I've been looking around for a sub $200 binocular that would have the best "bang for the buck".
The primary use for the binoculars would be identifying stationary raptors (birds of prey) in the morning and afternoon hours where shadows and available light are concerns. The FOV isn't as important to me as the brightness and clarity. I was looking at roof prism models but I'm not limited to that. I realize that optics in my budget will not fare well in low light situations but that's all I've got to work with. I would prefer a 10x model.
I also wear eyeglasses so keep that in mind.
What I was looking at were the
Eagle Optics Denali 10x42, Bushnell Trophy 10x50, Audubon Vector 10x42, Bushnell Natureview 10x42, Celestron Outland LX 10x42, Nikon Trailblazer 10x50, Vortex Crossfire 10x42.
Please feel free to add your suggestions to the pool.
Thank you for any input you may have!
Nikon Action EX 8x40 or 10x50. 10x is heavy.
If $200 is your spending limit then I would agree your choices are somewhat limited. I have often seen referenced where the Vortex Vulture 10x50s are excellent binoculars for the price in terms of their brightness levels and overall quality. MSRP is $330 so I would expect them to typically sell in the mid to low $200's.
Also, though it is significantly over your budget I was also very impressed by the Vortex Viper 8x42s I owned in terms of their brightness level. They easily beat other popular binoculars in their price range and ones a bit above them in this category. Once again I see that cameralandny.com has demo units on sale for $399.
Just thought I would throw those two out there for consideration.