Binoculars > Steiner Binoculars

Advantages: Image adjustments to give great view, waterproof, adjustable eye-relief
Disadvantages: fixed magnification, average build and design quality

...better and closer perspective. The Olympus 8X25 WPI is labeled professional, but can obviously be used by everyday and ordinary people. These particular binoculars have an 8x magnification ability. This is simply the power of magnification on the binoculars, the 8x magnification means that the object or area you view through the binoculars is going to appear 8x larger or closer. The 8x magnification also means that this is the maximum and minimum ...
...the lens and prism quality. Olympus have taken great care in the mechanical and alignment quality of these binoculars, although its design quality is not very good. The high-density Bak-4 prism as well as the good mechanical and alignment quality of these very binoculars means that it produces bright, high contrast and fairly sharp images. The very good mechanical and alignment quality means that very light components have been put together with ... Read review

Advantages: Weight, ergonomics, clarity, brightness, ease of use
Disadvantages: 8x mag

SWAROVSKI EL 8 x 32 Some words of explanation... The name 'binocular' derives from the Latin bi (meaning two) and oculus (meaning eye) and describes a hand held optical device whose function is essentially to magnify distant images using an eyepiece and so allow them to be examined in detail. * Objective lens - this is the large lens at the far end of the binocular. * Ocular lens - the lens in the eyepiece. There are two main designs ...
...shouldn't be there. Swarovski EL 8 X 32 These Roof Prism binoculars (bins) with there distinct design have been my pleasure to own for 3 months. The Swarovski's may be regarded as top quality class leaders but at £815 each you wouldn't expect anything less would you? Who are Swarovski? Swarovski is known throughout the world for making some of the finest crystal ever known with their reputation preceding them, Swarovski adheres to the ... Read review

Advantages: Good field of view, but with reasonable magnification.
Disadvantages: Weight, and eyecups letting light in from the side.

I would say that these are a pretty good entry level pair of binoculars for someone just starting to explore the night skies. The field of view is wide enough so that with a bit of practice you can know what constellations you are looking at, but the magnification is strong enough to blow your mind with what you can see out there! They CAN be used for short periods just hand held, but a tripod is essential for extended use, and they come with an ...
...feels sturdy, and to my limited knowledge of binocular optics, they seem accurate enough in terms of focus and collimation (how well the 2 barrels are lined up) I think the outer edges of the field of view are probably a bit distorted, but not by much, and that's not where you're looking anyway. Focussing is a bit tedious til you get used to it! - close right eye, focus left with centre wheel, close left, twiddle right eyepiece. It DOES get easier, ... Read review

Advantages: Lightweight, Good Image Quality, Compact, Cheap.
Disadvantages: The Case.

...Overview ~~~~ I’ve had these Praktica binoculars for a couple of years, I mainly use them on walks; trying to spot wildlife and seeing how a photo may look close up (saves getting my camera out). The binoculars are very standard for their price range. They include an adjustment wheel for manual focusing (mounted in the centre of the binoculars), a second adjustment wheel to fine tune the focusing, depending on the strength of your eyes (part of ...
...I would recommend the Praktica 10x25 WA to anyone who wants a pair of simple binoculars that are reasonably priced and is not fussed about a load of extra features. As explained above the case is a little flimsy, and if you want to keep the binoculars in good nick I recommend you invest in a more heavyweight one. ... Read review

Advantages: Price, good low light performance
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

I've had these binoculars for 2 years now, and they've been extremely useful. They were bought for me as a Christmas present, so I don't know exactly how much was paid for them, although a quick browse on the web shows a price around £40. At this price, I reckon these are an absolute steal. By coincidence, at the same time as I was receiving these, I was giving the same person a pair of binoculars in return, the only difference being that they were ...
...5 times as much (USD$384 to be precise). I've therefore had a good opportunity to compare the 2, and I think I wasted my money. There's no doubt that the optical quality of the Leica binoculars is slightly better, especially in very poor light, but if you just want a really good product for birdwatching, sports spectating, general wildlife etc etc. these Nikons are just the job. They also perform pretty well in poor light, certainly good enough for ... Read review