As someone who has been through the bins buying process a couple of times in the last year or less I thought I'd add my thoughts.
I had some cheap 8x42s (Barr & Stroud Skylines) that I was perfectly happy with but wanted a second pair so that both the missus and I had bins when out birding. I went bigger on both magnification & objective lens by getting some Olympus 10x50 porros - mistake. They are too heavy for using for prolonged periods. Even in hides where one can usually rest one's elbows, they are too weighty for regular use. But they still have a place in my optics collection - they are the pair I keep on the kitchen windowsill. After that I went for Bushnell Legends, 10x42 Ultra HD, that cost me about £200. And I love them to bits! A much better weight for regular use and a good quality bin (in my opinion).
The way I see it is I wanted bins I was happy to pay the price for, and for me the Bushnells were the best that fell into that price bracket. I wasn't prepared to pay Zeiss/Leica/Swarovski money because for the birding I do I don't think the optics are sufficiently improved to justify the additional cost. For example, Swarovskis may be better than my Bushnells but are they 6-8 times better? Because that's what they cost. I also don't want to be carrying a couple of grand's worth of glass round my neck when I go out because that feels like a lot of money to spend and I'd be worried about any sort of scratch on them. I don't want that worry when I am trying to spot birds and enjoy a nice day out.
There are plenty of decent bins at the lower price brackets. Are they as good as the Swarovskis etc? Of course not, but then the price reflects that. If you're new to bins I assume you're also relatively new to birding (as am I really) so do you need the very best glass? I wanted a good size objective lens to capture as much light as possible. I also wanted a good magnification so I can get closer without actually physically being closer. Hence the 10x42 Bushnells. This compromises on FOV, exit pupil and things compared to other models but for me it was the right choice. I find 32s and 25s too compact as I like a bin to feel right in my hand, and they just don't. But it's horses for courses, as they say. Find a pair that suits you (and your budget) and go with it, even if they're not alpha brand. There can be some optics snobbery but for me the best bins will always be the pair you've got and are happy to use every day - for me that's my Bushnells. I can sling them in a backpack and at the cost if they get bashed about a bit that's OK. I honestly think I would be too scared to buy (and use) anything much more expensive than that.
Love them to bits but don't break them into bits, because I don't think Bushnell's warranty covers accidental damage.
Never heard the phrase "horses for courses," apparently an Angloism, but after looking it up, it's good advice.
I agree with you about the 42mm fitting better in my hands with a roof. The Nikon 8x30 M7 and Swaro 8x32 EL are exceptions, the open space in between the barrels gives me a good grip unlike their closed bridge roof counterparts.
Like the Sightron 8x32 BS II, the Bushnell Utltra HD seems to be one of the few decent roofs in the $200+ price range with a wide FOV. You can buy Monarch 5s, Prostaff 7s, and even pricier entry-level roofs such as the Kowa BD, and they all have a moderate 6.3-6.5* FOV in the 8x42 model. Some have 6* in the 10x42 model, which gives you a more comfortable apparent field of view (doesn't feel like you're looking through a straw).
If I birded in open spaces or spent a lot of time looking at shorebirds, and I had steadier hands, I'd go for a 10x, particularly in the entry-level for their wider AFOV, but for a beginning birder, I wouldn't recommend a 10x bin due to the higher level of difficulty in using them. But I also wouldn't recommend an 8x with a narrowish FOV. Once you're experienced, it's a lot easier to find birds, but when you're starting out, you want as wide a FOV as possible so you don't pull your hair out looking for them.
During my transition from stargazing to birding, I briefly used a Nikon 12x50 SE for birding. I remember looking out the window in the late fall and seeing some Cedar Waxwings perched in the hedgerow in my backyard. I never saw that species before and thought they looked cool with their bandit masks, so I wanted to get a better look, but all I had was astronomy binoculars. With only 5* FOV and a pretty shallow DOF at 30 ft. I had a hard time finding them through the 12 SE.
They were only about 25 ft. away and there were about half a dozen of them, but I had to keep looking over the binocular to sight them and then looking though the binoculars to find them. Took a few minutes before I could get them in view even though they were practically right in front of me. I could find the Ring Nebula faster than those birds and that's 2,300 light years from Earth with the apparent size of a pinhead! I sold the 12x50 SE and bought an 8x32 SE and have been using an 8x32 SE for birding ever since. In heavily wooded areas, I feel the 7.5* FOV of the SE is too narrow and switch to my 8.8* FOV 8x30 EII.
I'm not sure if someone already mentioned a wide field of view as an important feature to look for, but if not, as a beginner that's something I think that Punchy should consider. The 8x42 Legend Ultra HD has a FOV of 8*, which is quite generous for that configuration, larger than any 8x42 alpha roof.
Brock
