8x or 10x

[TheFool]

I’m a eastern/midwest hunter with plans to go west for hunting next year or 2022. Buying some new binos, was originally set on 10’s but now contemplating 8’s now being a whitetail hunter mainly. Anyone have experience with both ? Had 10x42 EL’s last year and upgrading to the NL’s and thinking about getting them in 8’s instead of 10’s.


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[j3h8]

Will you be glassing longer distance? If so 10x. If not then get the 8x. Another thing to consider is if you carry a set of 15/18's the 8x would be my recommendation. This way you have a broader field of view when searching off hand and can still use the larger magnification for longer distances.

 

[Cameron.25]

I can glass far off just fine with both of my 8's so I wouldn't hesitate to get them since you mostly hunt whitetail. I like 8's cause i mostly bowhunt. Plus since 10x is way more popular you might be able to find the 8x easier. When i ordered my 8x swaro range TA's rob at s&s said im the only one who'd ordered them from him so far and the projected shipping date was sooner than the 10x. And they were 100 bucks cheaper. They showed up 2 weeks later, woulda been way sooner without the winter storms cause shipping got delayed. He said he was still trying to fill NL orders from september too. Not that it should be a deciding factor obviously, get what you need, but its nice.

Either way id call rob at s&s for sure and ask his opinion, he hooked me up for being a member here and was great to work with

 

[Xlr8n]

8x and 10x are more similar than they are different and by that I mean both will work well for what you describe. It's almost a Coke vs. Pepsi argument.
I've used both over the years but my go to glass for midwestern whitetail hunting are 8x. The increased field of view , brightness at low light, and ease of holding steady on the move are the main reasons I prefer 8x over 10x.
Try out both and pick the one that suits your eyes.

 

[NoWiser]

I prefer 8x both for midwest and western hunting.

 

[Catahoula]

I‘ve had both 10x and 8x. I currently use 8x and have for last 5 seasons. I prefer the clarity, FOV and work much better looking ahead through the thick for me.

 

[bowhuntrben]

I prefer 10x. I mostly whitetail hunt in the Midwest with one trip per year out west. Even for whitetails, I find myself wishing I had a little more zoom from time to time ..never find myself wishing I had less. If you’re upgrading to the NL, then you’re effectively getting the FOV of a normal 8x while retaining the 10x zoom.

 

[Q child]

Some good advice on here already. You will be happy with either.
I usually advocate for lower magnification because it is going to be faster. Larger field of view means your object will be in the field quicker. Larger depth of field means that your target will be quicker to focus on. Steadier view means you will be able to more readily see movement within the field rather than movement of the field (also quite a bit easier to one-hand). Larger exit pupil means that your eyes have a bigger target when you first bring them up to your eyes.
The lower magnifications are quick, comfortable, and intuitive. My first pair of nice binoculars was a pair of 7x42s. I've bought 8x25s, 10x42s, and 15x56s since then, and they are all awesome in their own way, but the 7s are still my favorite.
But, Xlr8n said it well:

8x and 10x are more similar than they are different...

So, the virtues that I described are present in 8s and 10s, just a little more so in the 8s.

 

[TheFool]

Well I just bought a set of 8x NL’s. Couldn’t turn the deal down and 10’s were out of stock


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[Q child]

Well I just bought a set of 8x NL’s. Couldn’t turn the deal down and 10’s were out of stock


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Sweet. I bet you are going to be really happy. Let us know what you think when they arrive.

 

[TheFool]

Sweet. I bet you are going to be really happy. Let us know what you think when they arrive.

Will do! I was leaning towards the 8’s and this helped the mind. Appreciate it!


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[gr8fuldoug]

Put an 8x on a tripod and you'll be very pleased with the glassing ability compared to a hand held 10x

 

[Xlr8n]

The F.O.V. on those 8x NL's is insane. You'll love them.

 

[TheFool]

Going to be selling a enclosed marsupial medium if anyone is interested. Ranger green


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[TheFool]

First impression of the NL 8x42’s are wow! These are amazing and I don’t think I’ll be regretting the 8x but that’s just from spending 10 mins looking outside when I got home


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