There were quite a few discussions around 7x binoculars on the forum lately: 7x36 ED2, 7x36 Swift, 7x42 Meopta. Some folks also talked about 6x. I have to admit that I use 7x36 ED2 more often in the past few months. But I still grabbed my 8.5 EL or 8x ZEN ED pretty often too. Out in the field, most birders I met still use 8x or 10x power. Is 7x really making a come back? or it is just one of binoholics things?
I think lower powers with bigger exit pupils are just easier to use. More true in the Winter months at higher latitudes when you need as much brightness as possible and shivering makes a steady image more difficult.
Rick
A lot depends on the kinda birdin' (or other activity) you're gonna do.....7x are great for woods, twilight, sports events.....not so good for shorebirds, lake birding, aircraft spotting, or plains or mountain hunding. ('Course, ya gotta have the aperature too).
I've got 2 7x binos that I wouldn't take for....a compact that can be along all the time, and a 7x42 for the aforementioned....both work wonderfully for their purposes. For years, 7x35 & 7x50 were the standards in the industry. The wisdom of those choices can be borne out once you've tried lotsa binos in different environs for different tasks. But a good 7x with medium aperature (36-40) is a great all-around.