I agree with what Scott just said. I've used a lot of binoculars in my 33 years as a wildlife officer and this is just an area that you shouldn't scrimp on. Headaches and eye strain are less a problem when the glass you carry and use is of the highest quality you can afford. Personally, I wish I could afford Swarovski ELs but about $1,000 is the top of my budget. This weekend I took a close look at some Zeiss 8x40s and decided that at $900 they'll be my next glass. BTW, I've owned a couple pair of 10x50's and wouldn't recommend anything that size for much else besides horse or truck hunts. Just too much to carry. My personal choice is 8x42's for just about everything.