I know this has probably been done to death but which power would you recommend for raptor and sea watching...8's or 10's? The choice would be between Leica and Swarovski. The raptor watching would be in the Middle East. Any advice would be appreciated.
John.
Will you be on a boat or not? If you are on a smaller boat, you will prefer 7x and 8x. If you are on the shore, I think a binocular and a scope are needed.
Raptor watching is an individual thing, and all powers are used, 6x to 10x.
These can require two entirely different powers. I have always done my pelagic birding with 8 power binoculars, and with the movement of the boat, I think that is reasonable. However, many birds seen in the North Atlantic are distant--you hope they come close! I have fared well with 8x's. As to hawk watching, there are circumstances where the birds are closer, and then those that are further away. Where I watch hawk migration, many birds are seen at the limit of binocular view, where a scope is required to identify them. Other places, they fly right overhead. I only use a 10x binocular for hawk watching, and that after having tried to use my 8. Can you hold a 10 power steady on land? (You cannot hold anything steady on the open sea). My vote would be 10s for hawks and 8s for pelagic, but that is based on my personal experience.