And a 10x42 of apple-apples quality is no better in low light than an 8x32.
Good grief...
In theory, but not in practice.
In my field experience there's really no difference in low light.
Spent a couple years on a large ranch rich in wildlife here in Montana... glassed daily, wolves and sheep, to elk and the occasional grizzly.
We glassed early and late, day in, day out. With my 8x32 and my buddies 10x40 Swaros and a 10x42 Leica. I couldn't find any difference, except the 10X's were harder to keep steady and were heavier.
Very occasionally I found the 10X's extra magnification handy, but it was rare. And to really "see more" a spotter was in order regardless 8x or 10x in the majority of those situations.
At the end of the day, for my hunting style, the smaller 8x32 is a better compromise than a 10x42. Smaller, lighter, no harness needed. Can see plenty, out in the flats on antelope, up high in the mountains, or in deep timber stalking elk.
Were I going to pay the weight/bulk penalty of a 42mm, it would be a 7x or 8x, not a 10x.
Anyone using a 10x40/42 has no issue with me, though I personally think they're at their best for birding.
Everyone makes their choice and lives with those compromises. ALL glass is a compromise weighted one way or the other and everyone makes that compromise differently... but rest assured, all glass is a compromise.
