I honestly think Vortex is the best for the money that I have seen as far as optics go....As clear as my binocs are, there is no way on God's green earth I would fork out $1400 for a pair that says swarovski on the side. Are they brighter and clearer? Maybe, but worth the 4x bigger price tag? In my case, not even close.

I too am in need of a good spotter, and am narrowing down my choices. I will likely go with a straight eye piece spotter from the Nomad series of Vortex.

If you are packing into the backcountry very far for bivy style hunts, keep weight in mind. Some spotters weigh up to 5 lbs!