Leupold Pinnacles 8x42 or 10x42 ?

Guest · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:14 pm Post subject: Leupold Pinnacles 8x42 or 10x42 ?

Hi, I am planning on getting a bino for general use, such as camping, and I decided to go with a Leupold Pinnacle. I can't make up my mind on what magnification I should get. First, I don't have shaky hands so I really like to have maximum power that is offered. I'd like to know how much I'm going to lose in terms of fov and brightness comparing to 8x42. Is there anything to worry about or this would be almost unnoticeble? Thanks.

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5405

Hi

Your choice of magnification is more a personal choice than a performance choice. There is no significant difference between an 8x or a 10x in terms of actual performance out in the field and this inlcudeds low light situations. In over forty years of using binoculars, often in side by side tests, 8x versus10x, I have yet to encounter a situation where a 10x would identify a bird and an 8x would not. Yes, going to a 10x will give you a touch more detail, but never enough to make a difference in an identification and going to a 10x makes the binocular tougher to steady and narrows the field of view. If you are in a situation where 8x is not enough magnification, you need a spotting scope. Going to a 10x is not going to solve the problem.

That said, I own and use both 8x and 10x models. Base your choice on features other than magnification.
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