I've always been told to buy the best binoculars you can afford & you will not regret the expense. I use Celestron bins 8x42-seems like they were about $300.00 15 years ago & believe me it was a big expense for me at the time. Try a couple of pairs before you buy-everyone is different-Mom always liked Jason brand. Also you might try pawn shops for bins. I dropped mine one year at Myrtle Beach SC & was able to buy a pair at a pawn shop for about $40.00. I don't know anything about the camera/bins combo but it sure sounds like a good idea!
Susan

I love my Nikon Monarchs.

I use the Vortex Diamondback 8x42 binoculars which Amazon is now selling for $220. I bought these after reading a godawful number of references about buying binoculars - these were recommended somewhere as being excellent value at a lowish price. I'm happy with them for normal use, although I'm itching for 10x42 binoculars to look at seabirds (I live by the Bay).

I also have a pair of Nikon Eagleview 8-24x25 zoom binoculars which are the replacement Nikon sent me when I returned a similar old pair of binoculars for repair. These work fine, but the field of view is smaller (25 vs 42) so it's harder to find a bird in a tree or wherever. The zoom is handy and the binoculars are small and light and easy to carry around. You can find them cheaper at other sites - Amazon has similar ones but not these.

Claire

Some references:

BirdWatcher's Digest Optics and Gear

Cornell Lab of Ornithology article

The eye relief is really important if you wear glasses.

Claire

I think I was wrong when I stated above that the second measurement (8x42 versus 8-24x25) determines the field of view. A quick check of a few references and some binocular specs seems to indicate that the field of view varies with different optics and makers, and is not always related to the objective lens size.

The field of view is important though, for your ability to quickly find a bird or whatever.

My desire to help outstripped my knowledge.

Claire (who is very very far from a binocular expert)

Binoculars are not a standard across-the-board fit for all people. It's very important that you choose them according to your own criteria. My first suggestion is if you are a bird watcher, you want a pair designed to work as well as possible in low light. That has been my biggest frustration over the years, because many species will be most active foraging around dusk and dawn, and nothing is worse than seeing something with a different silhouette sitting on a tree branch and it's merely a dark blob through the lenses. LOL.

The second criteria is how serious a birder you are. Ye, by all means spend as much as you feel comfortable with to get the best set you can for your level of use. You also want to consider if you will be using them from a set location, or having to pack them and want them more portable. I own maybe five or six sets, some of which were inherited from my father, a professional photographer who ran several photographic laboratores and had a good background in optics. Believe it or not, my fav set is not any of the above. Comfort counts as well. I use daily a Nikon Team Real Tree compact unit. They are relatively inexpensive for the quality and in your price range, depending on the magnification you desire. They fold up easily and well to fit a pocket, are easily adjusted too, important if you need to do it on the fly. My mate had problems with it initially because he wears glasses, and I don't. That's another issue to consider. Just google some sites about choosing binocs and they'll walk you through it, but again of all my sets, I use the little Nikon most.

I love my Nikon Monarchs too .
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Just a thought, after doing a ton of research, I too bought the Nikon Monarchs for about three hundred or so on Amazon quite some years ago and have NOT regretted it ever. Spend the money up front for something good and you'll not regret it. At least that's what I did and I hope not to replace it for a long, long time. I know you said your budget is $150.00. I wish you luck in finding something you love.

The best binoculars I've owned of many over the years were:
for dim light and coastal fogs an 8X56 WW 2 Hensoldt (Wetzlar) Nacht Dialyt; and for forest birding in the eastern hardwood forests a Bausch & Lomb 6X30. That dates me, as neither has been made for decades.
The Hensoldt had the first roof prisms, I think, and were made of magnesium to save weight. German naval equipment. Terrific light-gathering ability.
The B&L was great for finding warblers and other small fast birds foraging in the foliage. Low magnification = quicker finding.