If you have a K' s merchandise near you, check out the Minolta binocs they carry. I picked up a pair of 8x40 that are as crystal clear as those costing many many more dollars, for $70. I' m not kidding, I thought for sure they were priced wrong, they were so much better than the others from Nikon, etc. They' re a steal.

But, right now I' ve got these on my mind-

http://crazyape.com/index.cfm/fuseac...819/index.html

Not sure of the glass quality, but love the concept.