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 10x4296 models10x42 vs 10x5063 models10x30 vs 10x4261 models8x30 vs 10x4261 models8x32 vs 10x4261 models7x50 vs 10x4259 models8x25 vs 10x4259 models8x42 vs 10x5049 models8x42 vs 10x3047 models8x30 vs 8x4247 models8x32 vs 8x4247 models7x50 vs 8x4245 models8x25 vs 8x4245 models10x30 vs 10x5014 models8x30 vs 10x5014 models8x32 vs 10x5014 models7x50 vs 10x5012 models8x25 vs 10x5012 models8x30 vs 10x3012 models8x32 vs 10x3012 models8x30 vs 8x3212 models7x50 vs 10x3010 models8x25 vs 10x3010 models7x50 vs 8x3010 models8x25 vs 8x3010 models7x50 vs 8x3210 models8x25 vs 8x3210 models7x50 vs 8x258 models
The formats themselves
| Format | Exit pupil | Typical FOV | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x42 | 4.20mm | 340 ft | 55 |
| 8x42 | 5.25mm | 394 ft | 41 |
| 10x50 | 5.00mm | 317.5 ft | 8 |
| 10x30 | 3.00mm | 345.5 ft | 6 |
| 8x30 | 3.75mm | 428 ft | 6 |
| 8x32 | 4.00mm | 427.5 ft | 6 |
| 7x50 | 7.14mm | 367.5 ft | 4 |
| 8x25 | 3.13mm | 356.5 ft | 4 |