8x vs 6x Binos

[Ferrulewax]

I currently own a pair of 8x maven b3s, in addition to a pair of 10x B6. The idea was to get a lightweight and more compact pair of binos for whitetail and bear hunting in the east, that would cross over into archery elk and lightweight rifle trips out West.

I am now wondering if I would be better suited with 6x to compliment my 10x binos, particularly for hunting in the east- but still retain some usefulness out west. Does anyone have opinions one way or the other on 6x vs 8x in general, or these models specifically? FOV is fairly close between these two models (446ft vs 430ft) but I was wondering if low light performance and intangibles would make the 6x a worthwhile switch from the 8x.

Specification	6×30	8×30
Magnification	6×	8×
Objective Lens Diameter	30 mm	30 mm
Exit Pupil	5 mm	3.8 mm
Field of View	8.5° (≈ 446 ft @ 1000 yds)	8.2° (≈ 430 ft @ 1000 yds)
Apparent FOV	51°	65.5°
Brightness	25	14.1
Light Transmission	94.6 %	95.2 %
Twilight Factor	13.4	15.5
Eye Relief	18.3 mm	15.1 mm
Near Focus Distance	8.2 ft	8.2 ft
Dimensions (W×H×D)	4.7 × 4.6 × 1.6 in	4.7 × 4.6 × 1.6 in
Weight	~16.1 oz	~16.6 oz
Prism Type	Schmidt–Pechan	Schmidt–Pechan
Prism Coating	Dielectric + Phase Corrected	Dielectric + Phase Corrected
ED Glass	Yes	Yes
Lens Coating	Scratch & Oil Resistant	Scratch & Oil Resistant
IP Rating	IPX7 (1 m, 30 min)	IPX7 (1 m, 30 min)
Diopter Adjustment	±2 dpt	±4 dpt

 

[TaperPin]

Elk hunting the timber is the one place binoculars may get used one handed with the rifle in the other, and the difference between 6x and 8x would be noticeable. I use 7x compacts, which seem ideal, but I’d definitely go down to 6x rather than up to 8x.

 

[180ls1]

The 8x42 Monarch HG has more fov than the 8's you listed and more brightness than the 6's. Obviously there are other tradeoffs but they may be worth a look. I really liked that glass.

 

[willfrye027]

Never used any high quality 6x but have a few pairs of leupold yosemite poros between family members (birding types). I don’t see a major difference except in stability offhand. Low light is going to be a wash. Might be a touch brighter with 6x but tight factor and ability to resolve details (related to magnification) is better with the 8x.

I’d stick with what you have, they are great binos for what you are doing.