Hmm.
It seems that some believe an 8x somehow can help us see detail just as well as a 10x, and seeing distant detail is the entire point of a binocular.
The big point against 10x also appears to be more apparent shake. Well, if we're hand-holding a binocular, like somebody shooting offhand, then that's valid. But anybody who knows how to steady a rifle by using sitting, prone or a rest can also steady a binocular.
The fact is that a 10x binocular of equal quality offers 25% more detail than an 8x. This does make a difference in long-distance glassing, and it's a basic optical fact, no matter what somebody claims about seeing as much detail with an 8x as with a 10x.
If somebody wants to set up their spotting scope every time they can't quite tell what something is with their 8x binocular, then they're welcome to do so. But when seriously glassing open country I want to be able to tell whether something across canyon is a deer or a log, without hauling out the spotter every time there's a question. Which is exactly why I usually carry a 10x or even a 12x when glassing big country.
This does not mean I don't like 8x binoculars. I do, and have used plenty of them (and will use them again) to help me kill lots of animals over the years. I own and use several good ones right now, including a Swarovski EL 8x32. I also sometimes use 7x and even 6x binoculars for certain purposes.
But the OP asked about glassing everything from close up to a long ways off, and I gave my answer, based on some experience. That includes not just my own glassing but watching other people glass, including people I've guided. Whenever there was a question about something, many of those people asked to look through my 10x or 12x binoculars, and very often the question was answered without hauling out the spotter. (And yes, I always have a spotting scope handy when glassing big country.)
So no, my answer was not just "personal preference," but based on decades of using binoculars to find game in big country. Yes, 8x works fine in timber or semi-open country, whether in North America, Africa or wherever, but for serious glassing at longer distances give me at least 10x, every time.
