Thanks for the comments guys. All appreciated. I am still torn between 8x32s or 10x42s to augment my selection. I thought I had a really nice deal on an excellent pair of 8x32s but the shop is currently out of stock on them. That has me looking at other models. At the moment, here is what I am considering....
Nikon Monarch 10x42
Zeiss Conquest 8x30
Wind River Olympics 10x50
Browning 8x32s
Pentax HRIIs 10x42
Nikon HG 8x32s
Mustad,
Interesting comments but totally understandable. A 6x magnification probably would look somewhat inadequate for glassing farther distances though I bet it provides a relatively wide field of view considering the objective/magnification combination. Interestingly enough, the Cornell Birding Lab, one of the more highly regarded binocular review resources, rated the 6x32 Katmai as their top pick for the low to mid cost category.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/LivingBird/winter2005/Age_Binos.html
Here is a quote of their comments.....
Top-rated among the 27 models in this category was the Leupold Wind River 6x32 Katmai, which has a bright clear image, compact and eyeglass-friendly design, wide field of view, and an exceptionally close focus. Although their low power will limit the usefulness of these binoculars for many types of birding, they are excellent for butterfly watching and would be great to keep by the window for close-up viewing of your backyard feeder birds.
As for the eyecups, I thought that twisting them out fully was to provide proper eye relief for non-eyeglass wearers. Twisting them all the way down is supposed to be the proper setting for eyeglass wearers though I think that largely depends on the size and shape of your face.
Thanks for the info though.