I looked at Maven at the deer show. Very impressive.

I just ordered these from Cabelas except I got the 12x50. They were Regularly 259.99 and i got them for 159.99 on clearance.

I've been very happy with my Steiner Merlins. The eye cups completely black out the surrounding light. Very good at bringing in light, very clear, don't fog. The 10x50 is about that price range

i got some 10x42 last year on sale for like $120. man them things are super nice. I dont have experience with the high dollar stuff. But I just dont see how much better binos can get than these. I can use these with my glasses. there comfotable, tough built, great glass, and great at low light.

Zeiss Conquest 8x42 HD. Redhawk Rifles has Demo's for $699. I've never looked thru anything clearer.

Don't be fooled into thinking a $2-300 pair of binos are as good as the mid to high end glass. It's exactly that, the type of glass. Higher end glass is a lot better in low light situations. You also don't want to be washed out by glare. If you really want the scoop on binos, search the bird watcher forums. Those guys spend A TON of cash on there optics. They give great reviews as well.

I agree with Kodiak; the improvement in quality from $2-300 binos to $800 class glass like Pentax ED, etc, is significant. The improvement from there to Alpha class glass is there, but for some not quantifiable for the upcharge. YMMV

i could see a bird watcher justifying the extra money, but what would be the upside for a hunter to sink the extra money. I can hunt way past legal hunting hours with a $200 pair, if i wanted too. I guess if I was a high roller i would want the best, what am i missing with my cheaper pair?

I have the 8x42 Merlins and like them.

It has nothing to do with being a high roller. The type of hunting you do dictates what you need. I saved and purchased better glass after seeing the differance myself outdoors, not in a store. I hunt areas where I glass for hours looking for any part of an animal. An ear, antler, whatever. Pretty much need the same detail like a bird watcher. Take a sunny clear cut with shadows at the timber line at 600 yards, the alpha glass will normally reveal an animal where less glass sometimes will not. We glass thousands of yards away, not hundreds so, that's why we purchased what we did. For alabama hunting, I would probably buy Swaro 8x30 due to being compact and very clear. They would be used or demos, not new for sure.

Thanks for all the great info. I'm not trying to be a high roller either but have used several pair of good $200-300 binos and have been able to look through some that are better. I am going to be hunting in an area with bigger fields than I have been hunting and want to have some better glass.

I haven't bought any yet but I am looking at several different ones that have been mentioned. Thanks for the sites for the demo Zeiss and thanks Kodiak for the tip on the LEO discount on Vortex. My brother is in law enforcement and that definitely looks like it worth looking into. I looked at the Vortex Razors today and man were they clear and bright.

The razor HD 8x42 would be about $888 plus like 10 bucks shipping with the Leo discount. I got a pair of 10x42 a while back shipped and they were very clear.

I have a pair of older zeiss 8x32 conquest binoculars. They are good but the new zeiss 8x42 conquest hd models are much better. They are about 900 and are just a notch below the binoculars costing $2000+. These are the most you can get for the money without going super expensive. Also the 42 mm lenses are going to be better at dawn/dusk than the 32 mm lenses I have. Great glass cannot overcome simple physics...

Zeiss

Should have mentioned that if you get a good deal on good glass, you can almost always get your money back if you decide to sell.