habiv,
I have a pair of Steiner 8x30 Military/Marine binoculars. I hate them. The individually focused eyepieces are a pain to use quickly. They aren't as clear as I would have hoped, and they aren't worth a darn when you used them with eyeglasses. I didn't realize how awful they really were, until I started comparing them to friend's binoculars. Many of their "cheapies" were much better than the Steiners.

Check out www.camerlandny.com. Doug will give you the straight scoop on optics in your price range. He also has many demo models that can be had for hundreds less than retail. After months of looking, I ended up buying a demo pair of Minox HG's from Doug for $300 less than a local retailer. They were in absolutely perfect condition. Along with the Big Three, he carries Nikon, Minox, and Vortex brands.

Good luck on your hunt!


r33h, I respectfully disagree on where to spend money on optics. In Alaska, much of the big game hunting is "spot & stalk" type hunting. I spend hours and hours looking through my binoculars to locate and size up game. The actual shot lasts just a short amount of time. A reasonably clear and waterproof riflescope is needed, for sure, but many quality riflescopes can be purchased to handle this task without costing large sums of money.

Quality binoculars really prove themselves by leaving the user free of eyestrain after long days of glassing. I spent a week last spring bear hunting. We spent five straight days on the water glassing the shoreline for bears. At the end of the week, I was the only hunter (of five) that didn't complain of eyestrain and headaches. I was using an older pair of Zeiss binoculars loaned to me for the hunt. This made me a believer in using quality binoculars.

Your type of hunting may dictate different equipment requirements, but personally, I would much rather have an excellent pair of binoculars and a modest riflescope than the other way around.