Zero experience here.
TInman said he uses 15X. I know the common belief is that anything over 10X cannot be held steady enough without a tripod. Anyone else use these as hand-held?
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My own choice has been to have a variety of good enough for the same money as one really great. I give up a little bit of light transmission but I compromise less in other areas. I do have a set of big-eye 15X from Camera Land then 12X and ranging down to 6X. For woods walking in Idaho I use the 6X more than all the others combined but that's woods. For open country the tripod is nice to have with big eyes or spotting scopes or a car window mount cruising through the Park.
For my money the statement " anything over 10X cannot be held steady enough without a tripod" is an exaggeration to make a valid point. True enough for extended, take all the time you need, glassing of larger areas for game spotting but not quite true for counting points or distinguishing antlers and branches or as here looking over an identified animal that is not moving so quickly that a motion picture quality pan head is needed.
Folks who aren't winded can assume a stable position and use all the traditional aids including grabbing the firm bill of a baseball style cap or gripping a cartridge box or magazine along with the binoculars to add weight or dropping a line from the binoculars and stepping on the line to tension the line somewhat like a tight sling or resting the glass on a pack a rock or a branch and many more. I strongly discourage using a higher power rifle scope as a spotting scope in the hunting field although I do find it useful from a benchrest on a hot range and of course in the field to call off a shot at the last minute when appropriate.
I can't make any specific suggestions as to brands and models and power beyond saying that I do believe today's affordable are about as good as yesterday's top of the line. I'd go with whatever Camera Land suggests as this year's value choice and I do believe capitalism works to mean anything that lasts in the market place offers some value. For many years I yearned after Bausch and Lomb just like Jack O'Connor's but by the time I could afford them the desire was mostly gone.
Because I have them I might well carry big eyes for the purpose described but I'd expect to be happier with handheld 8x or 10x binoculars and a folded or otherwise compact spotting scope with well above 15X power just to be sure at a glance.
