What size objective lense do you prefer on bino's for general hunting/spot & stalk?


Good answer Stonecreek, what I left out in my post is I'm asking about Bino's; my mistake, corrected my post

Absolutely no larger than 40mm. If it is any larger the scope cannot be mounted low enough for your head to be properly positioned on the stock.

90% of the time i prefer my swaro 10x42's for the other 10% i have a pair of 10x25 leica mini's that fit just right in the shirt pocket

If walking or climbing quite a bit a 8 X 32. If more immobile then a 10 X 42.
Some of the newer 10 X 42's are getting lighter these days so they may be more of a carry option in the future. 10 X 42's (roofs) used to around 32 ounces. Now they can be 27-28 ounces, some down to 23 so there is little difference between them and the lightest 8 X 32's at about 19 ounces (Leica ultravids).
Personally, my preferance is at least a 4 mm exit pupil.

EZ

I have the new Swarovski EL 8,5x42 Swarovision binos and compared them against my old Zeiss 8x56 - the Swarovski´s ultrasharp and high contrast image let you see more then the Zeiss with its much bigger objective lenses - so this is not everything.

I would suggest those El´s for generall hunting - they are more then perfect!!!

eezridr expressed my preferences exactly. Tailor your binos to the type hunting you are doing. A lightweight pair of 30 or 32's is all you want when on shank's mare, but 10x40's or 42's are great if in a stand or motorized conveyance. If you're a European moonlight hunter, then 50's aren't too big.

And if you hunt by boat the bigger the better, but keep the magnification low I like a 7x50

I like 12x45's their great for digging through the brush and help at extended ranges. I'm using zeiss right now and am extremly happy with them an don't notice the weight.

quote:

Originally posted by Mikelravy:
And if you hunt by boat the bigger the better, but keep the magnification low I like a 7x50

In my view, larger objectives while adding a penalty for weight and size, are particularly useful in low light environments. Traditionally, this involved marine navigation and lookout in marine applications. Generally, weight is not a problem here because the weight is borne by the ship.

As always, while lens size translates into light gathering, the money spent for the glass generally translates into color fidelity and enhanced resolution. This is the specification game that the binocular manufacturers play and why you can buy 7x50 glasses from $100 to nearly $3000.

Classic example in general of you get what you pay for. On the other side being able to count the ridges on a knat's wing at 300 meters may not provide value to you.

All true DMCI There also seems to be a benefit to the large objective lense / low magnification binocs in avoiding eyestrain and the like in a moving boat. Not sure why that is.