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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Troubador" data-source="post: 3595285" data-attributes="member: 109211">DanGood luck with your choice, you are certainly going about it the right way. When considering which model to go for, if you can, do think ahead into the future.If you use your binos only to identify a bird species or indeed just to find it before getting a scope on it, then heavier bins may not be a problem. If you like to watch behaviour for as long as the birds or animals are in view, then a heavier bino could be a real problem after 15 or 20 minutes. We have been known to watch Otters or Seals for over an hour at a time.  And then there is the close focus capability. If you have no interest in butterflies or dragonflies or freshwater life or marine life in rock pools etc then a real close focus would not be useful to you. But if you suspect that on hikes, if the birds are being shy and keeping hidden, you might like to watch dragonflies or some of the other stuff I mentioned, then having a good close focus (say 2.0 metres or less) now will mean you can expand your interest in nature when you are ready.Lee</blockquote>