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10x42 vs 12x42

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Category: Other Optics
Forum Name: Binoculars
Forum Description: Anything that requires two eyes to look through it
URL: http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=25485
Printed Date: March/28/2024 at 03:28
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Topic: 10x42 vs 12x42
Posted By: royy2
Subject: 10x42 vs 12x42
Date Posted: October/01/2010 at 11:12
I'm looking to to purchase a new pair of Binocs in the next couple days.  I'm looking at the Nikon Monarchs.  I will be using them for hunting, predominantly in farm country.  I've read a couple things that say to stay away from the 12 power binocs because of a steadiness issue. 
 
My question is are a 12 power binoc really that hard to hold steady?  I won't be glassing for stuff for extended periods of time.  I'll pick up the binocs every now and then and scan the field.  if I see a deer, I'll watch it through the binocs intermittently.  Would the "shaking" be that noticeable with a 12 power?  Thanks much!!



Replies:
Posted By: SVT_Tactical
Date Posted: October/01/2010 at 11:17
if you have something to rest on like a stand of tree it shouldnt be that much more noticable.

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"Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be" - Abraham Lincoln


Posted By: royy2
Date Posted: October/01/2010 at 11:31
Without that it would be noticeable?


Posted By: SVT_Tactical
Date Posted: October/01/2010 at 11:33
yes


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"Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be" - Abraham Lincoln


Posted By: Bird Watcher
Date Posted: October/01/2010 at 22:15
Originally posted by royy2 royy2 wrote:

 My question is are a 12 power binoc really that hard to hold steady?  I won't be glassing for stuff for extended periods of time. 
 Would the "shaking" be that noticeable with a 12 power?  Thanks much!!
Roy,
 
You just might  have opened up a can of worms on this one.
 
All of us are not the same when it comes to hand holding binoculars.
 
All of us are not the same when it comes to hand holding pistols, rifles, shotguns, etc. from a standing position.
 
For brief periods of time you most certainly can hand hold a 12x binocular and still have a reasonably steady view of your target; with 'practice' you might even become good at it, like anything else.
 
I can hand hold up to 20x, on a regular basis, have been doing it for years. I own five 20x binoculars.
My preference is to have my back against a tree or a boulder or a building when I'm standing, otherwise, my favorite position for hand holding higher magnification binoculars is 'sitting' in a comfortable chair, or, sitting on the ground, elbows on my knees for support.
 
Nothing is impossible, it just takes determination and practice, same as shooting. Yep, Thought So
 
Just in case you are curious, I'm approximately 13 years older than you.
 
I'd recommend either the Nikon Action Extreme 12x50 or the Pentax PCF WP II 12x50, the extra weight of both these Porro prims binoculars helps to steady the views; stay away from light weight 12x binoculars, as they are prone to shaking more. 
 
http://swfa.com/Pentax-12x50-PCF-WP-II-Binocular-P4378.aspx - http://swfa.com/Pentax-12x50-PCF-WP-II-Binocular-P4378.aspx
 
http://swfa.com/Nikon-12x50-Action-Extreme-ATB-Binocular-P42217.aspx - http://swfa.com/Nikon-12x50-Action-Extreme-ATB-Binocular-P42217.aspx
 
 


Posted By: etudiant
Date Posted: October/01/2010 at 22:21
Hi royy2,

There is no problem holding a 12x glass sufficiently steady for animal spotting or inspection. I've carried an old 12x50 in the field for several years and have been very happy with it. This was on open country, for varmint hunting, so the bulk of the glass did not matter. By contrast, while bush hunting in northern Ontario, my brother carries a much smaller holstered 8x32, because straps really get in the way and the range is short, so the lower powers wider field is more useful..
The major benefit of the lower power is that  field of view is bigger, which can help latch onto a group of deer, plus the image is brighter, which helps a bit in poor light.
However, I also believe, but am not sure, that it is a bit harder to make a good higher power glass, so your risk of getting a glass that is not so comfortable to look through rises as the power increases.


Posted By: royy2
Date Posted: October/02/2010 at 12:20
Good stuff!  Thansk for all the info.


Posted By: Klamath
Date Posted: October/04/2010 at 11:44
You are going to have to make that call for yourself.  As can be seen so far, there is a lot of personal preference in binoculars.  As far as I am concerned, 12x is too much for hand held work period.  Most (but certainly not all) people will probably see more detail from free held 10x than with 12x.  Many people also make a mistake in thinking that "more magnification"  equates directly to "better binoculars".  That simply is not the case.  In truth even a 10x glass really starts to shine on a tripod.  Another issue is that most uses for hunting binoculars a 4 mm exit pupil will be about the minimum for acceptable image brightness in lower light.  To stay there with 12x, you need to hit 12x50, which means a bigger, heavier binocular.  Personally I like 7-8x for all around hunting, and I'm a high deseret sage-juniper hunter.  But in regards to your OP, I'd advise 10x.

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Steve
"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron



Posted By: royy2
Date Posted: October/04/2010 at 11:52
I think I am going for the 10x42 Nikon Monarch.  I just sold my old 10X50 Nikon Tundra's to a buddy of mine, which I thought were excellent binocs.  They were just too damn big.  Thnaks for all the help!!


Posted By: mike650
Date Posted: October/04/2010 at 21:24
I guess it depends on what your doing, where you hunt, your eyes, technique, etc.

I personally hunt with 10x as well as my one of my hunting partners; I like the extra power because of the area we hunt. Two other hunting partners in our club use 12x with no issues and they love that power. I've tried them and they not an issue for me either though the FOV decrease. 15x on the other hand is very hard to hold steady. Our fifth and final club member uses 8x and kicks himself for not getting at least 10x.  Again, it's the area we hunt that we need the extra magnification.




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“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear


Posted By: muleycrazy
Date Posted: October/06/2010 at 22:37
It will always have some affect on sharpness. The more it moves the less sharp period. You will also lose light and that will affect clarity. So for scanning a field, ect I would due 10x's maybe even look at 8's.



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