Maybe I’m a little late to the discussion, but I just wanted to share my recent personal experience.
I own since approximately 20years a pair of Kite 10x42, bought a Zeiss Victory 8x25 a few months ago to have something light and compact to carry everywhere (mountain hiking, cycling tour, not-birding-oriented walks...) and received a Kite Lynx HD 8x30 just a few weeks ago, finding one second hand at 1/2 price. I’ve tested some other binoculars in shops or from other birders often briefly during nature walks (mainly some 32-42mm from Kite, Swarovski and Leica), but I have never owned any other one.
I was tremendously impressed by the Zeiss: tremendously sharp, good field of view, easy to use, and all of this in such lightweight and compact package. You even forget you’re carrying it around your neck... The clarity also impressed me, even around sunset (though in an open area). The lack of eyecaps, objective covers etc. is a real pitty, but I’ve found what I needed in the end after a lot of googling... (see the separate forum topic on it). I took it on some walks where I didn’t want something bigger (e.g.family walks) and I was really happy with it, not missing having any bigger binocular.
I had the occasion of testing the Leica Ultravid 8x20 in an optic store and briefly compare it with my Zeiss. While very sharp and very well built, I (personally) wouldn’t spend that much on it because of the narrow field of view and small exit pupil: yes, I could use it to «*observe*» birds/«*enlarge*» what I’m looking at, but I wouldn’t enjoy it at all, being less comfortable to use and having too much the impression of looking through a tunnel.
Than, recently, came along the Kite Lynx HD 8x30. Well, I have to say I’m pretty impressed. It isn’t as small and light as the Zeiss, but still compact and lightweight, significantly more so than most 32mm bins. I haven’t compared it that thoroughly yet with my Zeiss, but a bit in full daylight and also in darker circumstances outside (evening in the woods). It seems to lack a tiny bit of contrast compared to the Zeiss, is less sharp at the edges (though with a large FOV and very sharp overall), but it was brighter, which is logical considering 30mm vs 25mm. My brother, father (wearing eyeglasses) and partner (all with no binocular experience!) also briefly compared them and found the Lynx easier to use and liked the image quality. I personally still find the Zeiss easy to use, but apparently they preferred the ease of use of the Lynx, even though my brother agreed that the Zeiss was optically amazing and better than the Lynx. My only significant complaint with the Lynx seems to be some occasional reflections from, I think, lateral light, which sometimes annoyed me and that I never have with the Zeiss. Maybe I should try some winged eyecups on the Lynx, I don’t know.
As a result, on our walks last week with my partner I carried my 65mm spotting scope and the Lynx 8x30 as a very nice combination (weight, comfort of use and image). I found it important for her to also enjoy viewing the birds we’d encounter and I didn’t regret taking the Lynx at all (except for those occasional reflections) and I appreciated the added brightness in the evening, as it gets dark early these days.
Still, if you want something even lighter and more compact than the Lynx, and especially if the exit pupil of a 8x25 is OK for you (both for ease of use and not requiring very low light performance) I would strongly recommend the Zeiss 8x25 while I (personally) wouldn’t consider the Leica 8x20. Maybe a Swarovski 8x25 might also be a good option, with the advantage of better supplied accessories and more compact folded/supplied carrying case. But I have never tried that Swarovski myself, so couldn’t commend further on it. Still, these are expensive and if I hadn’t found a really great second hand deal for the Victory, I would probably have looked at the Terra, which gets great reviews and costs a lot less.
