QuoteOriginally posted by Longbowz:
Considering the vast price difference the Bushnells held up fairly well to the much more expensive Swarovski's.

That's refreshing to read...

I have a Nikon 7X50 Action series. Love it.

I have the Zeiss  conquest 8x30's and  love them. I tried all the popular brands and could have bought any pair but the Zeiss fit me the best.

Your best best is go somewhere where you can try them all side by side. Pick the pair that is most comfortable and bright. Try not to get too hung up on the brand names.

I have the Leupold's with the range finder in them. I forget the model. Being able to hit a button while glassing with no extra movement is really handy. They look a little bulky but are not too heavy.I think the new ones are 9X and will read and calculate incline.

It is very hard to tell big diffrences in glass just by putting them to your face and then picking another pair up and putting them to your face. If its bright outside and your just glassing quickly is not a good comparison. Low light conditions, edge clarity and just the crispness in general is not going to be the same in the Cabelas parking lot or the back yard as it is under hunting situations. Glassing for hours on end is not very fun when you have eye strain. The biggest thing is to know what your using them for and then decide if your only going to hunt the west once then its not a big issue. But if you plan on using these binos trust me figure out the most money you are willing to spend and then throw in a couple hundred more bucks and buy the best you can buy. I have owned $300.00 to 600.00 binos and you get what you pay for and in my oppinion its not much in that price range.

I agree with what Scott just said.  I've used a lot of binoculars in my 33 years as a wildlife officer and this is just an area that you shouldn't scrimp on.  Headaches and eye strain are less a problem when the glass you carry and use is of the highest quality you can afford.  Personally, I wish I could afford Swarovski ELs but about $1,000 is the top of my budget.  This weekend I took a close look at some Zeiss 8x40s and decided that at $900 they'll be my next glass.  BTW, I've owned a couple pair of 10x50's and wouldn't recommend anything that size for much else besides horse or truck hunts.  Just too much to carry.  My personal choice is 8x42's for just about everything.

QuoteOriginally posted by Gen273:
 

QuoteOriginally posted by Biathlonman:
I've got Zeiss and Vortex.  Overall I think Vortex offers the better value.  What's your budget, that makes a big difference?

I agree, for the money Vortex is hard to beat! [/b]

Yeap!!!!!!!!  

I bought a pair of Meoptas a couple of years ago and have never regretted it. Crisp view to edge of glass, excellent light gathering and durability. I can glass for hours with no issues.

There is nothing in the under 1K class that i found beats them. The next step up is another 1K+ for Swaros. Hard to justify in my world.