8x42 vs 10x42 Binoculars - Which is Best?

sighs wait image quality brightness and price in this video I'm going to go over the main differences that you can expect between similar quality 8 by 40 to Banaras versus a 10 by 42 binocular thus no matter what your interests be that bird watching general wildlife observation general use or even hunting you'll be able to decide which configuration is exactly right for your specific needs and requirements and we're going to start right now [Music] hello and welcome to basse binocular reviews my name is Jason I received a lot of positive feedback on my last video where I compared 10 by 40 to binoculars versus the 10 by 50 configuration however I also had a lot of people asking me to compare different combinations together and therefore I've decided to create a sort of mini by noir series where I'm going to compare a whole lot of different combinations against each other so that you can decide which is best for your specific needs and requirements and I'm going to start with the one that I get most the most often 8 by 42 binoculars versus a 10 by 42 and which is best before we begin it is important that you understand what it means we will refer to an 8 by 42 10 by 42 or indeed any other combination if you are unsure please first take a moment to watch my video and what the numbers mean on a binocular link up above or down in the description below unlike binoculars that have different sized objective lenses like for example the 42 millimeter ones on the 10 by 42 versus the 50 millimeter ones on the 10 by 50 that I used in my last video in the series the disparity in the size and weight between an 8 by 42 millimeter and a 10 by 42 millimeter binocular is extremely minimal and really not worth worrying about indeed most brands will list their 8 by 42 and 10 by footage models within the same series as being identical in both size and weight size wise they will be the same as most will almost certainly use the same body and other components however I have found that a 10 by 42 is often a fraction heavier than the 8 by 42 from the same series and brand as they need slightly different lenses and often have thicker glass to create the higher power but as I say the amount we are talking about is really not worth considering as a factor and making a choice between the two the whole purpose and indeed reason for using a binocular that magnifies the image is to bring you a better view of distant objects therefore it is completely understandable why many people will assume the higher the magnification the better however whilst it is true larger powered binoculars will bring you more image detail they also bring with them a number of disadvantages and ultimately the right choice of magnification will come down to a number of factors that are particular to your specific needs and requirements there is no doubt that a higher magnification potentially delivers greater image detail or to put it another way you are able to see further in more detail with a higher powered binocular but just keep in mind that any movement that you make in your hands gets multiplied by that magnification and therefore with a higher power binocular it is just that little bit harder to keep the image steady and shake free and no matter how much image detail you're getting if you can't keep it still enough you are then not able to appreciate it however in my experience most people are generally able to keep an image steady enough using a 10 by 42 binocular not to have to worry too much about it however should you have particularly unsteady or shaky hands they an 8 by 42 may be a better choice in this situation if you give more image detail or are able to see further with a 10 times binocular you may then be thinking why would you ever opt for a lower powered 8 times binocular instead well one of the main problems with a more zoomed in image on a higher power is that it also reduces your field of view at long distances this is usually not much of a factor but at closer ranges it can often mean that you don't see the whole picture and thus can often miss awesome some important details so if we use a sporting event like baseball cricket or football as an example a 10 times binocular may provide you with a better view of the batsman or a person on the ball but you won't be able to observe what's going on all around them and thus in many cases 8 times binocular with its wider field of view will be a better option as the best binocular for sports likewise for users like birding and wildlife observation at close to mid distances a lower a times power with a wider view makes it much easier to quickly locate and then follow your subject in a forest setting where your subject is difficult to spot in the first place this can be a really important factor as both 10 by 42 and 8 by 42 binoculars have the same 42 millimeter diameter objective lenses and assuming they both use the same quality glass and coatings the light gathering ability between the two different configurations will be pretty much the same however even though they are both able to capture the same amount of light the different magnifications mean that they will have different capabilities in terms of the image brightness and especially the low-light performance this difference between the two can largely be explained by the relationship between the size of the pupils in your eyes and the size of the shafts of light exiting the ocular lenses of the binocular which is called the exit pupil 8 by 42 binoculars create an exit pupil that is 5.25 millimeters in diameter whilst 10 by 42 binoculars create smaller exit pupils of only four point two millimeters in good to eric light conditions most people's pupils will constrict to a size smaller or at least equal to four millimeters and thus both the 8 by 42 and a 10 by 42 binocular will be supplying your eyes with more than enough light for you to work with and thus perceive a bright image thus under these bright or well-lit conditions it is often impossible to notice the difference in brightness between the views of equal quality 8 by 42 and 10 by 42 binoculars however when the ambient light levels drops like when operating in a forest or what you would experience just before sunrise or around sunset the pupils in your eyes expand to allow them to take in more light yeah the larger X our pupil created by the 8 by 42 configuration is a definite advantage and means they will often look to have a brighter image than the 10 by 42 equivalent for more information on this please be sure to check out my complete guide to the exit pupil links in the description as well as up above while snowing yet as big a factor as the exit pupil higher magnifications require different and often thicker lenses which in turn means less light passes through them so even though this difference in transmittance between an equal quality ten by forty two versus an eight by 42 binocular is extremely minimal it is still there and is another reason why an eight by forty two may seem to have a brighter image especially a low light the larger exit pupils or to put it another way the largest shafts of light exiting the eyepieces on an 8 by 42 binocular make it easier for you to line up your eyes with the shafts of light therefore 8 by 40 to burn actors are just that much more forgiving and it is easy if you achieve an image without any black rings forming on the edges of the view this is something that's mostly important to beginner and novice users also important to remember is if you wear glasses whilst using your binoculars a powerfully - binoculars generally have a slightly longer eye relief and therefore you have more chance of being able to achieve the full field of view again without any black rings forming on the edges using an 8 by 42 vs. most 10 by 42 binoculars whilst not always the case and it varies between brands 10 by 40 - binoculars can sometimes be a little more expensive than the equivalent 8 by 42 model from the same brand and in the same series and so for some users this may be a factor in making their final decision as I said the number times in the past and is especially true when choosing between an 8 by 42 and a 10 by 42 binocular there is actually no specific singular best option rather it boils down to which is best for your specific needs and requirements with its lower power and wider view an egg before t2 binocular is best at close to mid distances especially if you need to follow small fast or erratic moving objects like birds or other smaller mammals 8 by 42s will also in many cases look to produce a brighter image in low-light conditions and thus will make a better choice if you often operate in Woodlands forests or when the Sun is at or just below the horizon 10 by 42s work best in normal to good light conditions and over mid to long distances thus a 10 by 42 binocular will suit those who mostly operate during the day in wide open spaces so for example in fields out on the hills along a lake front or at the coast so there you have it I do hope that this video has been your both use and of interest to you if it has I would really appreciate a thumbs up and if you'd like to see some more in the future please do remember to subscribe these are things that really do help me to bring you more and more content in the future so until next time thank you very much for watching cheers for now [Music]

Channel: Best Binocular Reviews

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Id: JlmQ8EjfITE

Length: 9min 53sec (593 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 18 2019