Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Best Low LIght Binoculars

I am in the market for a new set of binoculars. I really need light gathering ability for low light situations. I won't be walking too far with them so weight is not an issue. What is your recommendation for a great low light binocular for near dark situations. I currently have 8x40's but was thinking 8x56 or 10x56. Do the larger objectives really help?

Thanks,

Dan

Dan,
Yes, larger objective will help considerably - particularly in a quality optic.

Thanks SKane

Better quality lenses and coatings trump objective diameter. Spend the money on a quality binocular, not size. My Zeiss and Leica 8x30 do extremely well in all light conditions for any hunt from turkey, antelope to elk.

True, but those same models of binoculars in an 8x50 will be brighter.

We hunt till pitch dark here in South Carolina. The deer are hunted for 4.5 months and very frequently move at very last light. I want the most light gathering ability I can get.

Then look at Leica, Ziess, Swarovski, etc with the largest objective they offer in your power of choice. I’d personally go with 10 power with at least 50mm objective.

+1

Brightness is only useable at the ability your eyes can dilate. You could use a 200mm objective, but if your eyes are only capable of 5mm, everything else is wasted...

Listen closely to Shrapnel, he speaks with straight tongue. I’ve used Swarovski EL 8x32 for 10 years. They have served me well in extreme low light conditions. I’m also a firm believer in S&B scopes of the Zenith model. It’s made a world of difference in my hunting.

If price is no object, by all means pick the Alpha that your eyes like best. If price is a consideration, be aware that the returns seem to diminish even more quickly these days. If your eyes can't tell the difference between $800 and $2,800 binocs, it doesn't matter how much "better" the more expensive binocs are.

You can also run it past the CameraLandNY guys, and see what their thoughts are. They've evaluated more binocs than most of us will have the chance to.

Larger objectives should help, but glass quality becomes even more important. Bigger can be better, but only if the glass is good.

And all of this binocular talk presupposes that you have a rifle optic that's capable of allowing ethical shots in those light conditions.

Let us know what you end up with.

FC

You are confusing brightness for exit pupil.

Try a 6x24 scope and a comparable 10x40 scope.

Both have the same exit pupil.

Glass quality being equal, the 40mm objective will gather more light and will be brighter.

I've read that the human eye can use a 7 Twilight Factor (Obj dia in mm/magnification power) when young, but only 5 in adult eyes. An 8x56 bino has a factor of 7 (56/8), but if true, an adult can maximize his light gathering with an 8x40 bino with a factor of 5 (40/8).

a 50mm objective will allow a great deal of light in. A better quality optic will also allow for increased light transmission.
Please feel free to give us a call and we can go over different options with you, it would be our pleasure

The best I ever used in low light was Leica 7x42mm Ultravid. If I was buying today I would look hard at the Leica Ultravid HD-Plus 8x50mm.

The best I ever used was the Swarovski EL 10 x 42's. I really like how they work in low light conditions. I hear they make a 10 x 50 these days and though I am aware that that will not necessarily give them an edge in low light usability I always like having the larger field of view- if you can get it without too much of an increase in weight.

I read this a lot, but the older I’ve gotten I’ve found that the bigger objective allow me to see much better in low light. This is despite the fact that it is not supposed to help, it is the same when reading, more light helps.

This answers the confusion of brightness. If you only have an exit pupil of 5mm, your eye can only absorb that amount, glass being equal in quality. Scopes and binoculars don't gather light, they can only transmit light unless they have been enhanced with outside influence, ie night vision...

There is more to it than exit pupil. 10x50 binos compared to 8x40 have the same exit pupil but the 10x will allow you to see more detail with binos with equal lens coatings. Think about reading a newspaper in a room with only a 20 watt bulb, at arms length you can read the paper but by bringing it closer you can see more detail. At least thats the analogy that was made to me-

You don't understand exit pupil. Magnification is not directly related to exit pupil...