My wife and I went to a demo day at a local reserve and tried out a few models over the weekend. (Sadly the weather was very sunny and clear, so no real challenge for any of the bins)
The bins I wanted to try were:
Ultravids 8x32
Swaro EL 8x32
Zeiss FL 8x32
I tried all of these and the 10x32 models.
A couple of questions please.
Are my eyes poor? I found no real difference between the Ultravids and the ELs where as my wife said the Ultravids were far superior. (The Ultravids fitted in my hands better)
Secondly I couldn't really tell much difference between the 10x32 and 8x32 so would the x10 be a better option for general birding and wildlife watching? (I have a Swaro HD scope)
When I tried the x42 in each model I hardly noticed a difference and the weight/size trade off wasn't worth it for me.
Before the day I had thought the Swaro and Zeiss would be for me but the Zeiss didn't suit me at all.
[QUOTE=JamieG;1211630]
Secondly I couldn't really tell much difference between the 10x32 and 8x32 so would the x10 be a better option for general birding and wildlife watching? (I have a Swaro HD scope)
When I tried the x42 in each model I hardly noticed a difference and the weight/size trade off wasn't worth it for me.
[/QUOTE]
I have steady hands and I like the extra little bit of zoom, so I would always tend to reach for a 10x first. If you don't have steady hands or - as with many bird buffs - you want the extra field of view then rather go for a smaller magnification.
as for objective lens size, well, the 42mm will likely let through more light but they are also heavier. When I got my Swaros, I was trying to read bird rings in forests and so the 42s made sense. For my needs now, I would rather a pair of lighter 32s to sling over my shoulder and take on longer hikes. At least for me, the difference in light transmission has only really been important under rather dark conditions (twilight, dark forests...)
Dale
http://alpinebirds.blogspot.com
[QUOTE=JamieG;1211630]
Secondly I couldn't really tell much difference between the 10x32 and 8x32 so would the x10 be a better option for general birding and wildlife watching? (I have a Swaro HD scope)
When I tried the x42 in each model I hardly noticed a difference and the weight/size trade off wasn't worth it for me.
[/QUOTE]
Dale answered with good points. I would add that if you regularly take the scope then there is less demand on the binos having more mag. I birded for 12 years with 10s and frankly I don't know why as the advantages of (especially) 8x32s far outweigh the two points of mag, for me.
As Dale also mentions, the advantages of a 42 over a 32 won't be noticeable until dusk or in the woods, where they DO make a difference.