I just started leaving a Nikon zoom binocular (repaired for $20) in the car. On a really cold day I pulled them out of the glove compartment into the heated interior of the car and they fogged up. Is this a problem other people have? Does this mean the moisture will get inside and mess up the optics? I suppose it's the same as bringing warm binoculars out into the cold and then back into the warm..... I'm used to using my binoculars to look out the kitchen window so I have no idea how field glasses behave in the field. Claire

Lisa, thanks. I agree. We haven't seen snakey since the day I posted this. I have no problem encouraging him to wind around my walking stick, then carry him out to the deeper woods about 5 acres away. The babies fledged this morning! All five are now out of the nest, happened for four between 9 & 10am, and the fifth one flew about 11:30am. So far you're right - when we saw last they were all up in low trees near their little enclave of nest-box & "worm-hut" (plexi hanging dome). Mama is still providing worms, and we'll continue to do so, but we're gonna back down to twice a day. Next task is to clean the box, and keep an eye out for snakey. Neighbors said today that the neighborhood red fox has at least one kit, and other neighbors say they've seen a bobcat (!!!). TONS of bird activity in the yard - today was a fun day. Having fun, but keeping our eye out for danger. Thanks for all good advice. - Les.

I happen to use Leupold 8x42 binocs for birding, but I would like a new pair of 7x50 for hawkwatching. The wider field of view is better for that purpose. I have heard that Zeiss is a well-liked brand in that regard. This post was edited by TMFF on Tue, Jul 15, 14 at 9:35

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.