the quality of light and the amount (exit pupil) are whats most important when looking for a low light binocular. I'm inclined to agree with shane above on the pupil only being able to dilate to 6mm to 7mm, but at the same time saturating your eye with light in a low light situation can't hurt. I would find some binoculars in your budget and test them out yourself and go with what looks good to your eye. you can use binoculars anytime, so it's a handy accessory to have all the time and you can justify spending a little more.