binoclulars

[mjtbackcountry]

is there a huge difference between 8X42 and 10x40? I was looking at the Nikon Advantage in the classifieds but everything i have read said i should go with at least a 10x40

[stumprat]

Depends on your needs.

[HUNT]

I would definately go with a 10 x 40 over the 8x.....  Look through both...  You'll see the difference....  Buy the best glass you can afford.  You will never regret it.

[Bean Counter]

I would stick with 8x if you're going to hunt the heavily timbered westside, and chose 10 or even 12x if you're going to hunt the open and expansive eastside.

[popeshawnpaul]

Even on the westside I'm glassing clearcuts at long distance.  10x is the perfect balance of power and ease of use.  8x would be fine if you are only hunting 100 yards or less areas. 

[Steve C]

Bigger is not necessarily better.  Usually I find if I can't tell what I need with 8x, 10x won't work either.  I've had both out together a lot trying to figure out what I liked best.  I settled on 8x.  Why?  The fov is better, the eyestrain is less, the image is typically sharper and brighter with an 8x.  Heat mirage at distance in open country is magnified by higher magnification as well.  Whatever imperfections there exist in the binocular are also magnified more with 10x as opposed to 8x.  8x binoculars are a lot easier to hold steady too.

But the image of the 10x is 20% bigger than the 8x.  So, what you get from your question is answers from users who like 8x and users who like 10x. That comes down in almost all cases to strictly personal preference.  I can tell you what I like.  Somebody else can tell you what they like.  When it gets right down to it, you sort of have to figure that for yourself.

When you spend less money for a binocular, get the 8x.  It is easier to make better less powerful glass than more powerful glass at lower price levels. If you are looking at a roof prism binocular, it is a lot more important to be sure you are buying one with phase coating first.  Worry about magnification later.

[Bean Counter]

Glassing clearcuts two ridgelines away is the job of my spotting scope, not my binos.

[rasbo]

8x42 works fine over here never feel the need for anything else..really depends on you.wetside they are great,eastside work good for me to..any more I would bring a spotting scope..

[thinkingman]

8X for reasons listed above.
Coatings and glass are more important than power.
You will have better resolution and brightness with 8X and less critical eye position.

[mazama]

Having several pairs of binos in 7x,8x,9x,10x,12x I now use my 9x in the timber and 10x out in the open,i can't hold 12x steady enough, a low powered expensive glass is better than a cheap pair of high powered glass.

[MAGhunter]

I have a pair of Nikon Monarchs 10x42.  They are very clear and the best optics that I have ever owned.  I went and compared them side by side with the Nikon advantage 10x42.  The monarchs are way better.  Spend the extra hundred bucks and get those. 

[HUNT]

I agree MAGhunter...  The Nikon Monarchs are probably the best glass in that price range!!!

[MAGhunter]

I wouldn't count out the Zen-Rays either.  I have only heard great things about them..

[Intruder]

All things equal 8x42 are going to be brighter and offer a better field of view.  8x-42 is probably the best all around bino out there... unless you're predominately hunting open terrain.  I personally use 10x but wouldn't hesitate for 1 sec to go to 8x and would recommend them more often than 10x. 

As far as best value... not knocking the Monarch but there are quite a few binos out there that offer better glass, coatings, and warranties in that price range.  I'd suggest shopping around and handling a lot of different brands.  Leu, Vortex, Zen-Ray would be worth takin a gander at.

 

[Steve C]

I have no wish to appear to be raining on the Monarch parade here.  Among the fifteen pairs or so of binoculars I own, I do have an 8x42 Monarch, and it is decent.  It worked for me, and would still work, should I ever have to take it afield again, which I most likely will not do.  I also have the Zen Ray ZRS and ZEN ED.  The Monarch is in third place in that comparison.  When I bought mine just after they introduced it, it was the best deal going.  But, in the last decade since Nikon introduced the Monarch, which I freely admit is sort of a mid price classic, they have sat back on their laurels with it and have done nothing, while the competition has caught and/or passed the Monarch.  But, yes when the choice is Monarch or Advantage, the Monarch does win that battle.  If you have a Monarch and like it, there is little point in rushing off to upgrade, but these days there are better or at least equivalent choices for a bit less money, if saving money is a need.

Along with the ZRS, there is the new Vortex Diamondback and the Leupold Acadia for a couple of examples.  At about the same price as the Monarch is the new Bushnell Legend Ultra HD with HD glass and almost 100' more fov.

[robodad]

When looking for binos, it is important to keep in mind that your comfort is first and formost or you won't use them as much so keep in mind that the larger the exit pupil is the better you will be able to see through them, take any set of binos and look backwards through them holding them at arms length, that small hole you see is the exit pupil and the larger that is the better you will see through them.

A 5mm exit pupil will be about the max you will need as over time our eyes (pupil) will only ever expand that far so getting the highest exit pupil will be more comfortable  then a high magnification and you will be able to see better in lower light.

Here is how you calculate it, Take the small number ( and divide it into the larger objective number (42) and you get 5.25mm, with a 10x42 you will get a 4.2mm exit pupil so some of the light gathering capabilities is significantly reduced !!
 

[ZRS-8x42]

Bigger is not necessarily better.  Usually I find if I can't tell what I need with 8x, 10x won't work either.  I've had both out together a lot trying to figure out what I liked best.  I settled on 8x.  Why?  The fov is better, the eyestrain is less, the image is typically sharper and brighter with an 8x.  Heat mirage at distance in open country is magnified by higher magnification as well.  Whatever imperfections there exist in the binocular are also magnified more with 10x as opposed to 8x.  8x binoculars are a lot easier to hold steady too.

But the image of the 10x is 20% bigger than the 8x.  So, what you get from your question is answers from users who like 8x and users who like 10x. That comes down in almost all cases to strictly personal preference.  I can tell you what I like.  Somebody else can tell you what they like.  When it gets right down to it, you sort of have to figure that for yourself.

When you spend less money for a binocular, get the 8x.  It is easier to make better less powerful glass than more powerful glass at lower price levels. If you are looking at a roof prism binocular, it is a lot more important to be sure you are buying one with phase coating first.  Worry about magnification later.

In addition to the FOV discussed by Steve and exit pupil mentioned by robodad, higher magnification binoculars of the same model series also has a shorter eye relief. It may not be an issue for most people, even the ones with glasses. But someone may find the eye relief is too short to see the whole FOV.  The drive home message is that when designing optics, everything is about optimization and compromise of different competing factors: higher power--> narrower FOV, wider FOV--> lower power, etc, etc. When choosing binoculars, your decision is also made after evaluating the pros and cons of each model and figuring our which parameter is the most important to you for your application.  I normally recommended customers to start with 8x first if they asked my own experience, unless they knew exactly 10x was what they wanted.  As Steve said, you would not see an object with 10x either if you could not see it with 8x. Although 8x is my personal favorite (I think now I am hooked to 7x), 10x should not have any issue with image stability. Some people can push it to 12x. But again, the eye-relief with 12x can become a real issue for people wearing glasses.

[h2ofowlr]

If you plan on scoping a hill side for a while.  I would look at a good pair.  Pay the money, it will help eliminate the head aches.  I picked up the Leupold 10x42 pinnacles.  They are nice.