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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Binastro" data-source="post: 3258582" data-attributes="member: 111403">Hi HJC 1972,Firstly, zoom binoculars, almost invariably have the narrowest apparent field of view at the lowest magnification, not the other way round.So at eight times, the Olympus zoom binocular will have a much narrower field of view than a dedicated eight times binocular.As to the supposed recommendations by numerous people saying that the zoom binoculars are okay. It is because they know no better. Cheap zoom binoculars do not stand up to heavy use. They may have better eye relief in some cases at the higher magnifications.Also, although they may be collimated at the low magnification, they probably are not collimated at the high magnification. The ones to just chuck into the garbage are the ones magnifying a ridiculous 70 times, 100 times or higher.The Barr and Stroud 8×42 roof prism binocular may be okay.Re: optical quality I would say that the Nikon 8×42 may on average be the better choice. However, they do vary. If you are actually able to buy from a shop, buy the one that you test, and which you think is good, and not an apparently identical boxed binocular.It would be best if you could try the three 8×42 binoculars in a shop, and buy from the shop. But if you buy by mail order it is just the luck of the draw as to whether you get a good one or not.Having said that, I think that any one of these three should be okay.</blockquote>