I am going this week to Utah and Arizona and wanted to buy binoculars before I leave. I borrowed a Swarovski 7x42 a couple of years ago and thought they were good.
Can anyone recommend something from either Swarovski or Zeiss as well as what model/power? If I go up in size from the 7x42, will I sacrifice brightness and also would I see shake from my hand?
What are the tradeoffs and benefits from using 7x42, 8x42, 8.5x42?
Money spend is secondary to getting the right model.
Thanks,
Ken
Ken,
Truth be told I think you could pick any of those configurations from any of those manufacturers and be entirely satisfied with your purchase. The difference between a 7x and an 8.5x among these models is fairly small optically (in the grand scheme of things).
To answer your questions, in general, yes, the more magnification the more the chance of seeing handshake in the image. That is dependent though on a variety of factors not the least of which being how steady your hand is as well as the weight of the bin. I doubt you would see much difference comparing the 8.5x42 EL with the 7x42 SLC. Either would be a fine choice as would the 8x42 or 7x42 FL and/or the 8x42 or 7x42 Ultravid HD. When you get to this price point optics aren't really the issue as they are all superb. It is more of an issue of ergonomics, focusing feel, etc...
I'm not going to attempt to steer you to any particular binocular here. At this level they are all good. First, you say you are leaving this week. That leaves little time to try before you buy. Second, you used the Swarovski 7x42 and liked it, I think that is where I would go. Just get another one and be done with it. Now, if you take reasonable care of it, perhaps you would still be able to exchange for a different one after you get back. Depending of course on the return/exchange policy of the dealer.