dradkins said:
I'm not even sure caladan can save the day on this one.
Ha-ha!! When I came across this earlier today, I didn't plan on posting, but now I think I will give it a shot.
OP - A few things about binoculars in your price range. Porro-prism binos tend to outperform roof-prism binos at pretty much every configuration. Also, 8x tends to perform better than 10x. And thirdly, 42mm is almost always better than 32mm.
The only roof-prism bino I would recommend is the Nikon 8x42 Prostaff 3S, which can be found for right around $100. There are no 32mm roof-prisms I would recommend, nor are there any 10x roofs either.
If you want a 32mm binocular, look at the Kowa 8x32 YF, or the Vortex 8.5x32 Raptor. Both are light in weight, and also fold down small enough for young kids to use. An 8x42 to consider is the Bushnell Legacy WP. I have not used that one, but it gets good reviews. You could order one from Opticsplanet and if you don't like it, you can send it back at no extra cost to you. In fact, get on their mailing list for the 10% coupon code and order this and a Kowa and a Prostaff, and you can send the ones you don't like back to them at no extra cost to you.
I usually try to stay within an OP's stated budget when making recommendations on this forum, but in this case I will make an exception. The suggestion above about the Bushnell Legend for $159 is a very good one. This binocular is well worth the extra $59. Just be aware that no binocular line at this price range has very good quality control across the board, and this particular model is known for having occasional samples that have focus wheels that have a lot of backlash. If you get one, check it immediately and don't hesitate to send it back if it has a lot of slop.
C