have not used a monocular. would LOVE to have one - if I could find pretty good quality at a reasonable price. I do agree that binocs are way more comfortable on the eyes for long-term use.

I have found that 8x is too low for magnification. I always seem to need to see a bit more. OTOH, 15x is too high. too much vibration. so somewhere in the range 10-12x is about right for binocs. It would be nice to have 50mm lenses, but those binocs are too bulky and heavy. 25mm lenses don't have enough light. so somewhere around 30-40mm is probably a good compromise. hence, 10x30, or 12x40 might be great.

I'm assuming the same applies to the monocular. so looking for something in that range.

Pete