Contributors to this thread:
I am selling my swarowski 10x32 el, my question what is the best size for elk hunting? (10x42 or 10x50)
10x32 is the best size! ;)
Honestly, I have 10x42 el's and 8x30 cl's, and a Swaro spotter. I probably take the cl's on 75% of my hunts. I think most guys will probably agree that the 10x42's are hard to beat for all round use though.
--Jim
Def 10x42. 32 is too dark in low light and 50 are too heavy
I like my Leica Ultravid 8x32 for most of my elk hunting. I use Swaro EL10x42 for alpine and open country long range glassing stuff like bears, sheep and mule deer. Most of my elk hunting was a bit more short range though sometimes in the open desert or above treeline I like the bigger glass on elk too.
Question.... In low light conditions, will there be better visibility through 8x32 or 10x32, or the same...
Zbone, Probably not much difference. Light gathering is more a function of the objective lens (32mm in this case). If you are more concerned with light gathering, you should probably look too a larger objective lens (all else being equal). So a 42mm objective would produce a brighter view than a 32mm in this example.
--Jim
I have a pair of 10x50's I will sell you. Just bought new 10x42's. 50's are EXCELLENT binos, just heavy.
8x32. Exit pupil = 4.0
10x32 Exit pupil = 3.2
All things being equal, the larger the exit pupil the more light it lets in during low light when your pupil is dilated. So a 8x32 would be brighter under low light if the glass quality was similar.
I have a pair of Leupold switch binocs that are 7x/12x by 32. In broad daylight, the 12x shines, but at dusk they are almost useless as they are much darker than 7x
8x32 and 10x42s would be pretty similar in low light, but the 10s might seem brighter due to the magnification.
During bright conditions, it doesn't matter because your pupil is constricted down anyway.
Depends on how and where you are hunting. I hunt places in NM where there isn't much country to glass and I like my 8X30 cls for that. I've hunted other places where the more magnification and objective size you can get the better. That being said, for all around binoculars I think 10x42s are tough to beat!
I agree. I have 8x42s and 10x42s and 90% of the time I use the 8x If I ever have enough coin saved, I will probably spring for the 8.5x42 ELs
JTreeman and txhunter58, thanks for the info...
I totally understand the Swarovski 10x42 are perfect, but Swarovision EL 42s are a whole 9 ounces heavier than the EL 32s... That's over half pound, that's a lot to me, and too much I probably wouldn't carry them a lot for the type hunting I do... The CLs (perfect size, and less expensive) are only 3 ounces lighter than the EL 32s, and a couple objective lens smaller, but they are not HD like the EL Swarovision... The CLs would be perfect for me if came in HD, but do not so I have to choose between the EL 8x32s or 10x32s...
FYI: Steve Rinella (Meat Eater show) has a podcast Episode 9 that is about hunting optics and it's pretty good.
http://themeateater.com/2015/meateaterpodcasthuntfishlisten/
I would absolutely choose the 8x32s over the 10x32s. To jump to 10x, for me I would have to get the x42s
That said, with the right bino harness, the extra weight is manageable. But the BULK is more noticeable, especially when you consider bowstring clearance.
Here is a pretty good link on binoculars:
http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/myths2006-intro.html
Does anyone have the swarovkis el 10x42 bino's with the range finder? Just wondering because I see supplier with a low price on them.
tcosmic - Swarovski is running a promotion right now and I think all EL models are on sale through Nov. 1st...
