Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42 vs Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 10x42
Quick take: The Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42 costs $30 less; the Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 10x42 reaches farther (10x vs 8x); the Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42 has a wider field of view (320 vs 304 ft @ 1000 yds).
Field of view, to scale
Top-down view · drawn to true scale — no exaggeration
Which one to buy
Leupold has discontinued both McKenzie HD models, so this matters mainly if you've found remaining stock, and the 10x42 has a newer successor worth checking first. Between the two, owners of each reach the same answer: the 8x42 is the better buy for most people, and it's $30 cheaper.
The Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42 has a 5.25mm exit pupil against 4.2mm, a 320 ft field against 304, and 17mm of eye relief against 12mm. That last gap is the biggest. The Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 10x42's 12mm is its weakest spot by owners' accounts, and glasses wearers say it doesn't work well for them. The 8x42's 17mm is workable, though some glasses wearers still wish for more. Both weigh 22 oz and focus to 9.8 ft.
Everything else is shared, good and bad. Owners praise the light weight, a bright view for the price, grippy armor, full weather sealing, and Leupold's lifetime guarantee with US-based service. They also report no ED glass, a diopter that hunters who compared it against a Vortex Diamondback HD found worse, and scattered quality misses, including debris sealed inside a lens.
The 10x42 makes sense only for open-country glassing on prairie and big clearcuts, where reach beats a wider, brighter, steadier view. For timber, dusk, beginners and anyone in glasses, the 8x42 is the stronger binocular.
Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42
The better McKenzie for most hunters if you find one new: brighter, wider, kinder to glasses and $30 cheaper, though discontinued.
Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 10x42
Only for open-country glassing without eyeglasses, and since it's discontinued, check its successor first.
| Spec | Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42 | Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 10x42 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$170 | ~$200 |
| Use case | Hunting | Hunting |
| Magnification | 8x | 10x |
| Objective | 42mm | 42mm |
| Exit pupil | 5.25mm | 4.2mm |
| Field of view | 320 ft @ 1000 yds | 304 ft @ 1000 yds |
| Eye relief | 17mm | 12mm |
| Close focus | 9.8 ft | 9.8 ft |
| Prism | Roof | Roof |
| Glass | HD | HD |
| Coating | Fully Multi-Coated | Fully Multi-Coated |
| Weight | 22 oz | 22 oz |
| Dimensions | 5.6 x 5.0 in | 5.7 x 5.0 in |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime |
Feature comparison
Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42
- ✗ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✗Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✗Magnesium Body
- ✗Locking Diopter
Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 10x42
- ✗ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✗Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✗Magnesium Body
- ✗Locking Diopter
What birders say
Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42
- ✓One of the cheapest tickets into the Leupold brand - street prices under $200 with the company's full lifetime guarantee behind it
- ✓Very light at 22 oz, and owners consistently describe it as comfortable to hold and carry through long days afield
- ✓Reviewers call the image quality 'outstanding for binoculars in this price range,' with bright, vivid views from the BAK4 prisms and fully multi-coated lenses
- ✓The 8x42 configuration is the easy-viewing choice: a 5.25mm exit pupil, 320 ft field of view, and steadier handheld image than the 10x version
- ✓Grippy armor over a solid polymer body earns praise for feel and secure handling in wet conditions
- ✓Fully waterproof, fogproof, and nitrogen purged despite the budget price
- ✓Owners report Leupold's US-based service will repair even accident damage cases - one drop-damaged pair was sent in for repair rather than trashed
- ✗No ED glass at this tier, and some experienced owners find the clarity a step behind similarly priced rivals like the Vortex Diamondback HD
- ✗The diopter adjustment drew specific criticism from hunters who compared it against competitors in this bracket
- ✗Isolated quality-control misses reported by buyers, including one who found debris sealed inside the lenses on arrival
- ✗A minority of owners report durability problems, with one describing a pair as 'literally falling apart' under regular use
- ✗17mm of eye relief is workable but not generous - some glasses wearers wish the eye relief worked better for them
- ✗9.8 ft close focus is mediocre if you also want to watch butterflies, dragonflies, or feeder birds up close
- ✗This is Leupold's imported budget line - you're buying the warranty and design, not the premium US-made glass the brand name evokes
- ✗Accessories are basic; there's no harness or premium case like Leupold includes with the pricier Alpine line
Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 10x42
- ✓10x reach at a street price under $200 makes it one of the cheapest credible open-country glassing options from a major brand
- ✓Still very light for a 10x42 at 22 oz - owners say it carries and holds comfortably for hours
- ✓Image quality repeatedly described as outstanding for the price bracket, with bright views from phase-coated BAK4 prisms and fully multi-coated lenses
- ✓Solid, grippy polymer-and-rubber build that owners praise for secure handling
- ✓Fully waterproof, fogproof, and nitrogen purged - real weather sealing at a budget price
- ✓Leupold's lifetime guarantee with US-based Oregon service; owners report even drop damage getting repaired
- ✓Budget shoppers on forums repeatedly land on it as the value pick when cross-shopping Vortex's entry lines
- ✗Only 12mm of eye relief - the tightest in the McKenzie family, and glasses wearers specifically report wishing the eye relief worked better
- ✗The 4.2mm exit pupil dims faster at dawn and dusk than the 8x42's 5.25mm, exactly when hunters need the glass most
- ✗304 ft field of view is narrow, and combined with 10x hand-shake it makes finding and tracking animals harder for beginners
- ✗No ED glass, so color fringing control trails ED-equipped rivals in the same aisle like the Vortex Diamondback HD
- ✗Experienced hunters who compared them head-to-head have preferred the Diamondback HD, citing clarity and the McKenzie's diopter adjustment
- ✗Scattered quality-control complaints from buyers, including debris found sealed inside lenses and one owner's pair falling apart
- ✗9.8 ft close focus limits double-duty use for close-range nature watching
- ✗Basic accessory kit - no harness or upgraded case like the step-up Alpine line includes
Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42 vs Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 10x42: common questions
Is the Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42 or 10x42 better for hunting in timber?▾
The 8x42. Its 320 ft field and 5.25mm exit pupil make animals easier to find and the view brighter at dawn and dusk, and owners say 8x is much easier to hold steady. The 10x42 suits longer, open-country distances.
Are the Leupold BX-1 McKenzie HD 8x42 and 10x42 still available?▾
Both are discontinued, so you would be buying remaining stock. The 10x42 has a successor in Leupold's line worth comparing first, and either McKenzie keeps Leupold's lifetime guarantee, which owners say covers even drop repairs.