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Message: <blockquote data-quote="asp09" data-source="post: 3808281" data-attributes="member: 145991">With hindsight, I completely agree with you.  I came very close to buying the SV8.5x42, largely because of what I'd read about it and because it is so well-regarded and a proven performer, and yet the truth is that it was clearly my least favourite of the three due to its comparatively narrow FOV.Although the SF's FOV is wider, for some reason it did not feel any wider to me; I think I may have had trouble accessing its full FOV for some reason.I've got fairly small hands and skinny wrists, and the SV8x32 just seemed to fit my hands like a glove.  That said, I think the perception of greater sharpness I was getting may also have been down to the slightly slower focus of the SV, which made it easier for me to find the sharpest focus point when looking at nearby birds.  Or maybe it was just down to sample variation.I am still at an age (early forties) where I should be able to make use of the brightness difference.  I did actually compare the two a few weeks ago at dusk, and like you I saw a clear difference in those conditions.  However, those were fairly extreme conditions, so what was of greater interest to me was how they would compare on a dull, overcast winter's day.  And here I could not see much of a difference, if any.  So I decided that, to me, it was not worth carrying around a larger, heavier binocular to gain a brightness advantage in the last 30 minutes of the day.  One thing I didn't mention in my posts is that I always carry a scope and/or camera.  I generally also have a backpack containing sandwiches, tea, water, extra layers etc.  It all adds up, so I decided that sacrificing some low-light ability in favour of a smaller size and lower weight would be a worthwhile trade-off for me.  But were it not for the fact that I always have a scope with me, I think I would have chosen an 8x42; and the best 8x42 for me, I am now certain, would have been the SF.</blockquote>

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