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Message: <blockquote data-quote="adhoc" data-source="post: 3689201" data-attributes="member: 131373">This is not as simple as it seems. Among all the 12x and all the 15x binoculars made, different users, depending on their physiology, find different models easier or harder to hold steady, depending on their ergonomics, i.e. weight*, balance and grip. Thus some user may find some 15x model steadier to hold than some 12x model of comparable optical quality to the extent that the 15x shows him/her more detail despite an image at 15x being more vulnerable to be spoilt by shake than an image at 12x.*(PS) To some user, within some range or ranges of weight a greater weight may be easier to hold steady.Personally, to find out which 12x or 15x (among all 12xs and 15xs) will convey most detail to me when hand held, I have been on a lengthy quest involving several/many of them, and have finally narrowed it to these: Alpen Teton 15x50, 795 g and 6.9 in., and Meopta HD 12x50, 1060 g and 6.8 in. One of the former (the model may have just been discontinued) should reach me in a month from now. If it does not do what I hope then it will be the latter. I will also be using this (whichever) with a monopod.Adhoc</blockquote>