I too have a pair of Wind River P1's 8X42's. They have BAK 4 lens coating which is very similar to the Multicoat 4 lens coating used on their Vari X III riflescopes. These glasses are outstanding! My friend has a pair of Leica 8X42 BA's that cost about a grand. We shoot 3D competitively and I saw every scoring line he saw. That's pretty good. I am not trying to suggest that these P1's that cost about $250-$300 are as good as the Leica's, but they are very good. The Wind Rivers are also backed by Leupold's Lifetime warranty and are 100% waterproof. If I was not limited by the IBO's 8 power restriction on binoculars, I would have chosen the 10X50 P1's that are not much larger or bulkier. The increased power is very important to me. Try these in low light conditions if possible and I think you'll be very pleased with them. www.dnrsports.com has them for about $250.

I agree on the Wind River's, I bought my wife the new model about 3 months ago. I have always carried Steiner's. Well, I can't see any difference in the two at all. Both are 8 power and I believe both have 42mm objectives. We shoot 3-D together and if I had to buy another pair it would be the Wind Rivers. Good luck on your search.

J. Shoot


Searching

I have a pair of Pentax 8 x 42 DCF WP. In my opinion they are the best value high end bino's out there right now. Awesome optics, fully waterproof, tough (magnesium frame with full rubber armor) lightweight and well built with a lifetime warranty. Unless you want to lay down over $700, I dont think you'll find many better pairs.
I got mine from etronics.com for $324 and they had a $100 mail in rebate on top of that, which came back in a couple of weeks no problem. Shop around there are some bargains although they are selling fast right now.

I have a pair of Pentax 12x50 PCF V and am not at all impressed with them. Maybe I just got a bad pair? Good in low light but fog up in almost any kind of cold weather. Dont really like the way the eye pieces pull out. And not that sharp at long distance.

i have bought several pair over the last few years. my eyes were getting bad and i could not focus them thru some binocs.some binocs will be great to look thru for short periods of time. it is those that allow your eyes to stay comfortable over extended use that are the quality ones. just as many have said you get what youe budget will allow. i bought leica 12x50 and they are heavy. i now use the bino buddy straps and i never feel them. very good glass but also very expensive.

http://betterviewdesired.com/new_roofs.htm#Pentax

Here is a good review of the Pentax 8x42 DCF WP (note that the PCF mentioned above is a totally different unit). They were voted best buy when they cost $500, and with the manufacturers rebate you can now get them for $200-$300! Smells like a bargain to me.

I would have to agree on the Pentax 8x42 DCF WP. Just got mine for Christmas. Have not hunted with them yet, but have spend a fair amount of time scanning the timber off the deck. They are incredibly better than the cheap ones I have been using. I did a lot of research on these. I got them for $339 before the $100 rebate. Great buy in my opinion.