Choosing 10 x 42 Binoculars (1 Viewer)

[JMCal]

Hi,

I haven’t made many posts here, but have been following for a long time, and slowly building my collection of binoculars. My take is that 10X binoculars really show the faults of whatever the platform is vs their 8X counterparts. Faults such as chromatic aberration are magnified. I’ve found that while I can enjoy some lower priced 8x42 binos, their faults become far worse in 10x42 configuration.

I’d suggest simply enjoying your great pair of 8’s, until you can save enough $ to purchase an equally high quality pair of 10’s.

In 10X I’m currently running a pair of Kahles Helia S (rebadged Swarovski slc), and enjoy them a lot. Mid/low priced 10x’s will be a big step down from your 8X SFL’s.

 

[bluebird100]

I‘d go 8x32. Lighter, easier to hold and still plenty bright for all casual activities. All boils down to personal preference.

 

[Maljunulo]

Wrong thread.

 

[Maljunulo]

I firmly believe you will become a better birder with just a single pair of binoculars, that you become more familiar with, and learn the birds thru this single view.

This is very much a minority viewpoint here.

And one with which I agree.

 

[[email protected]]

Here is a good review of 26 different 10x42 binoculars in different price categories, ranked according to performance. It is for hunting, but it applies to birding also.

26 Best Binoculars For Hunting | Backwoods Pursuit

Looking for the best binoculars on the market and aren't quite sure which ones to purchase? Maybe you are looking for the best binoculars for hunting or the

backwoodspursuit.com

 

[Trinovid]

I was considering the ... Vortex Viper.

Great, inexpensive binocular, the 10x42 HD, which turned me into a Viper aficionado.

 

[Montereyman]

As a 74 year old my eyes benefit greatly from a10x or greater level of image magnification in any light. I have replace all my 8x with 10x, 12x, and 16x (stablized) binoculars. The higher the magnification the more important the quality of the binoculars becomes but it has meant going with something like the Vortex Razor instead of their Diamondback binoculars, especially for 12x or greater magnification.

At 16x the Sig Sauer Zulu6 HDX 16x42 with their image stabilization have largely replaced my field scope. Their 22 ounce weight is about the same as my Swarvo 10x32 EL binoculars.

 

[Maljunulo]

As a 74 year old my eyes benefit greatly from a10x or greater level of image magnification in any light. I have replace all my 8x with 10x, 12x, and 16x (stablized) binoculars. The higher the magnification the more important the quality of the binoculars becomes but it has meant going with something like the Vortex Razor instead of their Diamondback binoculars, expecially for 12x or greater.

At 16x the Sig Sauer Zulu6 HDX 16x42 with their image stabilization have largely replaced my field scope. Their 22 ounce weight is about the same as my Swarvo 10x32 EL binoculars.

I went the other way, and switched from 10x to 8X in December of 2020, after years of loudly proclaiming that I “never wished for a smaller image.”

 

[Trinovid]

The higher the magnification the more important the quality of the binoculars becomes but it has meant going with something like the Vortex Razor instead of their Diamondback binoculars, especially for 12x or greater magnification.

There's a huge difference between the Diamondback and Razor, but there's also more difference between the mid-priced Viper and the bottom line Diamondback than there is to the flagship model. I'll never buy a Diamondback but all the upper models are great and the 12x50 Viper is no exception.

 

[Scott98]

I went the other way, and switched from 10x to 8X in December of 2020, after years of loudly proclaiming that I “never wished for a smaller image.”

I've gone from 10 to 8 to 7x! Sure there's little more or a little less magnification...I've come to believe it doesn't matter much. There's low power, 7-10x, and higher power with a spotting scope. There's no point agonizing over choosing between 10 or 7x. They're pretty close. As soon as the birding session begins I completely forget what magnification I'm using.

For a while I'd bring my 10x binos for things like watching shorebirds on the salt pannes. Lately I just bring the 7x42 everywhere. Just did a long stop at a place viewing hundreds of shorebirds. To get a close-up you need the spotting scope. I didn't feel like I missed anything using 7x instead of 10.

 

[Upland]

I’m not sure if Zeiss Conquests are being firesaled like here? If so grab a pair. Excellent and a steal at the prices being offered here. Sure the new ones are the latest and greatest but the originals are really good!