10 power vs 15
 

cabelas has Swarovski 15x56 binos on sale and was considering buying them. i am concerned about that much magnification and if that would cause some problems. i would be using them both at home in the whitetail woods and out west for elk hunting. thoughts?

If you buy Swarovski you will not have any "problems", other than lighting your bank account !

Great binoculars, but you will need to use them with a support (such as a tripod). That is just too much magnification for most purposes as you will see the effect of vibration as it degrades the image. Anything higher than 10X or so is tough to use without support.

If you want to see the effect of binocular shake (vibration) go to a store that carries the Canon Image Stabilized binoculars and use them with the IS both on and off to read a distant street sign. You will be amazed at the difference. I would not recommend the Canon IS binoculars for hunting, as they feel somewhat fragile to me, but for high power viewing elsewhere (birding, star gazing, etc.) they are very good.

Agree with Big Uncle. The 15X-56 mm Swarovskis will be heafty. And that high a power and unsteadiness on your part will be somewhat frustrating. Wiht a steady rest, these would be great for long range viewing.

I would think for general hunting 8X-50mm or 10X-50mm , 40 mm would be plenty. I prefer 10X-40mm.

As has been said, it's pretty hard to manage 15x optics without distracting bobble, but with large objectives and a longer distance, it's not that hard to ignore a bit of shaking. If you're carrying a rangefinder, then you have a "short range optic" in the 4-7x range in your rangefinder, so having a 15x bino makes more sense than a 10x. I carry a 4x or 7x rangefinder and 12x binos, and often wish I had just a bit more in the binos, since it doesn't get me as far as my scope will (most of my top ends are 12-24x). I only haul a spotting scope on the sets or stands where I know I'll be taking long pokes.

Weight and size is one of the downsides of big binos. I have 10x and 12x compacts that I use, they're not pocket sized, but they're not gigantic either. If I could get 15x in that size at a reasonable price or even a variable power set (I have a bad habit of dropping them out of my deer stands), then I'd do that.

I use Nikon's Monarch 12X 42MM with a shoulder harness, which works great for me.

If I need to get steadier, I rest them on my shooting sticks.


There are those occasions when I wished I had more power - I have NEVER wished I had less power (but that's just me) !

It ain't just you amigo! Sums up my way of thinking too.

The most I would go would be 12x. If I had a need for higher, I'd use my spotting scope w tripod. 10x42 is about perfect for a full size hunting bino, imo.

8x42 for Eastern Hunting 10x42 for Western hunts. If I need more I go for a spotting scope on a tripod or vehicle mount.

It depends on your age, steadiness, etc. as to whether you would have a problem with 15X steadiness or not. What might be okay for us may not be okay for you.

What distances are you hunting at home and what are you expecting "out west?" Are you planning on using a guide (he might carry a spotting scope, etc.) or going DIY? If the distances are going to short range on one and long range on the other, you may decide that 2 different binos are needed.

I have an old pair of Swaro 7x30's that are perfect for brush, forests and under 300 yards in mainly stalk and spot hunting (lot of hiking, spot the animal and stalk). If I was hunting longer distances with the same kind of hunting method, I would consider 8, 8.5 or 10x40 or so.

If I was hunting from a stand or spending lots of stationary time (not so much walking) spotting at longer distances (over 300 yards), I would look at more power, since 15x binos are much easier to spot with than a spotting scope and weight/size doesn't make much difference as opposed to when you're hiking a lot.

Somebody suggested trying out different power binos while reading road signs and that's a terrific idea. If you can't read the street sign name, you won't enjoy scouting with that power of binos.

You been given a lot of good advice but your eyes, hands and hunting style are what should determine which bino at what power is best for you. Good luck and let us know what you decide.