10x or 12x alpha glass

[Rie Bread]

Ok Iv spent this past season using mostly my spotter and instead of 10x I got some 12x binoculars. They are the same vortex diamondback binoculars; which frankly are robust and optically ok in normal day light. My spotter is a cables cx pro, which is nothing to get excited about, but has been super good enough and possibly the optic I find the most game with.

I found the 12x to be fairly manageable off hand even in modestly thick timber. Now I do know and experienced the 12x limitations in thick timber but even in those cases I don’t find 10x helpful. Haven’t tried 8x yet.

However Iv been cursed by looking through alpha glass ( lecia noctivid, swaro el/ nl; all 10x) I had a slight preference to the noctivid.

I’m currently trying to decide which magnification to drop that house payment cost for alpha glass.

What say you? Which magnification would you choose if only one.

 

[TN2shot07]

I can’t hand hold the 12’s very well so between the two if timber is a likelihood I want 10’s. I have a pair of Maven 8x30’s for the woods and pair of bx-5 10x42’s for the open.

 

[The Hedgehog]

12x nl pure are hard to not love. Try them after looking through that vortex sh1t sometime. Will be an expensive comparison

 

[Rie Bread]

12x nl pure are hard to not love. Try them after looking through that vortex sh1t sometime. Will be an expensive comparison

I did! It’s corrupted my viewing experience.
Makes the vortex seem like vhs tapes

 

[Rie Bread]

I can’t hand hold the 12’s very well so between the two if timber is a likelihood I want 10’s. I have a pair of Maven 8x30’s for the woods and pair of bx-5 10x42’s for the open.

How do they compare to swaro though?

 

[TN2shot07]

How do they compare to swaro though?

I’ve never looked through pures but I have used EL’s (and plan to upgrade to one day). I still want 10’s if I can only have one but it’s really dependent on your hunting style. I wouldn’t want 12’s as my only pair unless I spent a bunch of time with a tripod. No wrong answer, everyone’s got a preference!

 

[Potsie]

I have NL 12’s. Sometimes I think about trading them for a pair of 8x, then I put them in a tripod and forget all about that previous idiotic idea.

 

[DFS]

If the country is open enough for 12’s I would go a different route. 10’s for me.

 

[Rie Bread]

If the country is open enough for 12’s I would go a different route. 10’s for me.

Iv been think of up grading my spotter instead

 

[rideold]

I'm on year 2 of only using 12x. I can't see going back. That said, I can hand hold them fine.

 

[Dsnow9]

I have nl 12s. I carry a tripod and have all but abandoned my spotter. I also used them in timber extensively this year. I have the head stabilizer for them and find that helps a lot. Have not felt like I ever wanted less magnification. Killed my nm bull bedded under 60 yards this fall

 

[Antique0lc]

I would go with the 10x. The 12x will be very hard to hold still, especially if you are spotting and stalking. I had a customer get the 12x out in Montana and then trade them for the 10x because the 12's were too much.

12x will be a little harder to aquire targets under 200 yards imo.

 

[Jamen]

I bought the NL 12s this summer and will not look back. I can hold them steady and i also have the headrest for them. I am not sure i will ever bring my 10s back out and maybe not even my spotter. I dont have 10s in Swaro but these 12s on a tripod are something special!

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

If it's true alpha glass, you don't need as much magnification because the resolving power is better. When I stepped up to alphas, I actually went down in magnification. The additional resolving power plus the extra light, gave me a better image all around.

 

[Ought Six]

I like 10’s. Good middle ground compromise do-it-all magnification in my opinion. Have played with 15’s and 12’s and always come back to the 10’s.