10x vs 12x Binoculars – I Went Too Big

[spinninggriller]

Switched from 10x42 to 12x50 last season thinking it’d be better for mule deer in open country. Big mistake. Shaky hands, smaller FOV, and heavier neck strain after glassing all morning.
Sold the 12x and went back to 10x with a tripod adapter. Sometimes “more power” is just more trouble.

 

[sndmn11]

8x for the win

 

[StupidLightweight]

There is no perfect power, but for most applications, people use more Xs than they should. As you found out, that comes with consequences. Where i grew up hunting in the jungles of Western Washington, 6X is better than 10X, and 7X or 8X is likely the sweet spot. Now that i live and hunt in Wyoming, I find 10X to be a pretty good compromise, but there are times where a 12X or 15X makes a big difference.

For years, carried an 8X on my chest and 15Xs and a tripod in my pack. That was heavy but it covered all the bases. If i were starting from scratch today, i'd likely go with a 12X or 14X image stabilized binos. You still have the field of view limitations, but the IS technology eliminates any shake during use. It's amazing.

 

[Kauaihunter]

Quality glass beats higher magnifcation. 8x beats my old 10x42 and a spare 12x50 that I still have.

 

[PathFinder]

Unless they're NLs...
A compact, RF 8x and a 15x on a tripod may be the more optimum combination. But the NL 12s are hard to top with their size, weight, ergonomics, and FOV for a single bino.

Sent from my Pixel 10 using Tapatalk

 

[Steve300xcw]

I was happy with 10's until I got a tripod. Then came the 15's. Now my 10's need to turn into 8's

 

[ElPollo]

My 12x get used mostly off a tripod or window mount with an outdoorsman’s stud. I do use them handheld on occasion but not often free-standing. They work pretty well resting on a hard surface or sitting with elbows on knees. But binos of 12x plus are specialized tools for finding game.

 

[Wrench]

I have about everything and I'm rarely carrying anything buy my 8x42s.

They're everything I need and nothing I don't.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I own NL 12x I love them… but there are times when I wish I 10x or 8x like archery hunting… but for general glassing rifle hunting the 12’s are amazing! Especially off a tripod