I used to have a pair of Leica 8x32 BN's and I kept thinking how great they were. I sold them awhile back replacing them with my Leica 7x42 BN's. Well I picked up a Leica 8x32 BN for a good price and I figured I would compare the two and keep the pair I liked the best. My testing was done in daylight and it was pretty much just comparing the two views and comparing the ergonomics of the two binoculars.
I spent about an hour comparing the two. To make a long story short I sent the 8x32's back and kept the 7x42's. Really the ONLY advantage the 8x32's had were they were a little lighter and a little more compact and I decided even this was not really an advantage. The 8x32's really did not fit my hands,as well as,the 7x42 did and I believe the 7x42's because of their heavier weight were easier to hold steady. Also, the 7X magnification is an enormous advantage in that it doesn't shake nearly as much as the 8X. Any detail you gain with the an 8x magnification is lost to the shaking you experience. A 7x42 in comparison is almost like an image stabilized binocular.The view is much better through the 7X and you can see more easily and your view is much more relaxed than the 8X. Also, eye placement is much easier with the 7x42's and I did not get near the black bean effect with the 7x42's. Comparing 8x32's to 7x42's is almost like comparing 8x20's to 8x32's. After conducting this test I can not see how a serious birder could possibly prefer an 8x32 over a 7x42. There is NO comparison! FOV with the 7x42's was also slightly better but the big advantage was the relaxed wonderful steady view through the 7x42's and the easy eye placement. You do not have to get your eye at exactly the right spot to get rid of the black bean effect. All this BALONEY about 8x32's being the best all around binoculars is just not true. All you 8x32 guys out there should really try a good pair of 7x42's. Latter on that night at dusk I compared them again and noticed a big advantage in brightness for the7x42's in low light conditions. But even in daylight the 7x42's were way superior to the 8x32's in every way. They are well worth carrying a little extra weight. The optical advantages are enormous. You can argue all you want but I will never change my mind after actually seeing the difference. If you have never tried a good a pair of 7x42's do your self a favor and try them and compare them to your 8x32's. I guarantee you will prefer the 7x42's. The 8x32's went back and it took a very short time to decide!
Dennis
I spent about an hour comparing the two. To make a long story short I sent the 8x32's back and kept the 7x42's. Really the ONLY advantage the 8x32's had were they were a little lighter and a little more compact and I decided even this was not really an advantage. The 8x32's really did not fit my hands,as well as,the 7x42 did and I believe the 7x42's because of their heavier weight were easier to hold steady. Also, the 7X magnification is an enormous advantage in that it doesn't shake nearly as much as the 8X. Any detail you gain with the an 8x magnification is lost to the shaking you experience. A 7x42 in comparison is almost like an image stabilized binocular.The view is much better through the 7X and you can see more easily and your view is much more relaxed than the 8X. Also, eye placement is much easier with the 7x42's and I did not get near the black bean effect with the 7x42's. Comparing 8x32's to 7x42's is almost like comparing 8x20's to 8x32's. After conducting this test I can not see how a serious birder could possibly prefer an 8x32 over a 7x42. There is NO comparison! FOV with the 7x42's was also slightly better but the big advantage was the relaxed wonderful steady view through the 7x42's and the easy eye placement. You do not have to get your eye at exactly the right spot to get rid of the black bean effect. All this BALONEY about 8x32's being the best all around binoculars is just not true. All you 8x32 guys out there should really try a good pair of 7x42's. Latter on that night at dusk I compared them again and noticed a big advantage in brightness for the7x42's in low light conditions. But even in daylight the 7x42's were way superior to the 8x32's in every way. They are well worth carrying a little extra weight. The optical advantages are enormous. You can argue all you want but I will never change my mind after actually seeing the difference. If you have never tried a good a pair of 7x42's do your self a favor and try them and compare them to your 8x32's. I guarantee you will prefer the 7x42's. The 8x32's went back and it took a very short time to decide!
Dennis
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