Get something at least in the 40mm objective lens size. All the compacts are worse in low light and create more eye strain after long periods of viewing. If you're a deep woods hunter and not needing to view things over the next mountain, go with 7 or 8 power. 10 will give you more magnification but you'll loose some low light viewing(again a lot dependant on YOUR eyes) It's a given that the average guy can't hold anything much above a 12 power still enoughwith just his hand. I'm a woods hunter. My 7 x 42s are perfect for me. If I hunted lots of open ground and fields I'd probably go with 10 x 42, realizing I was loosing some low light viewing. Anything in the 50mm objective lens will give you the best of all the best.... BUT... they're heavier, more bulky and not needed in most cases.

To get real technical(well not real but scientific a little) You best low light viewing is achieved with a power to objective lens ration of 7.(objective lens diameter divided by power of the glasses) With a 7 x 42 you have a ration of 6(42 divided by 7) With a 7 x 50 you have a ration of 7(50 divided by 7.(Coincidentaly.. the prefered binos for the military 7 x 50) Your 8 x 42 the ratio is just a little over 5. If you get into the compacts like an 8 x 25 you can see the ratio is only 3. Most human eyes will be able to make use of the light gathered only up to a point. They found that the ratio of 7 is about the max, so a pair of 2 x 50s would not be much better for low light than the 7 x 50s. Low ratios suck.... near 6 to 7 are optimum.

I went with 7 x 42s becauses it was a compromise of light gathering abilities, weight and size. I can easily move and shoot my bow with my binos strapped to my chest with a set of good bino buddy straps. I can literally see deer in a field with them when your naked eye sees nothing but darkness. I've shown it to people, deer in the dark, and they couldn't believe it. BUY THE BEST GLASS YOU CAN AFFORD. You get what you pay for in optics. You'll find with the better low light factors you can also focus much more clearly on objects deep in the brush. With a set of compacts everything blots out or runs together. With a high low light factor you can focus through it all and find every little leaf, eye or ear. I spent two years visiting optic shops at opening time, closing time, in the dark and broad daylight. I left my credit card with some of them and walked out side to do some true daylight, twilight viewing into brush etc. The differences in glass won't show up in a store looking at a display or a dark corner of the ceiling. You have to see them out doors at all distances. I did the research and verified it at the stores before I bought. I narrowed it to 3 pairs, then two because of eye appeal really. I then was down to $125-150 dollars difference and went with the cheaper pair.... that wasn't cheap.[&:]

Going with your choices. I immediately dismiss the first three compacts. I next dismiss the12 x 50s unless I was out West in big country, but even at that, I think they're too big for a bow hunting and the 12 power almost demands a tripod or solid rest. I next dismiss the 12 x 42 because holding 12 power still is tough and the ration of power to obj. lens diameter is getting low. That leaves us with the 10 x 42 which I could live with. In my woods I'd opt for the more popular 8 x 42 you don't list. If they had made them when I bought mine I would have bought them. But then again, I love my 7 x 42s. They'd be perfect for you squirrel hunting etc. You could pick the tree tops apart and not wear your eyes out. The focal plane and depth are superb for that.