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Message: <blockquote data-quote="adhoc" data-source="post: 3481381" data-attributes="member: 131373">I am not sure whether your post is directly for Pinewood/Arthur or me but I will respond. In the meantime we have the interesting comments above by Typo/David.We see that for Arthur there is a significant difference between even 10x mounted and 12x mounted; I have cautioned about adding a 12x just for mounted use if one already has a 10x because the increase in image detail versus 10x mounted might possibly not be worth that. I should think that to anyone the difference between 8x mounted and 12x mounted will be striking. To me (as an individual user) there is no gain in mounting an 8x. There is some steadying but at the distance at which this makes a visible difference the subject is too far for an 8x image to convey more useful detail. With 10x mounted versus 10x handheld, however, there is a significant difference in image detail. There is a further improvement with 12x mounted over 10x mounted. Thus the difference between 12x mounted and 8x mounted will be that much greater.A 15x will have the disadvantage that it is very difficult to use handheld. About this there are many comments like David's on the internet. (I have negative experience with one 16x model.)The handheld use of 12x is difficult  for some, but found quite easy by others, of even average or slight build. We see this in David's recent review of the Meopta HD 12x50, and this video of its Cabelas version, which although by less of an expert conveys that well: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umrBk2nKius" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umrBk2nKius</a>. It seems that across varying size and strength of users heavier weight (up to a point) in a binocular of about 12x power can actually help make it steadier.</blockquote>

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