Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Which binoculars for all around use

I would just remove the three 10X32's from consideration.

Dude:
I agree, I have had a quality 10x32, often the poorest seller for the top brands. Sounds nice, but dimmer, hard to get nice eye placement. For hunting think, 42mm, either 8x or 10x, many
great choices mentioned here. Also consider 8.5x42, I have
the Swaro. EL, and I like the little extra power over the 8.

It does come down to personal preference.

Jerry

Why not the Zeiss 7x42 for all-around?

7X42 is a nice config. It's very easy to get behind and provides a monstrous FOV, DOF, and great light transmission. They have a very relaxed, steady view. I'd prefer a tad more X's for all around use myself, though.

Yeah, 32mm is just too small an objective to really utilize 10X. When you combine high magnification and small objective on any optic, eye position and light transmission becomes critical due to the small exit pupil. If I was planning to ante up the high price tag for a premium optic, I wouldn't want to handicap its potential like that. In my view, I'll never accept less than 4mm exit pupil on a serious all around bino. While larger is better, I've found a 4mm minimum exit pupil is perfectly usable in all but extreme low light. This means a max of 8X in 32mm, 10X in 42mm, 12X in 50mm, etc.

I had a similar dilemma a few years ago. Tried an 8 x 42, but due to the weight and size, didnt take \ use them as much as I should have. I have since purchased some 8 x 33's that I really like. The convenience outweighs the negligible (to me at least) difference for the type of hunting I do (archery).

swarovisions, 10x42's

Brad,

I have a Swaro 7x50. I'm not familiar with the "rolling ball" effect. Please explain.

Thanks,

DF

Yours won't have the effect... only found in the new Swarovision's. I could perhaps get used to it, but I found it pretty overwhelming the various times I tried the Swarovsion's.

Thanks for your comments Flinch. The super hard coatings that Leica uses can make a difference I'm sure. That and their extra beefy constuction. E

Thanks, Brad.

I checked it out on line, as I had never hear about it. Do you know what causes it, or why the new Swaro's would be like that vs. the older ones like mine? That being the case, looks like they're moving backward and they progress forward...

DF

As I understand it's the result of the compromise made (optically speaking) to get a crisper, in-focus image (flat field) out to the edge of the viewing area... in optics there is no free lunch.

For all around use I use, and prefer an 8x30/32. I have the 8x30 Zeiss Conquest and couldn't be happier. It's been, and continues to go all around the country with me on business trips, hiking, etc. and I still hunt. Now if I typically hunted differently, i.e. tree stand, etc. I might pick up a 7x42 and be done.

What I understand, only a percentage of people are sensitive to this effect. I was wondering what makes some sensitive and others, not so sensitive.

Interesting.

DF

A very simplified explanation of rolling ball. Magnification also increases movement. When you have a nearly perfectly Sharp edge on a binocular what happens when you are panning is that the image speeds up coming into the view on one side and speeds up leaving the view on the other side. Depending on individual sensitivity once that starts it can seem to stretch across from the edges to nearly across the whole fov. Whether or not you are sensitive to this depends largely on how much distortion you have at the edges of your vision. Binocular designers typically design in some pincushion distortion which you can see in most binoculars as the slight fuzzy edge of the outer fov. This distortion breaks up or hides the rolling effect.

If you are sensitive to this in the new SV EL, you will know it real quick. It hit me pretty hard and quite out of the blue as I am usually pretty unaffected by many things some users complain about. I had never really experienced the rolling ball until the SV EL. It seemed sort of strange that it took the most expensive and newest state of the art binocular to do this. You may or may not be able to get used to the effect, again depending on how much distortion is present in your own eyes at the periphery of your own view. It would literally make me seasick the first time I used it. Personally at what it costs I have no intention to try to see if I could get used to it in the SV EL. Not when the SLC-HD gives the same overall view, save for the edge of the SV EL and for $400 or more less.

So just be aware that it is there (or at least that it may affect you) and be prepared to not get too out of sorts if you see it. Just get it from someplace with a good return policy and exchange it for the SLC-HD and all will be good.

Steve, a far better explanation than I could give. Nicely done. What you wrote is essntially what I read on the birding forum I participate on. Every time I've tried them, I find the Swarovsion's view quite disconcerting. Would also add, I wasn't pre-disposed to finding the Rolling-Ball-Effect, as I had never heard of it when I tried them.

I have an excellent Leica 8x32 BR that I have no intention of changing...

I just quickly scanned through the posts, so maybe this has been mentioned and I missed it. How about Leica Duovid 8-12X42? They're a little heavier than a fixed power, but if you want an all around binoc they are the ticket.. My $.02.

I don't think there is a all around pair of bino's. I use a pair of 8x42's for the woods and 12x45's for everything else. If money is not a problem, why settle for one pair?

I agree totally. That's why I mentioned my Leica Duovids. To me they are as close to an all around, single pair of binos, as you can hope for. They pretty well cover the two pair you mentioned. You get your 8X and 12X in one.