8X or 10X and 42 or 50

desertroamer78 · Jul 30, 2012

I am going to be purchasing my first set of good binos for hunting out here in Arizona (mostly desert). Should I go with an 8X or a 10X power and is it better to have the larger 50mm objective lens for better light gathering. I would like some input from those who have used them in the field.

I was told once that a 10X will strain your eyes more than an 8X. Not real sure the true to that either so any help would be appreciated.

desertroamer78 · Jul 30, 2012

Oh yea I am going to stay in the 300 to 350 range and was looking a set of vortex

mmwb · Jul 31, 2012

I think sometimes it really comes down to personal preference. I used 10xs for year and now use 8.5s and prefer them. A larger objectives--all other things being equal--will give you a brighter image. They also will tend to come in the form of more weight and bulk. The quality of glass makes a huge difference with the higher quality glass giving a brighter and clearer image than a larger lower quality glass. Get a short list of what your thinking and see if you can find some place where you can compare them side by side. Ideally, you would be able to look through them in a low light situation. Don't underrate the benefits of a wider field of view either. In my case, the wider field of view out weighed the magnification.

BPKHunter · Jul 31, 2012

If this will be your one bino, not to be used in conjunction with 15x's, then I recommend 10x50's. They are a little big, but will give you the best optical performance. Do your best to get a rest under them, prefer a tripod, but something solid like a set of shooting sticks will make a huge difference.

Of course I think you can get a lot of bino for your $$ in that $500 range. I think in the $300 range you will definetely want to upgrade if you use them a lot and Ariz is certainly glassing heavy country.