Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics 8x42 verus 10x42 what are you using at 60?

Ran across a recent post from a gentleman selling his Zeiss 10x40's to go to 8x40's. His reason was age! claims that as he hit late 50's he could not hold the 10x as still as he needed and was switching to 8x. Has anyone ever been there? I do not see any reason at 55 to change and plan to hunt till I drop but changing optics due to age was never a issue I would have thought of...

Happens to lots of us. The rate, degree, and timing of change in our eyes and our ability to hold steady is highly variable and different from person to person. Not long ago, I thought the deal was to go to 10x because I could see better. I'm 62 and have way better than normal vision for my age. However arthritis is getting to my right shoulder. SO personally I am to the point I use 7 or 8x for most of my stuff. I have a good 10x, but it does not get the use of the lower power glass.

I find that I personally prefer the wider field, extra brightness, and less image shake better with 7&8x. Generally I find if I can't get what I need from 8x, 10x probably is not enough boost.

So I say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you like 10x (or whatever x level you do have)and are used to it, just stay with it until the factors of age catch up with you. At that point you may well find you need to go down the x's ladder rather than up.

I'm not yet 50 and in pretty good shape but I do hunts that require some physical exertion. When my heart is going I can't hold 10x bins steady enough by a long shot.

I am over 50 and the only 2 reasons that I would switch from a 10x42 to a 8x42 is #1 having Palsey,#2 having Parkinson's

I'm sixty, but have vision correctable to 20-10 and I don't feel any more shaky than when I was young. I just prefer eight power regardless, although I own a pair of 10x42s I use when I hunt Antelope east of the mountains, for the rest of my hunting a good seven or eight power bin is a best all around deal.

John

10x42's exclusively.

I'm a mere 42 y/o and prefer 8x's over 10x's. Not that I can't hold the 10x's steady, just much more enjoyable glassing with the 8x's and they suit my midwest hunting environment much better. Thankfully with still having decent eyesight I can easily see anything with 8x's that I can with 10x's. If I need more than 8x's I'll pull out a spotting scope.

Bottom line is there is no right or wrong in magnification. Simply use the power that works best for the individual and their intended use.
(Probably why manufacturers produce different powers )

Me, too

When I have used 8X out west,I always seem to ask myself...."where'd the rest of it go?" LOL! But I did peek through some 8.5x42 Swaro EL recently that seemed like a different animal altogether................

But the key, it seems to me, with any bin from 8-12 or so is "Get a Rest"...quick off-hand peeks are fine,but getting yourself sat down,over a pack,and grabbing the brim of your hat for further steadiness,while you peer in grid patterns looking for parts of game,can over come even 60 year old shakes....that is how I spotted the curve of a horn,and a big old ear and part of a white face last year at 800-900 yards with the Leica's....and killed him an hour later.

Regardlss of the power, I want the best glass/coatings I can get. I like the field of view of low power binox. And, I only hunt the swamps and surrounding heavy cover. So, 7x42's or 7x35's work best for me. I can see detail with excellent 7x's far better than with el-cheapo 10x's.
I'm 75.

Young guy!

I like 7's and 8's in heavy cover myself......

I have both 8x and 10x.. but I prefer using 8x most of the time

im an 8x guy

I went from a 24 oz. B&L Zephur 9X35, which has roughly the same ability to resolve as that Zeiss 10X40, to a 34 oz. Leica 8X42 way back in 2001, or 2002. Thought I'd stepped into another world in optical performance. Later, when testing a 26.5 oz. Pentax ED 8X43 against my older Leica, I found that it too was every bit as good as the Leica. That belief lasted until I tried both from various field positions. That's when I found out that even a little extra weight can make alot of difference in what you can see, especially at the longer ranges. For instance, from a very steady sitting position, the heavier Leica could show me details that I couldn't see at all with the Pentax ED.
Today I usually use an 8X, or even a 6X, if I insist on a really light binocular. But, for serious glassing, I want lots of weight, especially when I use more magnification. When I ordered my 12X50, for instance, I didn't order the Leica Ultravid. I ordered the older BN, because it's heavier. Works great w/o a tripod. I'm 66, BTW. E

Before 24 Hour Campfire, I found that Cabela's had bought the entire inventory of Zeiss Classics, in 8x and 10x. That was when Zeiss went to the Victory Binox. I hopped on a pair of the 8x's, and thought I wuz in TALL cotton.... They weigh in at 20 ounces, about right for the geriatric set...

I still have them, and there's just something very continental about them, that I can identify with. Glass isn't bad, slightly below the 7x42 Swaro SLC's.

I bought my Classics from Cabelas. Used them a lot the past few years while stand hunting. Recently started hunting with 8x Vortex. Really don't feel I am losing that much. But this weekend I carried 6x Yosemites and loved them for casual glassing at does and bucks without horns and pigs.
So the answer it depends on what I am doing to what power I carry.
FWIW 51 years old

stumpy

I cannot hold 10's steady. 7x42 fl's and 6.5 minox's.

I was really happy with my Cabela's Zeiss 10x40B Classic's and my Leica range finder but since both were stolen I have been on the quest to find the perfect replacements....there are so many choices!

But I do think I will stay with 10x but which one? I like the spec's of Leica 10x42 geovid, I would like to get a pair to hold and check out and was able to check out the Zeiss Victory RF ($3k) which I like the feel and weight.

So Zeiss or Leica the biggest difference (other than price) I see is you can operate the Zeiss range button with your right hand...

Don i have a 10x40 Classic I bought recently from a gentleman on here.....they work just fine and at half the price of a Swaro I might add!

When hunting with a good friend who is also the outfitter I use he routinely will pass on the other guys swaroski and grab the 10x40 classic's I had if his Bino's were not close by. The more other binoculars I look at the more I miss those Classic.

55 years old and I Have 10 x 42's, 8 x 32's and 8 x 26's also. I find myself using the 8 x 26's porros that weigh 14 oz's due to the weight. If stand hunting put them away towards dusk and pull out bigger ones.