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Message: <blockquote data-quote="fazalmajid" data-source="post: 3491648" data-attributes="member: 134771">I have the 8x32 UVHD (not plus) and the 8x42 BL, along with Swarovski 8.5x42 EL SV and Zeiss 8x42 HT. The Ultravid 8x32 are very light and compact, take-anywhere binoculars that fit in a medium to large-sized woman's purse. The experience is not as immersive as with 8x42 binoculars. The 8x42BL are very light because rubber armoring adds weight over leather, and they are an absolute tactile and visual delight to use. I wish more manufacturers would make leather models (well, I suppose there is the Hermès limited-edition 8x32 UV HD+).The trade-off is between size/weight in the 8x32 and comfort and expansive view in the 8x42BL, only you know your wife well enough to make an informed decision. Will these be everyday-carry binoculars where some compromises are acceptable, or special-occasion ones for birding trips where superlatives are desired? Optics are the same grade either way. Don't worry about low-light, as with age the maximum pupil dilatation dwindles and the eye's ability to exploit the wider aperture goes down.Just a word to compare the major alpha binocular makers:- Leica make the smallest binoculars among the alphas, at the expense of a slightly smaller field-of-view and eye relief- Swarovski go for the sharpest edge-to-edge view using their field-flattener lenses, but some people feel a distracting "rolling ball" effect when panning with them (I don't)- Zeiss is half-way between Leica and Swarovski. Their HT line has a wonderful 3D quality to them thanks to Abbe-Koenig prisms, and class-leading low-light capability. Their SF line has field flatteners like Swarovski, but dial it down to give more of a 3D effect at the expense of edge-to-edge sharpness- Nikon have very high optical quality (closer to Swarovski in philosophy), but are bulky and heavy, have a poor reputation for service, and don't have the brand cachet of the Germans.</blockquote>

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