1999 Sample List at Living Bird (1999) 1-5, 1 is best. (Worst score was an $80 Celestron with a 4.4)
Make Model MSR Disc View Rating*
Oversized
Swarovski 10x50 SLC $1,332 $1,050 19 1.3
Leica 10x50 BA $1,345 $980 14 1.5
Leica 10x50 BN $1,495 21
Pentax 10x50 PCF $274 14 3.3
Swift Kestrel 10x50 $495 22
Full-sized
Swarovski 8.5x42 EL $1,820 $1,640 1.3
Leica 10x42 BA $1,145 $900 15 1.5
Zeiss 7x42 B/GAT $950 28 1.2
Bausch & Lomb Elite 10x42 $860 16 1.9
Swift Audubon 820 8.5x44 $570 $250 26 2.5
Swift Ultralite 10x42 $460 16 2.7
Celestron Regal 8x42 $659 21 2.4
Eagle Optics Ranger 10x42 $348 16 2.3
Eagle Optics Voyager 9.5x44 $298 19 3.0
Minolta Activa 8x40 WP.FP $150 3.0
Bushnell Legend 13-4208 8x42 $300 3.0
Nikon Egret II 8x40 $170 19 3.4
Midsize
Swarovski 8x30 SLC $832 $650 22 1.6
Leica 10x32 BA $1,095 17 1.6
Nikon Superior E 8x32 $936 24 1.6
Nikon Naturalist IV 7x35 $144 30 3.8
Eagle Optics Ranger 8x32 $158 16 3.4
Canon 10x30 IS (Image Stabalized) $640 $290 19
Compact
Pentax 8x25 UCF X $100 $90 20 2.6
Bausch & Lomb Custom 7x26 $279 20 2.0
Eagle Optics 8x24 UCF (Pentax) $108 18 3.2
Eagle Optics Voyager 8x25 $59 17 2.8
*Rating - Image quality rating

Field of View: Measured as width of field (inches) seen from a distance of 15 feet.
  Field for:
in./15' 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
ft./1000 yds. 233 266 300 333 366 400 433 466 500
Degrees° 4.4° 5.1° 5.7° 6.3° 7.6° 8.2° 8.8° 9.5
10x = 14-22 (4.4-7.0°); 8x = 17-24 (5.4-7.6°); 7x = 20-30 (6.3-9.5°)
field

See updated 2005 report "The Age of Binoculars" (5 is the best)

last updated 8 Nov 2009