PABowhntr:

You make a very good point about details or resolution which may practically be obtained with binoculars of different magnification power. There is a big difference between what I can see with my 10x70 Fujinons when (1) I hold them in my hands, even propping my elbows on my knees and when (2) I mount them on a heavy Slik tripod, for example when observing astronomical objects such as a star cluster like the "bee hive" in the constellation Cancer. Big difference. If you can't hold the more powerful binoculars substantially steadier than less powerful binoculars, you are not getting the benefits of the greater resolving power of the higher power binoculars, or so it would seem to me.

I had never thought about the idea that there might be differences in optical quality between a manufacturer's 8x42 binocular and 10x42 binocular in the same model. I take it this was in fact your experience with the 10x42s?