What are the views/experiences on the merits of 8x against 10x bins?
I'm no expert in the matter but for my penny's worth, I think it is entirely down to personal preference. Amongst budget bino's I find the 8x seem to have a far brighter image which out weigh's the reduced magnification of the 10x. Also that wider field of view helps in pinpoinitng birds.
Amongst the dearer brands there isn't much difference between them, they are all very good !
To me it's a question of 'try before you buy' as many different ones as you can to find what suits you rather than thinking in terms of 8x or 10x.
Thanks for that Ian.
At the moment I use a pair of Swarovski 10x50 which are superb for hide work and sea watching but a little heavy & large when tramping for miles through farmland etc.
I intend to buy another smaller pair of bins but can't decide on 8s or 10s at the moment.
The 10x50s give a large image and a flat field of view when panning over water & fields i.e. no curvature, so would a pair of 10s with a 32 or 42mm objective distort the image to the point where an 8x would be a better choice?
I'm going to the Bird Fair next week and will try out all the optics but it is useful to hear other peoples views & experiences on the subject.