If I were hiking around with them hung around my neck the 7x30 or 8x30 would be the way to go since you won't end up with a pain in the neck and you'll really use them. If you are going to glass from a stand of some sort then 7x42 or 8x42 or 8x50/56 would be best. Good glass in this range would be Swarovski,Zeiss,Nikon and Leica. I find the best compromise is a good set of 8x30 Swarovski's SLC or a Leica8x32 (Best).. and they will also serve you well if you go hunting out west. 10 power is better for specialized western hunting and you would never get to use the power of a pair of 10x40/10x42/10x50 binos on the East Coast , they are made for good light gathering at really long distance. Buy the best you can afford you'll never regret it. The next tier below this would Kahles and Nikon Superior E and Pentax DCF. A good place to contact would be www.eagleoptics.com (they have an 800 number) and talk to a optics expert there. They are as knowledgeable about optics as anyone on this planet. Buy the best you can and you'll never regret it..best rifle and scope in the world won't help if you can't pick out an animal in the first place.