Binocular formats compared
Every binocular is labelled with two numbers — 8×42, 10×50 — and they decide more about how the glass behaves than the brand on the barrel. The first is magnification, the second the objective lens in millimetres.
Each comparison below is built from the models we actually track, so the fields of view and weights are real medians rather than round numbers. Binoculars 101 covers what the specs mean on their own.
Head to head
8x42 vs 10x4284 models10x42 vs 10x5055 models10x30 vs 10x4253 models8x30 vs 10x4252 models8x32 vs 10x4252 models7x50 vs 10x4251 models8x25 vs 10x4250 models8x42 vs 10x5045 models8x42 vs 10x3043 models8x30 vs 8x4242 models8x32 vs 8x4242 models7x50 vs 8x4241 models8x25 vs 8x4240 models10x30 vs 10x5014 models8x30 vs 10x5013 models8x32 vs 10x5013 models7x50 vs 10x5012 models8x25 vs 10x5011 models8x30 vs 10x3011 models8x32 vs 10x3011 models7x50 vs 10x3010 models8x30 vs 8x3210 models8x25 vs 10x309 models7x50 vs 8x309 models7x50 vs 8x329 models8x25 vs 8x308 models8x25 vs 8x328 models7x50 vs 8x257 models
The formats themselves
| Format | Exit pupil | Typical FOV | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x42 | 4.20mm | 320 ft | 47 |
| 8x42 | 5.25mm | 393 ft | 37 |
| 10x50 | 5.00mm | 291 ft | 8 |
| 10x30 | 3.00mm | 322.5 ft | 6 |
| 8x30 | 3.75mm | 420 ft | 5 |
| 8x32 | 4.00mm | 429 ft | 5 |
| 7x50 | 7.14mm | 367.5 ft | 4 |
| 8x25 | 3.13mm | 357 ft | 3 |