I, too, was in need of some binoculars so I did as everyone else stated. I looked at the monarchs, the trailblazers, and the dinaci or something from Leuphold. After I checked all three it was clear that the monarchs were the clearest, but the price was too much for me. The clerk told me to have a look at the Leuphold Yosemites, and I was really suprised at the clarity and depth of field. To me, they were as clear as the monarchs. I came back a few weeks later and bought the Yosemites for $99. Theyre extremely clear, work well in low light conditions, and the price was great for what I got.

The pair I bought was 8x30's BUT the field of view is comparable to the bigger roof prism binoculars like the monarchs. (the monarchs are 8x42) I think the Monarch field of view at 1000 yards is something like 420 feet, and my Yosemites are 380-390 @1000yds. So you dont seem to lose much. The only thing I would say is that the monarchs will most likely be a bit better in low light conditions, but I was very impressed with how well the yosemites worked in low light anyways.

Another plus to me was that the yosemites are fairly compact, whereas the monarchs were a bit big for my liking.

Not taking anything away from the other binoculars, but I felt like I got a steal with the yosemites. Check them out when you check out the monarchs and stuff and see what you think.