I have tried a variety of binos in Africa. I have use 8x30 and 10x42's. I found the 10x to be way too heavy. I found the 8x30's just about right, but noted the PH did most of the "bino-ing".
I am thinking of taking 8x20 or 10x25's on my next trip. What do you think?

Question:
What type and magnification do you prefer and like?

Choices:
8x30's are my pick
10x42 are the greatest
8x20's are the best due to long hikes
10x25's are the cat's meow for me

 

In the past I've always taken my 10x42 EL's, but this last trip I picked up a pair of 8x30 slc's. I think they are about right. The compacts would certainly work, but part of the experience (a big part) is game watching. I spend so much time looking through the glasses that I wouldn't want to compromise anything. I do agree that the 10's are overkill and weight that not necessary. The distances are rarely sheep hunting distances.

The PHs that I have hunted with have had Swarovski 10X42 SLCs. That's what I carry and use. I have a pair of 8X30's as well and have taken them for my wife to use. I don't notice the weight, since I carry them European/African style, using the strap that comes with them and off to my right side and not on a bino bra like most U.S. hunters.

I am now using a 10x32 EL from Swarovski. I have previously used a Zeiss 10x40 and a Swarovski 8.5x42 EL. I like the 10x32, as it is powerful and provides a good field of view, but is small and light in weight.

One thing about the ELs that people should know. The eyepieces can and will unscrew on you and fall off in the bush.

This happened to me on my last trip to Tanzania, and my PH (who used the same bino) reported that it has happened to him, too.

The only thing to do is to check them frequently and make sure that they are screwed down tight.

I go for 10x42s because I like to see all I can see when I am in Africa, and I do like low light capabilities. An extra pound or two is definitely worth it to me. I like being able to watch a gray lorrie blink at 25 yards and check out a kudu's horns at 250 yards.

In my experience I think the 8x30's are more than adequate and the best compromise of weight, size and light gathering ability. I do like the 10's if we are sitting and glassing somewhere. The compacts are also fine unless you need them for low light and then they fail miserably.

Mark

Take two binoculars. A 10 power for use on the truck and a pair of 8 power compacts that fit in a shirt pocket when in the field.

I used a pair of 8.5x42 Swaros in Africa, and they worked just fine, althought a bit heavy and bulky. I wore then on a bino buddy harness. If I were going to do it again, I would go with the 8x30s or something similar, to save on size and weight. I don't believe I would be giving up much in the way of performance. The tracker or the PH always spotted the game first anyways.

Although not a part of your question, I must also add that buying as much quality as you can afford is just as important as configuration. Optics is one area where you get what you pay for, and these aging eyes of mine need all the help they can get.

For general African hunting I have found 8x30s most suitable.
10X40's are better if you are glassing at great distances, which might be the case in places such as areas of SA.

I've carried 10X42 SLC, 8X20 Compact Trinvid and most recently 8X32 BN.

The 8X32 is my opinion far and away the most useful glass in Africa for general hunting.

10X42s for me
Kahles 10X42 as been to africa 3 times and going for fourth---never had concern for weight etc with them.

Has anyone tried the new leupy with adjustable power-I recently saw a TV ad for them---any takers yet?

10x42 is the overall best bet and be sure to use the chest strap system.

10x42 Leupold Mojave's. Gave away my SCL's for a tip in Zim and needed a replacement. Spent some time at SCI/Reno wandering back and forth comparing all the different makes/ models. I was just amazed at how good these were. A plus is that they are modestly priced, so that if you want to give them away or they are lost/stolen they are easy to replace. I used them in Zim in '08 on an ele hunt and was very pleased with them.

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
Take two binoculars. A 10 power for use on the truck and a pair of 8 power compacts that fit in a shirt pocket when in the field.

I do the same, except that my truck bino's are 8x30's. The 8x30's are perfect for our local whitetail hunting too.

JPK

8x42 BN's. In '05, my PH tried to get me to trade him a trophy fee for them. He was using 8x32 BN's and marveled at the superior light gathering ability of the larger objectives. We both used Crooked Horn bino buddy's.. If things get tight, you can always shrug a shoulder out of the harness and carry them diagonally on your offside.

i would say anywhere between 7 and 10 power is fine , but dont go lower than 42 the light gathering is excellent at that diameter and also your field of view , the small pocket 10x 25 and similar can be very fraustrating as the greatly limit the field of view ..

i have used swarovski, leica and zeiss a lot over the years ,i have to say that comparing apples to apples it all comes down to personal preference ,aside from clarity and light , the swarovski were the toughest though.

i must say i LOVE my leica geovids in the open plains of south africa ...simply awesome instead of having to range and look !!! they are heavy though .

as far as the best overall , medium sized binos in 8x42 with bino-buddy strap is my recommendation ...

Sorry but as is too often on these surveys I can't participate as you limit the choices to just the ones you have listed and don't allow 'none of the above'. I have made 8 safaris to Zimbabwe and the first I used 8x30 Swarovski's and was happy. Then on my second trip I decided to up the power and traded the 8x30's for 10x42 Swarovski's. On my third and subsequent trips I bought a pair of 10x50 Swarovski's and that is what I used. I still also have the 10x42's but rarely use them the 10x50's are so superior in light gathering. I have to admit I am also an avid bird watcher and more is definitely better. They are a little heavy but if I can carry them all day at 75 years of age I don't think they are too heavy. I also carry a Nikon D1x with lens that is also quite heavy and it doesn't seem to bother me too much. I use an OpTech Pro camera strap on both the camera and the Binos and find it adequate for me. I will admit while on safari i don't carry the Nikon I carry a Canon Digital Elph in a belt case or in a shirt pocket. I will also say my 375 and 416 weigh around 9 lbs. Just don't like lightweight tools.

I have swaro 10x42, my wife has leica 8x42 and they are somewhat sharper and brighter. If you take 10 power or higher you should probably let your ph use them as he is probably saving for a double or has just bought one and has cheaper binos. He needs the better binos anyway since, (if you're smart) he's going to evaluate your trophy. We also have the german zeiss 10x25 but they are dreadful in low light conditions. The truth, more than ever, is a lot of the cheap stuff is getting darn good!

For Africa, you are right about the PH doing the glassing. You don't need a 10 power glass for most of your looking. In fact, you could use a pair of Kern 6x30's and not be disadvantaged. The small opera type glasses are convenient, but I find them harder to hold than the full size glass and in 10x the are jittery. Kudude

I just stopped by and voted and found my self in the small minority, which is about the norm for me. I like the pocket 10X25 Leica as most spotting is done by the trackers and PH, in fact this past fall I just gave them to the tracker for his use (at Marks suggestion) as we were hunting the little guys and it was all I could do to get on them with the naked eye and get a quick shot off. As the eyes are getting older and a bit cloudy (catarics) the higher power binos are what I need, here in the states I use 12X50 as I am mostly a stationary hunter glassing larger areas and by myself so I need to be able to see good.

I like the 10 X 25 Leica which rides in my shirt pocket, where it is hardly noticed most of the time.

In keeping with the idea that I enjoy hunting and not just shooting, I like to participate in most every phase of the effort to make a hunt successful, and this very much includes glassing for game. While my PHs get the bulk of the credit for what we have found, I know I have quite a few African creatures on the wall that wouldn't be there without my own observations and glassing. Better binocs, for example, pay off big time whenever you're high on a vantage point looking for game far in the distance. This is common in Masailand and other open areas where game can be spotted from very long range. To me, 10x bincocs are a must if you want to at least match what your PH can see and be a significant contributor to his efforts. There are also lots of great vantage points in the Selous that will also help you pick out some tail twitch under a far off tree that will soon have you planning your approach.
Get the best binocs you can and be a fun hunting partner for your PH as the two of you go the extra mile to make the hunt a success.

10 x 42 Nikon Monarch "spelling" gets my vote.

Great optics for great price.

10 x 42 assist me a lot when it comes to trophy judgement and are awesome tool for bird viewing in general.

Swar 10x42 for me. Try several, side-by-side if possible, & get what works best for you. The chest straps are cheap & work well unless you're belly-crawling.

You won't just be using these for hunting game that you want to shoot; there's lots of pretty birds and interesting critters to see. All part of the experience. Good binos will optimize this so spend the money. It's not like you'll wear them out by looking through them.

Finally, take them in your carryon.

Take the best pair you can afford !

Last August left my 10x42 Leica Trinovids with the game farm owner as down payment on a hunt this year.

A new bought but used pair of Leica 10x42 Ultravid HD just arrived and yes, they'll be in my carryon!

Regards

I'm a birder, astronomer and hunter. As I sit writing this I'm literally surrounded by many thousands $$$ worth of optics for various purposes. I've built telescopes from the ground up; ground, polished and corrected telescope mirrors to better than 1/10 wavelength of light.

Not boasting, just giving an honest background that may, or may not, be helpful.

It is NOT true that you always get what you pay for in optics! Having said that, the best approach is to decide what you CAN reasonably afford (as mentioned), what you WANT to achieve with it, and whether you will actually USE it!

As someone mentioned, in so many words, there's a huge difference between just looking and seeing! If you want to SEE, as distinguished from just looking, then compare several within the price range you have decided on.

Personally, my recommendation would be a good pair of 8 X 40mm (or 42mm) or 10 X 40 (or 42s). I'll not promote a particular make or model, but I have 4 sets of binoculars and one monocular. None were very expensive, but they all serve a purpose and a couple have served me well for many years. I have an ancient pair of Bell & Howell (10 X 50mm) that I purchased in Montreal 40 years ago for astronomy. They are still as good as the day I bought them for less than $100. I compared them recently with my much more expensive Audubon B&Ls 10 X40mm, and they are every bit as good, in fact a bit brighter! I have an el cheapo 7 X 35mm fixed focus camo Tasco's that stay (summer and winter) in my van for hunting. They've been thru "the mill" weather wise and have seen all kinds of abuse that I heap on them. They never fail, never fog and just "keep on keepin' on"!

So, what are they worth? I'm sitting in my office with my "priceless" optics; they are locked securely away while "el cheapo" is outside in the van tonight with the temp. at -28C. Guess which one gets to go huntin'?

I have had the pleasure of owning Swar (8.5 X42) EL's, Leica HD's and Zeiss FL's. I am going to speak on behalf of my 51 year old eyes.
Of these mfgs. The Swarovski's may be the best for birding (colors POP!). The Zeiss FL's may be the brightest in low light. The leicas appear to me to be the toughest and tend to be able to differentaite Gray scales at twilight when all colors are non existant. I have always considered this to be the best time to hunt. Being able to pick out details on a animal in the brush at dusk and dawn is most important to me,
I really like all of them but if I am stand hunting I use 12 X 50 leica HD;s and 8 X32's if hiking.
IMHO

I use 10 X 42's. With Bino Buddies the extra weight is not an issue.

I've used a pair of Bushnell Legend 8x30's for my last three safaris. I feel they are very adequate, both in size and light gathering capabilities. I have been very pleased with them.

For my first trip in '98, I used a friends 8x30 Swarovskis and loved them. But, I honestly did not find them to be head and shoulders above my Bushnells. I realize you get what you pay for however, there can be a lot of quality in some lower price optics.

Incidentally, I also use a pair of 8x56 Swarovskis for deer hunting that I've had since 1991. I'd hate to have to replace them at todays prices.

Bull1

Want water proof, great magnification and low light detail for $250? My Nikon Monarch ATB biniculars just arrived. They are 10X56. Might even make a good gift at that price. These days you can find good deals on new equipment on e-Bay. No need to pay thousands for good optics.

8X30 would be my pick as an allrounder, even though I prefer 10x in certain areas (mountain, open savannah etc.).