Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics 10x32 vs. 10x42

Looking at Swaro. General all purpose hunting Bino which do you prefer. I’m expecting a large majority to want the 42 mm objective but I already have a large bar now and I’m looking at something smaller and compact. I’ve grown to prefer a 10 X for general purpose in use. I hunt primarily in The southeast. I had West for a hunt every year, this year a pretty general over-the-counter type archery hunt. I like the idea of the smaller 10 X 32 for carrying all day in the mountains. Just wondering if I’m really giving anything up an overall performance? What’s the big trade-off?

Will there be a legitimate reduction in lowlight performance with a smaller exit pupil? 32 has a larger field of view which is nice. Help me out

if going 32mm get the 8x

I have yet to see a 10x32 (or 10x30) that provided the same level of not just low-light performance but definition (or clarity, or whatever you want to call it) as a 10x40 or 10x42 from the same manufacturer. And that includes Swarovski.

There's an optical reason for this: The smaller objective lenses of a 10x30 or 10x32 "scatters" more light than a 40 or 42mm objective, due to a higher ratio of lens-edge to the area of the objective lens.

If you really want to carry a lighter binocular, an 8x30 will show as much detail as a 10x32. If you really want a 10x I would advise 10x42, especially in Swarovski, is their binoculars tend to be lighter than many. Also, the little bit of extra weight allows you to hold them steadier than the light 10x32.

I just went through this with 13 different pairs of binos from 8x32 to 10x42 and stopped when I landed on the new Zeiss SFL 8x40. So much so that I've recently purchased a pair of the same in 10x40 as well.

These were Swaro, Zeiss, Leica, Maven, Tract, Vortex and Kowa brands that ranged in retail price from $450 to $2500.

I think Mule Deer meant as usual there are no free rides, especially in optics, and finding your sweet spot may take a while.

Don't forget it's just time and money and the more you have of one the less you need of the other!

Good luck.

BBQ

Thanks guys!! Very helpful

this, the 8x32 el is probably my favorite binocular ever. i need to pick up another pair.

I would say go with a 8x30 or 32 .

I'll do you one better. EL 8.5x42.

I use a 10-year old Swarovision 10 x 42 EL for hunting sheep, mule deer, elk and moose in BC as all have horn, antler and or age restrictions. Great glass that I pair with a Swaro 20-60x65mm HD spotter with a phone scope.

My other main binocular is an 18 year old Leica Ultravid 8 x 32 (pre-HD). They work great for tighter cover hunting, spot and stalk black bears, general hiking, etc. I use them about the same amount in a year as the much larger and heavier Swaros. So my answer is own both an 8 x 32 and a 10 x 42....kinda like coats or boots, you need more than one pair to cover the bases.

I’ve had swaro 10-32 EL for many years. They worked great from Dall sheep, to elk to whitetails to antelope and numerous African species.
Not saying they’re better than 8-30, or 10-42. But I am saying they’re light, handy, provide good magnification and clarity, and work for all the hunting I do.

Love the EL 10x32's! Put it and an 8x32 on a tripod side by side and I can definately see more detail with the 10x32. In decent light it seems as good as the 10x42 for resolution to my eyes.

Since the OP is hunting primarily in the Southeast I would go with 42s. In Southeast I would want to pick the one which would give me the best performance during those low light times that deer are most active. The 42s aren't that cumbersome and and certainly wont under perform in good light. The 10x32s will work great but he is asking to choose between the two. One of my hunting buddies uses the 10x32s he loves them. I’m in the Southeast and I went with EL 8.5x42s almost 19 years ago and I feel for myself I made the right choice. Never felt the need to buy another bino. I am getting an itch to see what all the fuss is about with the new swaros but fighting it off.

For the last 15 or so years I keep using my minox 8.5x43 hg asp, iirc, binos. I'd like to replace them with a bino that has a lrf in it but haven't found the right one yet. I'm going to look at a sig lrf bino when I find one in stock.

Bb

Here is a link to Diane Porters 10x32 review. The El's are discontinued but the NL Pures are the replacement, bound to be even a bit better.

http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/swarovski/swarovski_el_10x32.html

1/2 a pound! I know how much us sheep hunters will do to save a bit of weight. Seems like an 8 or 10x32 bino is worth a close look. I have never been unhappy with mine.

I'm with Mule Deer on this. And surprisingly, field-of-view often takes a back seat in the 8x32 v 10x32 debate.

If someone is going to invest in a top 32mm binocular, it's always seemed curious to me why one would hamstring themselves right out of the gate with decreased lower light performance and lesser FOV in the 10x for a little gain in magnification. I know it works for some folks, just not me.

watching birds and hunting at dawn and dusk is a little different

They aren't all the same either. With nothing much better to do one day, I took my 8x32 Leica binos and compared them to my wife's 8x42 Eagle Optics for fov. At about a quarter mile there was only about six feet of difference in fov. Ergonomics and weight sure favors those 8x32's for me. I do carry my tiny ten 10x25 Swarovski binos if I need to see 2x closer. A real eye opener for me was watching our Packer people with the 10x25's and I could see the back field. With the 8x32's I could see the whole team.

I live and hunt mostly in the southeast but do venture west yearly. I have always scribed to big lenses for last light shots and enjoy using various 50mm binos for just that. When I head west I typically take 40-42mm binos due to weight and not feeling like I need the last squeeze of low light performance (excluding 15x56mms, as that’s another setup).

However, I picked up Swarovski 8x30 Companions two years ago and they are the most used set I have now. The are handy and a pleasure to carry. They may not gather as much light as the larger binos but I honestly haven’t been in a situation where I felt out of place. Besides road trips and family events, I like the 8x30s for archery, Turkey, and general deer hunts. Simply put, they are nice optics and easy to like.

Personally found good glass eclipses XXs.
Always chased XXs, then a friend bought a pair of Ziess Classics in 7x35.
WOW!!! I'm seeing (in great detail) stuff I can't see through 10x!

Recently picked up my first decent binos. Not Alpha, more Charlie.
10 wasn't in the running.