akbound

Hi doubleA,

I agree with you on the quality of the products from either of those companies. For someone that can afford such optics they are indeed worth the money spent. I currently own, and wouldn't go afield without my 8X30's Swarovskis. They are brighter than many "bigger" less expensive glasses I have tried....and are truly handy. But many people find their cost prohibitive.

Depending on the intended usage most individuals can be well served with less expensive glass. There are many good quality binos that run about half as expensive as either the Zeiss, Swarovskis, Leica's, etc. A number of binos from Pentax and Nikon come to mind.....as do some of the more "American sounding brands" such as Leupold, Bushnell, etc. I have heard and read some good things about some of the better quality glass coming out of Eastern Europe, (though since the collapse of the Warsaw Pact their prices are rising), and there are still some "good deals" obtainable for a keen (and wary) shopper.

I long time ago I decided for myself personally, that I spend much more time using my binoculars on a hunt....than I do using my rifle. And that being the case was a turning point for me. If I was going to spend X amount of dollars on a good rifle/scope combination......it made at least as much sense to me to be willing to spend a like amount on a pair of binos. And I have never regretted it! But for a person on a tighter budget....a good servicable binocular can be obtained for less. Just understand that you don't get "worldclass optics"....at "bargain basement prices". Accept that....and you won't be disappointed!