I am looking at the Zeiss Conquest HD in 8X42 and 10X42 also possibly the Cabelas(Meopta) Euro HD in 10X42.The Zeiss say 90% light transmission and the Cabels say 99.9% light transmission. They are all priced about the same.
I cannot spend the money for Swarovski or Leica.
I have used cheaper binos in the past but want to step up some as I have an Africian PG hunt next year and for hunting in the USA. My eyes are not as good as I am older and now wear glasses part of the time.

My question is: For general big game hunting in the USA and PG in South Africa which power would be more useful?? Which one would you choose?

if You don´t need night visbility or till late dawn, have a look at this one:

http://titanium-gunworks.de/sw...10x30-companion.html


I (and not me alone) would rate this one high above the Zeiss Conquest, and it is very light and the price is in the same range then the Zeiss Conquest I guess...

I would go with 10x power, but that is a personal choice... At least as long as You have enough light/hunting in daylight mainly...

Best regards
Klaus

P.S. The perfect perfect choice would be a Swarovski EL Swarovision (whichever depends on your tasks) - but OK; I agree that this is a different liga - but be aware in taking one in your hands - you won´t get away without one... Sure!

P.S.S. (the prices shown there contains 19% VAT which is not to pay outside European Community!)

Divernhunter,

If you live someplace where you can go and compare binos side by side, that may help you decide what you want. 8x is great for general hunting,10x are harder to hold steady without a rest.

Your question is a bit like asking "Is a .223 or a .375 H&H better for hunting?" The answer depends on whether you're hunting ground squirrels or buffalo.

Is your binocular to be used primarily for long sessions of scanning wide areas for game? If so, the lower power will be superior. Is your binocular to be used primarily for evaluating game after it has been spotted? If so then the higher power is indicated.

Are you mostly hunting in brushy, broken terrain where binocular use is typically 200 yards and under? If so, lower power is better. Or are you in the wide-open where you may be spotting game at a half-mile or more? The more magnification the better.

Bottom line: Without getting into the specifics of any particular brand or make, the 8x is a bit more versatile and a better all-around power; but I also own 10X glasses and use them frequently when circumstances make them the better choice.

Having both available, I chose the 8x to take on an African plains game hunt because (1) they were lighter and more compact, and (2) I figured correctly that the guide would be doing the "heavy lifting" in finding and evaluating game.

You have received some very good advice from earlier posts, but I will go ahead and throw in my 2 cents anyway.

I like my 8 power with a small objective lens when bow hunting (it stays out of the way easier) but after I purchased my 10 power MINOX with a 50mm objective lens from Cameraland, it is hard to put them down any other time. They have a very good twilight number (sorry I dont' remember the number), fully multi-coated and priced where they won't break the bank. I usually suffer the extra bit of weight to carry them and did so for 6 days in the field while in Africa...Fred

the number of 99,9% light transmission is a "not-possible" number -> don´t trust such numbers!!!

Plus light transmission is not more that just ONE component of many others - so yep, go and compare binos a) in the shop and b) outside prior buying one - best idea ever!

I compared the 8x42 and 10x42 Zeiss Conquest HD the other day I was very impressed with the optical performance and overall quality of these new binoculars. The new conquest HD is much better than its predecessor. And to answer your question about choosing the 8x or the 10x I would definitely choose the 8x ! Brighter image and steadier to hold......do doubt in my mind.

Just got back from an antelope hunt in Wyoming. I had 8 power and it wasn't enough. Te outfitter and guides all had higher power. My $.02.

I would buy the 8 powers. I have both and only use the 10 powers for long range western elk hunts. I seem to spend a lot of time focusing the 10 powers when I use them. I have not used the Conquests so I cannot comment on them. My favorite binocular is an older pair of 8x30 Swarovskis. Check out Camera Lands demos. Doug is great to deal with and you can save some money. I hear very good things about Minox for the money.

For all round use I prefer 8 power binos. When I am stalking in thick bush I can hold them steady enough to use with one hand, the other holding the rifle.

In fact I do not even own a pair of 10X binos.

When hunting long range animals I usually have a spotting scope.

Leica does make, or at least one time they did, a pair pof binos that go from 8x to 12x.

They are not 8 to 12, they are either 8x OR 12x.

They were prettty impressive, and I almost bought a pair of them, however I bought the Geovids 8x42 instead, the ones with the rangefinder. I fine them to be a most excellent piece of kit.

On my last 3 trips to Africa I have used the Leica 8x20's and found them to work great for daytime hunting.

When I was young the common wisdom was that binos above 8x gave too much shake unless used with a tripod. Perhaps it was the weight of the big old porros but maybe people have steadier arms now.

I hate carrying big glasses because of the weight and would love to believe that scubapro's Swaro 10x30s solved all the problems. But unless 10-powers have more or bigger elements and always weigh more, 500g is no lighter than the 8x30 Pentax porro prisms I've had for 35 years.

The one thing I regret with my little Nikon 8x25s is the small exit pupils (3mm+) make it impossible to get a full view with spectacles on. Do the Swaro 10x30s have the same problem?

Maybe paying three times as much for binoculars really pays dividends but hunting soon dirties the lenses and unless you clean them carefully and constantly at risk of scratching the expensive coatings, I'm not sure how long will you notice the difference. (An otherwise fussy friend has a Zeiss riflescope with so much dust on it that a new Tasco would be clearer by a mile.)

I use 8x32 and 10x42 (more the 8# these days).
The 10# can be a little shaky off hand but if you need to evaluate trophy's over distance then the 10# are very handy.
10x30 is a good compromise.

I used 10x forever but the last couple years I've hunted the wide open areas of eastern Colorado and the Pike burn and visibility is miles not yards so I stepped up to 12x this past fall and am very pleased

I've been down this same path. IMO, plan on buying two sets. Get an 8 x 32 and 10 x 42 (preferably 10 x 42 with RF). Buy whatever set you want first, that meets your current needs. I bought a set of 8.5 x 42 for my "all around" pair. In retrospect, I think you need a lighter set for stalking and a larger set for glassing distance. Then you can match the set that meets the needs of your actual hunt.

quote:

I have an Africian PG hunt next year

The gold standard is the 8x30 Swarovski's for Africa.

If I were you I'd try to find a used pair here or AR or elsewhere in the price range of the new binoculars you are considering.

You'll be able to see more and better using 8X Swarovski's than 10X anything-else.

I have 10X32 Swaro ELs, the non HD kind. I have had them and used them extensively from prairie dogs, NWT sheep, African plains game, antelope, to bowhunting whitetail from tree stands and other hunting. I think they do it all and are compact and reasonably light.

quote:

Originally posted by Ingvar J. Kristjansson:
I compared the 8x42 and 10x42 Zeiss Conquest HD the other day I was very impressed with the optical performance and overall quality of these new binoculars. The new conquest HD is much better than its predecessor. And to answer your question about choosing the 8x or the 10x I would definitely choose the 8x ! Brighter image and steadier to hold......do doubt in my mind.

I have 7X, 8X, and 10X binocs and the best for hunting is the 8X! 7x are fine for shooting from a blind lver bait, and the 10Xs are OK for glassing but for general hunting the 8Xs are the best choice IMO!

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I have a 10x pair of Kahles, made in Austria, I bought them for $800 about 6 yrs. ago. I use them in open western US as well as Africa. They are an under-the-radar brand, so it seems. Definitely not trendy, but they perform flawlessly for me.