CO_West, I haven't tried the Leupold, but I have its "twins" from Kowa, the YF, it's one of my favourite binoculars, my champion for value. I have it both in 8x30 and 6x30, and have tried also some other siblings (Eagle Optics, made by Vortex 8.5x32) and Vixen (on 6x30).
I would recommend the Kowas to anyone any day (actually, I have recommended it to friends and given several as a present). For a mere 100 $, or even less at discounted prices, I think the view is really good. And then, there is something about the balance of weight/shape which (at least to my taste) makes them really nice. They don't weight a lot, you can carry them all day long and hardly notice they're there. And, for a porro, they "hang properly" (the lovely Nikon EII 8x30, and to some extent the SE 8x32 tilt forward awkwardly, which makes them way less comfortable to carry).
From the different "flavours" I've tried, I'd rank them:
- Optically: first Kowa veryveryvery closely followed by Vixen and then Eagle Optics, at quite a distance (my unit of EO was noticeably dimmer)
- Build: Vixen, Eagle Optics, Kowa. The rubber armour on the Vixen is hard (like in "quality hard"), and the EO were nice as well. The rubber armour on the Kowa is also very very nice, but it is let down by the focus wheel, made of soft rubber with holes in it, a bit fiddly. Anyway, the focus wheel is the weakest point of this model in all the brands I've used, it's a bit mushy, and one of the Kowas I have sometimes shows a tendency to backlash (I don't know if it is due to warm weather).
I also have the 7x35 Nikon Action EX (not to be confused with the Aculon or Action, to my eyes of worse quality). I simply love this binocular, it is the one binocular that made me love the 7x format. Physically it is simply on another league when compared to the 8x30 Kowa/Leupold, because it is massive, really chunky and heavy (for me it is impossible to "single handle it", because they are so wide that the focus wheel is to far away from my fingers). Having said that, optically I like the Nikon AE better than the small Kowa/Leupold. It is brighter and the FOV is wider. The armour looks "beefier", as if it could withstand a heavier hand (however, I've bought the Kowa/Vixen/EO 4 times, and the 4 were good, while I've bought the Nikon AE 2 times, and one was decollimated, so go figure). Since the Nikon AE is so wide and 7x and has such a wide FOV, it gives me the weird feeling that I'm using "image stabilized" binoculars, or a steady cam, so to speak. It is so steady. The huge FOV has its drawbacks, since the sweet spot is not massive and, as is to be expected, the borders are very soft.
In short: both are great and great value, the 8x30 Kowa/Leupold/Vixen is a bit cheaper and I would recommend if you like light and small binoculars. The Nikon are a little pricier, and I would recommend them if you don't mind the bulk (e. g. if you have big hands) and the weight. It really pays off in terms of image quality and relaxed view. Two very distinct personalities for different audiences I suppose.
I hope that helps.