John- I will agree that some of the lesser binoculars are ok. I could probably hunt the rest of my life with a pair of Vortex Viper HD 10X42 binoculars and be pretty happy. Teaching is my profession so I don't get to spend the hunting time that others do. I know how good those vipers which are made in China are. However, there is this. Swarovski explains to you in their seminars that nobody just bellies up to the bar and buys a pair of ELs. They are out hunting with somebody who has a pair and that person is seeing all of the game and they can't with the binoculars that they have. I do get to do hunts every once in a while. When I do go hunting I want the very best rifle the best scope the best spotter the best tent and the best binoculars that are available. My time is that valuable. I have been out with hunters with the aforementioned Vipers and while they could see dots that looked like snow patches I could make out rams or ewes. This was during the nastiest possible conditions on one of the nastiest places on the planet that you can't get to now unless you can fork over 25,000. Nobody else can even get you in there. I sell probably 15 pairs of Vipers to each pair of ELs or SFs or Noctovids when I am selling binoculars part time. So when I hear of somebody who spends 3000.00 for their rifle set up, 15,000 for their side by side, 70,000 for their big diesel dually and thousands of dollars on high end goretex camo but they are unwilling to buy the best optics for them I take a pause. It is kind of like planning a vacation to florida and packing everything except for sunscreen. Most of the posters on this forum have the money, the time or the opportunity to get alpha binoculars that they might use for the rest of their lifetimes. Those that don't probably are working hard to that end.
