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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kabsetz" data-source="post: 3228400" data-attributes="member: 10167">BfoIt is understandable that some birders react negatively to hunters, but this is a binocular forum, and a good one to boot, so personally I choose to leave those issues aside and concentrate on binoculars here.Answering the original question, there's not much in practical terms between the models discussed in this thread. They would all give an excellent image and plenty of detail. What was missing in your description of your needs is to what extent you are able to brace your binoculars when viewing, or to what extent they are genuinely hand-held. This makes a lot of difference, as when you can support the binoculars, you will get concrete benefits from magnifications higher than 8x. Then, a 10x42-50 model might be better for you than an 8x42, and the higher magnification will show you more detail more easily even in dusk and deep twilight, let alone in full daylight.Then there is the option not yet mentioned of using an image-stabilized binocular. This is what I do for all of my birding except for the bit where I'm testing other binoculars, and for much of my other binocular use. Reason being that they show so much more detail than any normal hand-held binocular, no matter how good. They also show detail quicker and with more certainty. For instance, with stabilized binoculars it is easy to count the remiges of an eagle, and spotting immobile birds from treetops or foliage is greatly facilitated. So, overall, I'd recommend the Canon 10x42 IS L over all other options. In the following link, there is discussion on the benefits of stabilization in some detail: <a href="http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=297776" target="_blank">http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=297776</a>Hope this helps.Kimmo</blockquote>

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