llama2,
I never said anywhere in this thread that 8x (or even 7x) binoculars are useless. In fact if you read the posts I've made I emphasized more than once that I use 6x to 8x binoculars a LOT. For average hunting I usually pick up an 8x.
But for longer-range glassing (say more than half a mile) I much prefer 10x, for the reasons already stated. In fact for serious open-country glassing my preferred binocular, by far, is my 8+12 Leica Duovid. I often start out with it on 8x, for closer glassing (which is the place to start, even in open country) but within 20 minutes it usually ends up on 12x and stays there, because I can see better. (Maybe I have steadier hands than some other people, but I doubt it, especially since I'm the OP's age, 61.)
One other thing I'd like to point out is that I often compare an entire line-up of various binoculars, usually right as the sun is setting, usually with other people, since human eyes vary. While the 8x32 EL is a great glass (as noted, many people think they're the best 8x32 in the world, and I wouldn't dispute it), when comparing it to a 8.5x42 or 10x42 EL in that last few minutes of shooting light, the view degrades much more quickly and noticeably in the 8x32, and stays very sharp and bright much longer in the bigger Swarovskis.
This is due to a little-discussed facet of optics: The bigger the objective, the sharper the view, and no, that's not depending on magnification. This is because a smaller objective has more edge-to-lens area, and the edge of the lens is what scatters light, degrading the image. This tendency is exaggerated by dim light, when the pupils of our eyes open up.
The most extreme example I've ever seen happened when I was guiding in central Montana in the late 1980's. The outfitter I worked for had been given a Zeiss compact binocular, a 10x, as a tip by a customer. Can't remember right now if the objectives were 20mm or a little larger, but it doesn't matter.
That same fall an company noted for its very "affordable" optics sent me a 10x50 binocular which retailed for under $50. The outfitter and I were out scouting one day, just before some new clients came in, and of course he used his new, expensive Zeiss--and was really pissed off that I was seeing a lot more, even in bright daylight, with the cheapo 10x50. And when we switched glasses he could too.
The same principle applies even to Swarovski binoculars. Just because they make some of the finest optics in the world doesn't mean their binoculars bypass basic optical laws.
The OP will be very pleased with his 8x32 EL, as its one of the world's greatest hunting binoculars. But I would be interested to hear how he likes it after a few months, when he's had a chance to use it a lot more, especially in dim light and at longer distances.
