Tweeters,
Maybe this will be helpful. When recently buying a scope I took a
multipronged approach. I went on Audoban trips to try out as many scopes
as possible in different light situations (this can also be done"somewhat"
at Captain's Nautical)
. I called supply houses and queried them about what they thought were the
advantages and disadvantages of the scopes I was looking at in my price
range. As information became consistent I took that
to be a good sign. It also let me know which companies I wanted to deal
with and the ones I wanted to avoid. If someone wants this information I'd
be willing to pass this on.
A recent issue of Birding magazine had scopes graded as to what their
high and low points were. I don't know if something similar is out there
for binoculars, but I'm sure if it is someone will respond (one of the
great things about being on Tweeters).
This helped me focus on what I needed to have to be happy and not look
back. Some of the questions that I sought answers to were;
How many mm of width
How easy was the focusing mechanism to use
How heavy was the scope
Did I want an apochromatic lens
How true would subject/ colors be while using the zoom
Waterproof or not
Durability
Straight versus angled eyepiece
Eye relief

Some of this I hope is germane to binoculars as well. I learned that
different people will place different emphasis on what will satisfy them.
After what seemed like a long process, I was able to select what seemed
like the best option for me. Good luck to BurlyBear and everyone else.

Barry Levine
levineb at belnet.bellevue.k12.wa.us
Seattle, Wa.