Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Very low light and night use binoculars

It used to be that the 8x56 binoculars were the ones to go to if you were hunting in very low light or at night time - boar in Europe, for example.

It doesn't look like the alpha glass manufacturers are making them any more. Zeiss has their lower end Conquest 8x56, Leica doesn't make one and neither does Swarovski.

Swarovski has the EL in 10x50, Leica has the 10x50 Ultravid HD-plus and Zeiss has the Victory HT 10x54 and 8x54.

What is the reason for no high end 56 OL diameters? Are modern binoculars just so good that there is no need for the 56, even at night?

For about 20 years I guided in a location that the bears were more nocternal than most. I used Leica 8X42's and had a Zeiss 1.5X6 on my 358 Norma Magnum and could see a bit more than my hunters,, which was a good thing in the long run!

Swaro makes an 8x56 and a 10x56 for the Euro market


Swaro

Zeiss HT's are great in low light conditions too.

I've got an 8x56 Minox HG binocular that would serve you well.

Thanks for that - my mother spends lots of time in Germany so she could grab a pair for me.

Yeah, fwiw, have spent time with both the 15x56 and 10x56, but not the 8x. I imagine they are also as good as it gets, and can only wish I had the 8x when younger.

Hunted boars in Texas last February and the guide had a pair of Zeiss 10x? Binoculars that we used at night while creeping up on the herd. I used a pair of barska huntmasters 8x42 that I brought. Switched with him a few times and I’m going to catch some flack for this but,,,,,,they were about the same. I’m sure as far as clarity and contrast and definitely weight his glass beat mine but as far as light gathering and seeing the pigs, couldn’t see a difference.

MM

In reality, the average human eye can only use ~5mm of exit pupil. Divide the objective lens diameter by the power, and you will get the effective exit pupil.

So, a set of 8x40's will give you a 5mm exit pupil. A set of 10x50's will give you the same exit pupil, but you have the advantage of the higher power.

This is assuming, of course, that you have modern, fully coated lenses.

Ed