OK
Side by side with the ZEN ED 2 7x36 and the ED 3 7x43.
The ED 3 is larger, but not very much. It is about a half inch longer and about 4 oz heavier. The x36 does feel smaller than the visual difference would indicate there is. Most of that is because the barrels are of a smaller diameter, making it feel smaller in the hand.
The ED 2 has a wider fov, but the central sweet spot is about the same. The edges of the x43 are better than the x36.
The image of the x43 is a little sharper, but not a lot.
The contrast is a little better on the x43. Again not a lot.
Low light performance sees an edge to the x43, again not a lot, but it's there.
The x43 have too much eye relief for me, and not many binoculars I can say that about. I need something like the winged eye guards for the Nikon EDG to get the eye placement right., The eye relief is perfect for me with the x36, which is why I kept the x36 and not the x43.
Both are very good binoculars and there is really nothing to compete with the ZEN ED 3 7x43 at 7x.
Side by side with the ZEN ED 3 8x43 and 7x43.
If you did not know which was which, you might not be able to tell .
The difference is, IF you have the two side by side, you will see a better depth of field with the 7x, as depth increases with decrease in magnification. That is a nice function for close in, like with bow hunting. There is a extra almost porro like 3-D dimension that really helps sort out deer from layers of vegetation. For me there is no detail advantage with the 8x at distance. If it were me I'd keep the 8x if that is what I had, but if buying one fresh, I'd do the 7x 43 and never look back. As it is my 7x36 is one of three binoculars I have that will never go anywhere other than me.
Hope that helps some.
------------- Steve "Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron
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