I disagreed with the ranking methodology but, in all fairness, I think there are several pearls of wisdom in the Cornell article.
Excerpts from
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/LivingBird/winter2005/Age_Binos.html
"For now, the flood of optics is both good news and bad news for a birder in the market for a new pair of bins.
The bad news is that the number of choices can be dizzying, and distinguishing between similar models is increasingly difficult. But the good news is that competition for your hard-earned dollars has resulted in higher and higher quality in binoculars, and many features that were rarely offered only five years ago have now become standard"
"Decide how much you can afford to spend."
"Decide whether you want 10x or 8x (or 7x) binoculars."
"Decide what other features are most important to you."
"After you’ve narrowed your search to a few likely candidates (good luck!), there’s no substitute for testing binoculars with your own eyes and hands. One thing I’ve learned in conducting these reviews is that no two birders hold or look through binoculars exactly the same way. The size of your hands, the shape of your face, how far apart your eyes are, how you focus, all help shape your personal preference. If possible, find a store that will allow you to test many models side by side before laying down your money. This is especially important if, like me, you bird with eyeglasses."
"Other features—image brightness, depth of field, and ergonomics—are more difficult to measure and can vary greatly from person to person."
"It’s safe to say that no clear winner emerged at the top of this heap, and I urge would-be buyers of $1,000-plus binoculars to “test drive” your selections before taking out a second mortgage on the house or sending your kids to work in the mines."
"Finally, worth mentioning because of its exquisite image is Swarovski’s honking big 10x50 SLC—still probably the brightest 10x on the market. At least a few top birders I know insist on carrying these, in spite of their excessive weight, relatively narrow field of view, and poor close focus."
***This bin was ranked near the bottom!!!***
John