8 or 10x

[trapperjay]

I understand that for resale purposes, a 10x bino is preferred. But, what about in the field, which one is easier to handle, or does it matter? I wont be using a tripod where I hunt and not sure if that makes a difference in preference. Thoughts?

[Swede]

I have thought about this same question several times, and always come down on the side of the 8x. I think for open country glassing a 10x would be better, but for timber or when closer range glassing is the order of the day, I would go with the 8x. The 8x are a little steadier, brighter, and have a wider field of view. It used to be that 7x was the preferred bino, but 10 x has taken over. The person who said 10x has a better resale value is probably right.

[trapperjay]

Elknut himself said that!

[dotman]

I prefer 8x, weighs less and gathers more light in lowlight situations. I don't feel under powered and actually wish I had 8x32 instead of 8x42 to drop even more weight an some bulk.

[planebow]

I hunt a lot of open country and like my 10 x 42 nikons. If I was hunting thicker country I would prefer 8 power

[pointysticks]

if you can only afford one pair of binos..i vote for 10x. you can handle a wider range of situations.

i've taken big 10's into texas brush. overkill, yes. but making sure that tiny deer has meets antler restrictions is tricky business..that last point can be hard to spot.

[Huntography]

For me, it would depend on terrain. My old Steiner 8x30 Night Hunters have worked great in thick timber to the open grasslands.

Love them for their low light capability.

But, in open terrain I find myself wondering how a 10x might fair compared to my 8x.

Maybe one day I'll get a 10x but for now, my 8x's are my workhorse.

Rudy

[Buglemaster]

I love my 10-42 Diamondbacks. The country we hunt is big & I need the power to evaluate those distant "objects". In the tight stuff, I really cant ever remember being inconvenienced with the larger binos.With a good shoulder harness the weight is'nt an issue.I like counting nose hairs.

[aron]

I prefer 10x over 8x but I also hunt a lot of open country. I can't seem to notice much of a difference in performance at lower light, field of view, or weight between and 8 and 10. But when wanting to see a little bit more detail it seems the 10x has a slight edge over the 8x.

I think the quality of glass is far more important versus the slight difference of power between 8 and 10. Optics are very subjective to each person depending on the country they hunt and hunt style.