There was another chance for me to use a Kowa 8X42 BD binocular over this past weekend. It has a rather narrow field of view (331' at 1000 yards). This binocular also shows a good depth of field and impressive resolution. In the construction of a binocular, what tradeoffs exist with the field of view vs other viewing attributes such as resolution and depth of field?
I am truly impressed by the Kowa BD and will likely be buying one soon.
Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge.
Most mid price 8x42 binoculars will fall in the 330-340ish fov. There are a few exceptions, most notably the Promaster and Hawke. I have always felt like 330' was enough, but just barely. My Monarch (330' fov) which I used for a number of years never bothered me in that regard. So I would say that if you are more than satisfied with the other aspects of the Kowa, such as the edge distortion (it covers a larger % of the view in a smaller field), center field resolution, and ergonomics, I would say there would seem to be no reason not to buy it. It seems you like it and is a known to you item, of which the importance can't be denied.
Another thing is that you may develop superior use technique with the smaller fov. You can't rely on fov for peripheral use. But that is the advantage of the nearly 100' extra view of the Promaster/Hawke.
That is actually a very typical fov for a 8x42 in mid price. It goes up a bit at our 1000 dollar mark. But even the best Pentax sold does not go higher:
http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=4887
Everything in optics is a compromise. The 8x32s will have a wider field as are most 8x36.