking moving targets so the 10X is quite pleasant.
 
I prefer 7/8X for stable targets that are relatively close at hand and 10X for moving targets. Handshake seems to disappear when tracking moving targets so the 10X is quite pleasant.
Don't you find it harder to track moving targets with a 10x with it's smaller FOV? I always have.
 
......... I have all 8x binoculars now for different situations and uses. A Swarovski 8x25 CL-P (Hiking,Concerts), a new Swarovski 8x30 CL (General Purpose Birding), and a new Swarovski SLC HD 8x56 (Static, Stands, Short Hikes). ........

Dennis ..... Did you get rid of the Canon 10X42 L iS?
 
Dennis ..... Did you get rid of the Canon 10X42 L iS?
Yup. I let the Canon 10x42 IS-L and the Swaro SLC HD 8x56 fight it out and the big Swaro just killed the Canon for veiling glare, CA, on-axis sharpness and especially low light performance. I buried it on Ebay. It was a quick and painless death. I guess it wasn't fair the Canon being a lightweight and the Swaro a heavyweight. I find at 8x I don't need IS and the big Swaro was the first binocular I have tried that beat the view of the Canon. Even the 10x50 SV couldn't do it.
 
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Dennis,

One thing I like about you is that you can laugh at your self, that is a good character to have. By the way how are those 56s going.

A. W.
I really think the Swarovski SLC HD 8x56 is one of the best binoculars I have ever used. I know it is a pain to carry the weight but if you are not hiking too far the view has to be seen to be appreciated. There is almost no veiling glare even when you get close to the sun, they are almost apochromatic as far as CA, the on-axis sharpness is unreal and of course with a 56mm aperture the low light performance is the best I have ever seen. There is a lot to be said for a big aperture. As the astronomers always say "Aperture Rules."
 
That is how my 10X50s feel next to a 10X42, no contest period with the larger objective. Not too many producers for that format (8X56), with a decent FOV like the older discontinued FL.

A.W.
 
Apart from the strap lugs that are so annoying on your fingers every time they are raised to your eyes.

I get it, not everyone finds a perfect fit with a particular binocular, I don`t like the lug position on the NV but most have no issue, by the way are you referring to the Field Pro, or all EL`s ?
 
At night I sometimes use 7x50, but mostly 15x45 image stabilized. During the day I tested out 6x, 7x, 8x, 10x, and found that I could hold 8x steady enough to see more detail than with 6x, but it was hard to discern more detail with 10x and the motion of the binocular bothered me. I have not been impressed with my 10x or 15x IS binoculars during the day. The IS works great, but near focus, speed of focus, getting on target quickly and general comfort just are not there for me. If I want more magnification during the day I bright a spotting scope and lightweight tripod.

Surprisingly my favorite birding binocular is a 9x45, but it is not particularly because 9x is my optimal magnification, I just really love the overall package.

It's kind of funny--I my preferred binocular at night has a smaller exit pupil than my favorite binocular during the day. I need to think on that.

Alan
 
That is how my 10X50s feel next to a 10X42, no contest period with the larger objective. Not too many producers for that format (8X56), with a decent FOV like the older discontinued FL.

A.W.
You can still buy the Zeiss 8x56 FL. Henry Link's favorite binocular and for good reason. It is most likely better than all the newer smaller aperture Zeiss stuff including the SF and HT. I would imagine a really big aperture binocular on a tripod would be awesome for distance viewing. Like the Fujinon ED 40x150. Great on your deck!

https://www.eurooptic.com/Zeiss-Vic...SYgWtCTKb4rlG8pRiC2kcxhUPAbYNa7caAoUaEALw_wcB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PtJeSdX844
 
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At night I sometimes use 7x50, but mostly 15x45 image stabilized. During the day I tested out 6x, 7x, 8x, 10x, and found that I could hold 8x steady enough to see more detail than with 6x, but it was hard to discern more detail with 10x and the motion of the binocular bothered me. I have not been impressed with my 10x or 15x IS binoculars during the day. The IS works great, but near focus, speed of focus, getting on target quickly and general comfort just are not there for me. If I want more magnification during the day I bright a spotting scope and lightweight tripod.

Surprisingly my favorite birding binocular is a 9x45, but it is not particularly because 9x is my optimal magnification, I just really love the overall package.

It's kind of funny--I my preferred binocular at night has a smaller exit pupil than my favorite binocular during the day. I need to think on that.

Alan
Your correct 10x is so hard to hold steady for most people that any detail advantage because of the higher magnification is lost to shaking and movement. A lot of hunters mount their 10x42mm binoculars on a tripod for that reason. They can see way more detail. Then like you they have a spotter to spot a trophy animal.
 
I feel that all the magnifications have their place (says the guy with too many binoculars) ; ), depending on all the variables, such as age or vision quality, distance, field of view-etc, etc. It's very dependent on use, and what you want to see. Just this morning, I found that my Nikon EII 8x30's showed me more detail immediately than my 10x roof bins (more than one model and make), in the dew drops on the grass from earlier snow flurries at about 35 yards (yes, green grass here, and snow for a while now). I was quite surprised to see that added detail, so I went back to my 10x bins that I always use, and sure enough, the detail was there, but you had to hold it steadier to notice it! When I first wake up, my eyes aren't the best a focusing, so maybe that had something to do with it too.

But sure, 8x can give you details that 10x misses, if you aren't careful, or if you choose objects you can't tell the difference right off without concentration. I don't want to give up my 10x bins, because they do reach out and give you a larger enhancement of the subject. But now I have been pleasantly surprised that 8x can actually show you more detail somtimes (mostly in closer objects), but if you aren't careful, or you are using the wrong binocular that easily shows those details, you might be fooled temporarily what works best. And of course, the larger field of viewing angle in an 8x usually is wider than the 10x view. So, yes, there are many differences between them.

I want both, and will pick my choices from what I have, and often what detail you see is very dependent on the lighting conditons in which you are viewing, I have noticed. That is another recent relevation to me about viewing and seeing through binoculars-it certainly depends on the lighting conditions at the time you are viewing. If you don't consider that too, you may be fooling yourself into more limited thinking about the view you see whenever you make a comparison, or see a scene that inspires you. There are really so many variables, let alone what each of us may percieve or notice due to individual eyesight and perception. So, discussing the finer details of binoculars and our opinions on the view, etc is surely, highly subjective, if you haven't figured that out by now!

But it's fun, and hey, life's too short to make it a battle ground here-just note what you see and go from there. It's all about you, and your choices, and how they work for you. Can you do it with one, two, or three binoculars? Some can, some can't! I like to have variable choices available, and I find that at times some are better than others for me.

Buy and try, that is my way.
 
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