12x or 15x and Which Combo to Carry?

[Carpenterant]

8x and 15x on a tripod is my vote. No spotter unless you’re looking at trophy potential. A good pair of 15s will be more comfortable then a spotter all day.

 

[JustSomeGuy35]

I wouldn’t carry three pieces of glass. I’d go 8’s and 15’s or 10’s (maybe 12’s if they are very good, wide FOV, hand holdable) and 65mm spotter. If you are really picky about judging animals, the latter. If you are just trying to find animals and determine legality, the former. With a tripod, you can find animals from distances so great so as to be prohibitive with just 8-10’s let alone 15’s.

I'm primarily just a meat hunter, like my father, so I guess that's why I adopted his choice of 10x on chest and a spotter. However, I have issues that he doesn't. I have slight tremors in my hands that I didn't realize, until this year (though it seems stupidly obvious now), were screwing with my glassing abilities. Getting 8s this season was a game-changer and got me thinking that I need to adopt new methods for out west (binos on a tripod).
From all my reading, I think your recommendation of 8s and 15s is a great option overall and removes my need for a spotter. My only concern is that 12x might be better for the smaller canyon we spend most of our time at. But boy would 15x be amazing for the larger canyon! It's 3x wider than the one I posted a pic of.
I need to consult my comparison tables and dad again. Thank you for replying and giving me food for thought!

 

[JustSomeGuy35]

8x and 15x on a tripod is my vote. No spotter unless you’re looking at trophy potential. A good pair of 15s will be more comfortable then a spotter all day.

I think you're spot on. I've never used binos on a tripod but everything I've read says its the tits! I'm a meat hunter so definitely not counting points or size, just legal/illegal for me. However, when looking at far-off things that I don't plan to kill, I do appreciate the finer details my spotter provides. A 15x bino on a tripod might be the best of both worlds though.
Thank you for the reply!

 

[Life_Feeds_On_Life]

It really does come down to just using different magnifications and seeing what works for you. I do enjoy my 12's and think they're adequate as a do all if you only want one pair but when it comes down to it I personally don't care for them for use from the hand. For me here in AZ I much prefer my 15's and a less magnified pair for the chest.

 

[JustSomeGuy35]

It really does come down to just using different magnifications and seeing what works for you. I do enjoy my 12's and think they're adequate as a do all if you only want one pair but when it comes down to it I personally don't care for them for use from the hand. For me here in AZ I much prefer my 15's and a less magnified pair for the chest.

From what I'm reading, seems like 12s might be too unsteady in my hands. I guess I'd be better off with 8's on my chest. I appreciate your reply!

 

[JustSomeGuy35]

Well, to all of you who responded, I want to thank you again. I definitely appreciate the advice.
I really hoped there would be a clear, definitive winner....but there isn't! Taking into account a couple posts that mentioned more than one combo, my tally shows:

6 in favor of 8x and 15x
7 in favor of 12x and spotter
2 for rolling with what I got if I throw the binos on a tripod.

Though my 12x vs 15x inner debate continues on , I did learn something important. Reading all the replies led me to spend time comparing my 8's and 10's. I quickly realized that what I thought was lack of clarity in the 10x, was actually just my inability to hold them steady. This is based on looking at things under 400 yds, with a harness.

Going forward, I think I'll keep 8x on my chest. Luckily I have plenty of time to decide on the other part of the combo.

Happy holidays, everyone!