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.

I've searched for threads about this, but, have not seen a lot of information so, can anybody give me a good recommendation for birding binoculars? My budget can go as high as $150.00. I had earlier seen a post from somebody saying that he found a real good pair of binoculars that ALSO have a built-in camera....that would be even better. Thanks in advance. Kevin

These are not the brightest binoculars made. The guide number is 60/15 or 4. The standard of comparison is a 7 x 50 binocular with a guide number of 50/7 or about 7. A military grade 7 x 50 binocular is almost twice as bright.