Are 10x alphas too much for handheld use?

[Tall Pine]

I have decided to get a top model Alpha class bino (Swaro, Zeiss, Leica) but am conflicted on what size to get. It will be my one and only set and want to use them for casual use while riding the trails in my 4x4 and ATV. No dedicated use like birding, hunting. No backpacking/weight concerns, and no tripod use. I am not yet a "birder" and think I will use them more at looking afar than close up. Just got back from a CO-WY ATV/camping trip and was really longing for some good glass to gaze into the hillsides and valleys. My concern is buying one that is "too big" for use in my hands with no support other than what I have around me (camp chair, car window, car roof, ATV handlebars, etc).

I think I have narrowed it to 8x42 or 10x42 but not sure. Any thoughts or ideas you care to share would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Tall

 

[Newtosavage]

People use both routinely, hand held. That said, I'd lean toward 8's if you are going to primarily hand-hold them. I used 10's for decades but then finally got a premium pair of 8's and put them on a tripod. Wow. I could see a ton of detail, and they are easier on the eyes when hand-held. They also gather a lot more light which really helps when most wildlife is active around dawn and dusk.

 

[SomeJackassOnAForum]

Buy an NL 10x42, the huge FOV, barrel construction and forehead rest make holding them very easy. Even if all you have to brace them on is your elbows on your chest they'll be very steady.

 

[CApighunter]

I recently went through the same decision and ended up getting 8s. 10s are ok to hand hold but 8s are easier, brighter and larger FOV. I always have 15s for the tripod so 8-15 made more sense to me than 10-15. I got the Zeiss sf but if NLs were an option I may have gone with 10x

 

[TheGDog]

Sounds like you should get some 10x. The only time you'll notice the difference when hand-holding between 8's and 10's is when your heart is really pumping. I say 10x because you mentioned looking at far-off stuff. So sounded like you'd appreciate the more magnification.

 

[Blue72]

If you like handholding binoculars…6-7x are extremely pleasurable to use with no fatigue

sometimes I see more details because they shake less then 8x

 

[Spiral Horn]

Between 8x and 10x it all comes down to personal preference. Try before buying to see which you like better. I use 8x in some situations and 10x in others. Personally, for hunting big mountains and open country I prefer a 10x but know other experienced hunters who prefer an 8x

 

[handwerk]

If I was in your shoe's I'd get swaro 8.5x42 SV EL's.
Although my primary hunting binos are 10x42 Geovids, my swaro 8.5's show less shake and when compared to 10x they give up very little view/detail, they are very close. I've spent hours comparing and the 8.5's are just a great all around tool.

 

[popapi]

10x is the way too go

 

[kcm2]

It is hard to beat a high end 8x32 binocular for all around use. They are light, sufficiently bright and have the definition to work at much longer ranges than you think. If I was to get only one, that would be it. But fortunately, I have both 8x32 and 10x42, and use both.

 

[Tod osier]

I have decided to get a top model Alpha class bino (Swaro, Zeiss, Leica) but am conflicted on what size to get. It will be my one and only set and want to use them for casual use while riding the trails in my 4x4 and ATV. No dedicated use like birding, hunting. No backpacking/weight concerns, and no tripod use. I am not yet a "birder" and think I will use them more at looking afar than close up. Just got back from a CO-WY ATV/camping trip and was really longing for some good glass to gaze into the hillsides and valleys. My concern is buying one that is "too big" for use in my hands with no support other than what I have around me (camp chair, car window, car roof, ATV handlebars, etc).

I think I have narrowed it to 8x42 or 10x42 but not sure. Any thoughts or ideas you care to share would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Tall

a general trend here is that folks consider more magnification better in nearly all cases, so take that into consideration. Im surprised no one has said you need 15s yet.
A good pair of 8s is a better general purpose binocular than 10s in my opinion.

 

[popapi]

It is hard to beat a high end 8x32 binocular for all around use. They are light, sufficiently bright and have the definition to work at much longer ranges than you think. If I was to get only one, that would be it. But fortunately, I have both 8x32 and 10x42, and use both.

Yes per a HIGH quality 8x32.

 

[Nontypical1]

Alpha 8x32s are very nice indeed. I carry 6, 7, or 8x unless the trip will require a lot of long range glassing, then it's 10x or higher. It's just nicer to have a big field of view that isn't bouncing around as much. I find that 10x works hand held, but requires more bracing. 8 or 8.5x alphas are very nice all around.

 

[JakeSCH]

If I was in your shoe's I'd get swaro 8.5x42 SV EL's.
Although my primary hunting binos are 10x42 Geovids, my swaro 8.5's show less shake and when compared to 10x they give up very little view/detail, they are very close. I've spent hours comparing and the 8.5's are just a great all around tool.

+1 the 8.5x42 swaros have been by far my favorite binos to handhold.

The short answer is it is personal preference with some technique involved...but 10x is not to much to handhold for some while it is for others. Just pick one and run with it.

 

[Newtosavage]

It is hard to beat a high end 8x32 binocular for all around use. They are light, sufficiently bright and have the definition to work at much longer ranges than you think. If I was to get only one, that would be it. But fortunately, I have both 8x32 and 10x42, and use both.

That was the conclusion I finally came to after buying and selling probably 30-40 pairs over the course of a couple years. 8x32 Conquest HD's do everything I need and are easy to carry. On a tripod or window mount, it's just sick the amount of detail I can get through those.

 

[Spiral Horn]

Just reread your initial post and the entire thread. Taking into account that they’ll be used more for “glancing” more than spotting a antler tine buried in the brush of a mountainside or determining the amount of rufous in a particular pattern of plumage - would suggest reconsidering if a true “alpha“ like a Zess Victory or Swarovski EL/NL is really required. Today’s “near-alphas” = Zeiss Conquest, Nikon Monarch HG, Kowa Genesis, Top of the line Maven or GPO, etc, offer 90-95% of the optical quality for less than 1/2 the price. As someone looking to discern extremely fine details in natural settings I appreciate and use what a true alpha offers. However, if using it more for casual glassing - glancing down ridgelines on a hike, ballgames, or roadside game encounters = a near-alpha will probably be just the ticket.

 

[TheGDog]

BTW the Zeiss Conquest freakin' Rock!

Unless you're constantly only in very thick terrain only, I'd go 10x. You'll appreciate the 10x when looking for smaller critters, like rabbits and ground squirrels and Quail and Jack Rabbits. Looking thru the bushes or thru the scrub oak to see them.

In cheaper glass models, 8x tends to look better than 10x does with that same lesser quality of glass.

I wouldn't do a 32mm objective (or less) for anything other than bow-hunting, because that bino will only see things with the same amount of light as your own eyes bring in for you. Gotta go at least 42mm so you can see earlier in he morning and later in the pm. Bigger the objective and better the glass, the more minutes of time you'll add in the morning and evening where you can still see things, even though they may be hard to then re-find in your Rifle Scope by then.

The only time 8's might come into play as a better choice is if you'll be needing to pack very light and the terrain you plan on going into is such that the thickness of the habitat severely limits max distance you can see to anyway. Or, like I said before, if you'll be doing a lot of throwing up the binos with a one-handed check during the middle of hoofing it in up a trail. Where you're breathing a bit and your heart is beating a bit. And your pulse is pumping. In those situations an 8x is nicer to deal with, just because it helps tame the shaking even a little more.

But once you can use both hands when throwing up the binoculars to your face, a 10x will be just as stable once you learn how to brace your holding hands/fingers against your cheek bones and the binos against your brow bone, and tucking your elbows in so your arms are anchored and not free to move around willie-nillie. And you learn to exhale downward so your breaths don't fog up the lenses. And even then sometimes that's not enough to avoid temporary fogging-up such as when your body is pumping out heat thru your face when you're covered up with a jacket so all kinda water-vapor is steaming outta your face on the cool yet humid morning.

Also... since most rifle scopes are 3-9x40mm, having a 10x bino just seems to work right together when transitioning from the bino over to the riflescope maxed out on magnification. What's even cooler in that regard is having a rifle scope that's like 3-15x or 4-12x or 4-16x... paired with a 15x bino on a tripod!

An 8x for a bow hunter is likely just fine considering the shot distances and the change in tactics that tool will cause them to need to do at times. Such as sitting stationary overlooking a nearby game trail. Or up in a treestand looking down at a limited FOV of the world.