Hi furbman,

In that price range I give the Nikon and Pentax both a very good look!

Looking at your personal information I also noticed you are from the Catskill Mtn's of NY. I'm currently living in the Appalachian region which is very similar in terrain. I know you didn't ask much about size but I personally use 8X30's which have proven themselves to do anything I need from a hunting bino. Particularly in the eastern parts of the country.

When I was in Alaska I added a spotting glass to my pack for anything the 8X30 couldn't handle. Big bino's not only are heavier, but bulkier, and more prone to becoming a nuisance and less likely to be around your neck when you need them. For general purpose hunting binoculars I'd tend to stick to something between 7 to 10 power and between 30 to 42mm objective lenses. You will seldom find a bigger binocular as handy.

Hope this helps.

Dave