.........And no 8x, not matter how good, will perform as well as a 10x of equal quality as in all-around, short-to-long use.
John,
I know I am not near the optics authority that you are- but I will ( IMHO) have to respectively disagree with your statement above.
IMO- and if I had to advise someone else, the best all around binocular to use for distance from the deep woods to open space would be a 8x. To me 8x has not only less shake potential, it also has wider FOV ( in most cases); and has better depth of field for short distance use.
And for my use- anything that a 10x does better than a 8x, is bettered even more by use of a quality spotter. So, a 8x for most all of my use, and a good spotter for those times when I want to reach out and see something farther is a much better combo for me than a 10x.
I can see all the detail I need with a steady hand hold on a 8x. For me, I can not say the same for a 10 x. And I have used both. And when chasing critters after a steep quick climb up some steep hill- even a 8x has a bit of shake to it; but to me not near as bad as a 10x.
But- different strokes....... And fortunately we are in a time period where there are lots of great optics choices out there to serve most all the folks.
