OK, I was in St. Louis this morning, so I stopped by the big Bass Pro Shops there and looked at the binoculars you guys had been suggesting...

It was a cinch to make up my mind between the 8x42's and the 10x's; Two Beards, you may be right about not needing the extra power, but I just don't feel I would be getting enough of my money's worth with the 8's... The 10's are so much more powerful, but at the same time, I don't feel as if they'll be overdoing it.

I looked through the Nikon Monarch ATB's and liked their light weight and clarity. (I know, they all look good through the store in the daytime.) Looking in the same price range, I found a pair of Leupold Wind River, I believe they're the Cascade series. $279 vs. $299 for the Nikons, and they're just as light. They also advertise that they're "in-line roof prism", while I'm not sure what the Nikons are.

Anybody got any advice/thoughts on these two? (I'm still going to go to our local K's Merchandise and look for those Minoltas, Rangeball, just to see how they compare.)