just wondering what your take was on high dollar glass? used mostly for coyote and mule deer hunting out west. i have some swarovski 8x30 slcs and love them, however a friend is about to take the swarovski "plunge" and was told that the 10x42 s gathered much more light and were all around better. i think that the 8s are incredible, much easier to hold still, and gather an incredible amount of light, any way just looking for some impressions and opinions. thanks for your time. mark

If you are not wearing glasses the tens are a good choice if the cover you are hunting is not thick. Or if ypu have some concern about low light hunting. The denser the foilage the lower the power of glass has always been my opinion. I like my leica 10 x42s and my SLC 10 x 42 Swavorskis the same they are both great. I would like to replace my old pair of 8X30s with a new set of Leicas in the same power range

Hvy... I've had 8x30's, and currently use 7x30 SLC's... honestly, I can't find a need for more magnifiaction on the prarie... mirage can become a real problem with the higher X's and I dislike the "wobble-factor" of higher magnification as well as the weight and size of the 10x bino's. I wanted a "compromise" bino that would be small, light and handy, yet transmit enough light in the dark timber... that's why I went with the 7x's... no regrets. If I want more than 7 or 8x, I pull out the spotter.

Regards,

Brad

BTW, binos don't "gather" light, they "transmit" light... small but important difference... ok, maybe not so important!

I like the 7x35 Steiners in Bushveld conditions and 10 powers in more open spaces like the free state. In short . . . one should own a pair of both and the price of steiner glass makes this possible to most hunters.

JohnTheGreek

10x42 EL's in Swarovski!!!!! Really nice..GREG

a friend has a pair of 10x42 swarovskis and they are just incredible. But perhaps the most amazing thing about them is that I believe I see more clearly than without them. Meaning images are sharper, clearer, and all together more brilliant than my 20/20 vision. Their field of view is as wide as many lower powered binos (~330ft). IMHO there is nothing better and I will be pitifully jelous till I get my own pair.

------------------
>>>--------------------->
Toxophilie and carry a bent stick.
<---------------------<<<

I used to have the 8x30 Swarovskis but after trying a friend's during last light and comparing them with my 8x30s I went to our local dealer and traded the 8s for the 10x42s. There is a great deal of difference as far as light gathering. Apparently the new SLCs will be coming out with the same coatings used on the ELs so it may come down to appearance, feel, etc.. I bought the 2x doubler for my 10x42s and the tripod mount; works good and is lighter than a spotting scope.FWIW.

In my country, legal game management plans determine the numbers of animals to be harvested, based on age, sex and antlers count/growth - no more, no less, only the first name of the deer is not specified... Therefore, it's safer to get a close and clear view of all physical details and that's also the reason I chose a Swarovski EL 10x42.

------------------
Andr�

I prefer the lower power while hunting. I have compact 7X binos for their size, and really like my 8.5x42's for full size. Plenty of power, and plenty bright with the 42mm objective. If I'm in a situation where 8.5 may not be enough, I use them to glass/scan, then get out the 25X spotter for a better look.

I bought 8 x 42 Leicas rather than the 10 power due to the aforementioned " wobble factor" ....Then I used 10 x 42 Leicas and Swaros owned by my hunting partners and decided that in a full size, relatively stable TOP QUALITY glass, it wasnt THAT much of a factor... Hunting open country caribou and muleys I found myself wishing I had bought the 10 instead of the 8....

However, in my home turf hunting whitetails in the woods and brush, I like the 8's better...

I own and use both but it seems that I'll drag along my 10 powers about nine out of ten times going into the field. Great for judging game. I feel lost if I'm in the field without them.

On the other hand, my wife prefers the 8 power binocs. She has difficulty seeing out of the tens.

------------------
Good Hunting & Hunt Safe,
David

I prefer my Zeiss 10x40's,for most everything. The exception is calling in the thick timber. In that application,I use my Leica 8x20 Compacts................

In the past I used a set of 8x compacts. But got sick of game seeing me before I see it.

Recently purchased a very nice set of Swarovski 8.5x42 s and also looked at some 10x42s.

Picked the 8.5 x for better low light resolution. Though in the shop in bright daylight they were both great. Counted twigs in a tree 300 metres away.

Tried them out on my farm where I also have a deer farm, on nights when there was clear half moon and a full moon. Could see deer very well in shadows where they were invisible to the naked eye, and also could quite well judge the breeding stag's antlers at 75 metres (again he was invisible to the naked eye - in shadows).

Nitro

------------------
Nitro@NitroExpress.com
NitroExpress.com

My hunting is a lot different from yours.
Mostly eastern whitetails/hogs and groundhogs.
With that said I own the Pentax DCF WP 8x42. Wonderful glass.
I had a pair of B & L Elite 10 x 42 and always found myself reaching for the 8x Pentax. I sold the Elites.
Ken

Neither. Too much shake IMO.

I use Swarovski 7x42 SLC and I have no complaints.

------------------
Regards

Richard

I can't afford the high end Bino's at $1200 US a clip. I do have a set of 8x42 Bushnells that do all I need. The 10 power seem to have to much bounce after a while. The 8's don't give me a headache after looking through them for several hours on end.

I posted this somewhere else a little while ago - I read that Leica (which I think most would agree is at least about equal with Swarovski in binos) is coming out with a "hybrid" bino that is both 8 and 12x. You can turn/flip/twist(?) something to change them back and forth - supposedly coming in a few months, a few hundred$$ more than their normal binos.

Just another option to kick around - may give the best of both worlds (although 12x is certainly tougher to hold than 10X). I'm about to buy new glass and have had the same dilema - I may wait and check these out.

I tend to agree with the lower-power advocates. A 7x or 8x (or even 6x) is much better for scanning, or panning, while searching for game than a 10x due to wider field of view and less "shake". The lower powers are also easier on the eyes when used for extended viewing. The ten power is better after the game is actually spotted for determining just what and how good it is, but then that's really the job of a spotting scope.

Only if your hunting is in strictly open country and at long ranges (or for small game) would the tens be a better general choice than the 7 or 8's. If I were going prairie dog hunting, for example, I'd take the tens.

I now tend to use my Zeiss 10x40 Classic C for everything including hunting in dense woods. However, if most of my hunting was in heavy cover I would probably favor 8 or even seven power. Whatever the power, there is no substitution for good glass. I am absolutely certain I find game I would miss with lesser quality optics.

8

JBD. I couldn't agree with you more!! If you ever hunt Old Mexico or South Texas brush for whitetails r big elk country and glass all day long, you CAN'T place a value on good glass. It is incredible the number of ears, throat patches, twitching tails, antler tips , etc.. that I spot with my 10x42 Swarovski's that I KNOW I would NEVER see with cheaper glass. Of course, a good spotting scope can do the same,(have a leupold 20x) but sure can be bulky and cumbersome, especially on a horseback elk hunt. If you are going to spend the money for a good hunt, be sure and spend the money for good glasses. It sure can make the difference in finding and bringing home a trophy!!!GREG