My old 10x25 binoculars which were supposedly waterproof weren't, so I am looking to buy a new pair. The old ones were a gift when I was younger, so I am not sure where to start looking for a new pair. I am an avid hiker, climber, and traveler with an interest in bird watching and wildlife viewing. I am not a birder per se, but when I see them, I would like to ID them. Therefore weight is important, but I do want to upgrade a bit. The field of view was pretty small on my old ones and I was thinking that perhaps a 10x42 would be a good move. However, being a poor student, I don't want to go higher than $200 for sure, and would prefer the cost be closer to $100. Any suggestions?
Here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spr...&hl=en_US#gid=0 are some of the binoculars that I am currently considering along with most of their specs. Anything I definitely should/shouldn't get? Also note that most of the prices are markdowns and sales that I found.
Which design specs matter most: brand name, magnification, field of view, objective diameter? Are porro or roof lenses superior?
Thanks for the help.
Edit: What the question has boiled down to: " I am particularly interested in these, as I hear good things about Eagle Optics and they are marked down 50 bucks :http://www.eagleoptics.com/binocula...10x42-binocular and these from Vortex which have been marked down 50% (although I don't know why they are 200 to begin with) http://www.eagleoptics.com/binocula...10x32-binocular
That being said, these http://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-10x4...1689451&sr=1-24 have also been marked down 50%, but have better specs than the Vortex and just as good as the Eagle optics. I guess the main question is why I shouldn't chose a lower quality manufacturer like Bushnell with the same or better specs than a higher quality manufacturer. Namely, why go for 8x when I can have a 10x?"