I think many good advices were given already, with a special mention for 8x30 Kite Lynx/Nikon M7, or 8x25 Zeiss Terra depending on preferences and priorities, being probably 80-90% as good as their respective, more expensive colleagues like the Swarovski Companion 8x30 or Zeiss Victory 8x25 (I would really love to try the former though.
)
Ultimately, it remains something personal.
Personally, I think a good 8x30mm is my sweet spot for lightweight but comfortable and enjoyable in most conditions (from longer walks to use at home and casual observations etc.).
8x25mm being mainly interesting if weight and compactness when folded and put away in jacket/bag/... become more important at a bit of comfort and light gathering expenses. E.g. binoculars to bring along even if you don’t know if you will have the occasion to use them or on long hiking or cycling,when your limited weight and space wise.
An alpha 8-10x32 if weight is a bit less of a concern and wanting top tier image quality. Strangely enough most (all?) good 8x32mm are noticeably heavier than the above mentioned 8x30‘s.
And 8-10x42-50mm if use at dusk/dawn/low light or long distance (10x).
Disclaimer: I don’t have any 50mm or alpha ~42mm or 32mm myself (yet)! |:$|
Having had only a 10,5x44mm for more than 15 years, recent addition of a Zeiss Victory 8x25mm and a Kite Lynx HD 8x30mm was really welcome. Below is how I experience the difference between these binoculars:
The 8x25mm can almost ‘disappear’: I could sometimes forget I’m carrying it around my neck. Also, especially for its size, its optics are really impressive. However, while the Zeiss optics are a little better, at least “per objective mm”, I tend to more quickly take the Kite 8x30 than both of the two others. This is due in part by its nice balance of weight, ergonomics, optical quality and use comfort (incl.eye placement, brightness...). I comfortably cycle with the 8x30 around my neck and, as opposed to reducing from a 42-42mm, I don’t see a huge size/weight benefit anymore from going smaller when around my neck (as opposed to put away in a jacket/bag/... because of folded size). Another reason for often picking the 8x30mm instead of the 8x25 is that relatives, less used to using binoculars, found the 8x30 a bit more easy/comfortable to use than the 8x25 and, when walking together, it’s also about sharing what you see and thus your binoculars
The neck strap of the Kite could indeed be better/wider for use just with a T-shirt in summer, but perfectly OK for me when e.g. wearing a jacket anyway. The eyecups are a little bit to loose (not having stop-positions) but that seems to have been improved in the last version (HD+). Sometimes, it can have a bit too much glare/reflections though.
Apart from the Zeiss Terra, if considering a 8x25mm, you may also want to look at the Bynolyt Seagull, based on the very interesting comparison at HouseOfOutdoors.
