Cabela's is my recommendation in a size 8x30. 8 because I can hold it steady even on a boat. 30 because I mainly use it in full light. Go larger on the last number for more light gathering if you use at dusk/dawn.
click the link, read the reviews. Cabela's buyers are very rough on equipment. To earn a 4.6 out of 5 is pretty rare on their site.
Today I went to Bass Pro Shops and bought the Nikon Monarch 5 8x42. They are a nice improvement over the old junkers we had. thanks for all the replies!
All binoculars are a compromise. For us, the Made in Germany Steiner 8X30 military and marine. 10 yr warranty. Mine are over 20 yrs old, and are good for everything except really low light. Pre-dawn hunting requires larger objective lenses, but you pay the price in cost and bulk.
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Siamese Calvin and Airedale Hobbes, 4WD Toyota toad
If you buy a pair of cheap binos you will use them less and may not even know what you are missing. I have two 10x binos and the $90 one is very seldom used as the $500 pair are far superior. I can pick out details with the better binos that would be blurry with the cheap ones. I went to a number of sporting goods and hunting stores and none of them stocked anything over $150 cost so I ended up reading reviews and buying online.
The 7x are good for use on a boat where there is motion. On land a 8x or 10x provides more magnification and are not difficult to use hand held. The larger binos will be heavier and bulkier but let in a lot more light for use early and late in the day. For camping use I take a medium size 10x43 pair while on a boat I use a large 7x50 pair, and leave a compact 10x32 pair in the glovebox so I always have something.
At the bottom tier are the inexpensive binos that are OK for casual use a few times a year but are not what you should be looking at. The top tier binos are $2000 or more. In between there are two clusters of binos that provide excellent performance at a good price. In the bottom cluster are the Nikon Monarch models from $260 up to $475, the Vortex Diamondback, Vanguard, some Steiners, and Pentax DCF. CA Fish & Game use the Vortex. The Vortex are a favorite low end bino for birding use which is a good test of the optics overall.
What varies is the eye relief which is important for viewing with eyeglasses or sunglasses in place, and the range of adjustment for wide or narrow faces. If you plan to share them with your traveling companion this can be a factor to consider as well.
Try to find the sweetspot in terms of performance and size and weight. Price is a factor but these are going to be used more if they work well and they are a lifetime investment. Many quality binos have a lifetime warranty.
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