Kowa SV III 10x42 specs and field of view

First of 87 models of 10x42 for field of view, the SV III 10x42 shows 400 ft at 1,000 yd against a 336 ft median. It weighs 19.6 oz.

Field of view: 400 ftat 1,000 yd
Eye relief: 15.5 mm
Close focus: 9.8 ft
Weight: 19.6 oz
Exit pupil: 4.2 mmcalculated

Why pick it

Widest view of the 87: 400 ft
19.6 oz, lighter than the typical 24.9 oz
Waterproof

SV III 10x42: width of view at 1,000 yd, against the median of the 87 10x42 models.

Who the SV III 10x42 suits

The 19.6 oz weight, well under the 24.9 oz median, suits long carries. A calculated 4.2 mm exit pupil handles daylight and some dusk use.

Close focus is 9.8 ft, longer than the 6.6 ft median, and eye relief of 15.5 mm sits just under the 16 mm median.

SV III 10x42 is one choice among many, and the top binoculars compared covers the most popular ones. SV III 10x42 is one of 87 models in the 10x42 binoculars comparison. Kowa lists it in the $200 to $500 price band, alongside the models in best binoculars under $500.

SV III 10x42 specifications

SV III 10x42 figures as Kowa prints them; rows marked * are calculated from the 10x42 size.

SV III 10x42 specifications
Magnification	10x
Objective lens	42 mm
Field of view	400 ft at 1,000 yd (133 m at 1,000 m)
Angular field of view	7.6°
Apparent field of view	76° *
Eye relief	15.5 mm
Close focus	9.8 ft (3 m)
Weight	19.6 oz (556 g)
Waterproofing	Fully waterproof, nitrogen filled
Fog-proofing gas	Nitrogen
Maker list price	$200 to $500
Exit pupil	4.2 mm *
Twilight factor	20.5 *
Relative brightness	17.6 *

* Calculated from the size, not printed by the maker.

SV III 10x42 against other 10x42 binoculars

SV III 10x42 shows 400 ft at 1,000 yd, at or above the 336 ft median of the 87 10x42 models in the chart. At 19.6 oz it is at or under the 24.9 oz median weight for the size.

Kowa SV III 10x42400 ft
Swarovski NL Pure 10x42399 ft
Bushnell R5 10x42390 ft
Minox X-PRO 10x42390 ft
Kowa BD III 10x42 XD378 ft
Hawke Frontier APO 10x42372 ft
Nikon Prostaff P3 10x42367 ft
Nikon Prostaff P7 10x42367 ft
Hawke Frontier ED X Gen 2 10x42367 ft
GPO Passion HD 10x42366 ft
Nikon Monarch HG 10x42363 ft

10x42 binoculars by field of view at 1,000 yd, widest first, from the makers' figures.

SV III 10x42 and its nearest rivals

SV III 10x42 next to the 10x42 models closest to it in maker list price, with the best figure in each column in bold.

Model	Field of view	Eye relief	Close focus	Weight	Exit pupil	Maker list price	Amazon
Kowa SV III 10x42	400 ft	15.5 mm	9.8 ft	19.6 oz	4.2 mm	$200 to $500
Leupold BX-3 Alpine HD 10x42	342 ft	16 mm	6.2 ft	22.6 oz	4.2 mm	$200 to $500	Check price on Amazon
Athlon Argos G2 UHD 10x42	319 ft	16.1 mm	13 ft	25.5 oz	4.2 mm	$200 to $500	Check price on Amazon
Burris Droptine HD 10x42	330 ft		7.5 ft	26 oz	4.2 mm	$200 to $500

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Other sizes of the SV III

Kowa makes the SV III in 4 sizes; a larger front lens adds brightness and weight, and more magnification narrows the view.

Model	Size	Field of view	Eye relief	Close focus	Weight	Exit pupil
Kowa SV III 10x42	10x42	400 ft	15.5 mm	9.8 ft	19.6 oz	4.2 mm
Kowa SV III 8x32	8x32	499 ft	15.5 mm	6.5 ft	17.1 oz	4 mm
Kowa SV III 10x32	10x32	384 ft	15.5 mm	6.5 ft	16.8 oz	3.2 mm
Kowa SV III 8x42	8x42	413 ft	20 mm	9.8 ft	19.2 oz	5.3 mm

Kowa binoculars

SV III 10x42 questions

SV III 10x42: does it work with glasses?

SV III 10x42 has 15.5 mm of eye relief, under the 16 mm the RSPB advises for people who wear glasses, so the edge of the view may be cut off with glasses on.

SV III 10x42: what does 10x42 mean?

SV III 10x42 magnifies 10 times through 42 mm front lenses, which works out to an exit pupil of 4.2 mm, the width of the beam of light that reaches each eye.

SV III 10x42: how wide is the view?

SV III 10x42 shows a view 400 ft wide at 1,000 yd, at or above the 336 ft median of the 87 10x42 models in the chart.