Hawke Vantage 8x42 Binoculars

Everything about these binoculars including accessories and packaging speaks quality. While some professional reviewers may rather sniffily dismiss binoculars in this price range as "budget" or "entry level", for a pair of birdwatching pensioners like my wife and myself who've never been "spoiled" by having access to high-end binoculars, they're as good as it gets in terms of optical sharpness, clarity and ease of handling.
We already have a pair of Olympus 10x50 porro-prism binoculars which are great for long-distance observation on moor, loch, tidal flats etc, but they're a bit unwieldy for shorter-distance viewing. We decided to complement them with a lighter pair in the popular 8x42 roof-prism format. After considering several highly-rated models in this price bracket, we settled on the Hawke Vantage because of their light weight and compact size, short focal distance (they actually focus down to a measured 2m with perfect sharpness despite their stated 2.5m close focus), and Hawke's lifetime "no fault" warranty which includes accidental damage.
Thanks to the Birder's Store for their easy ordering process, speedy delivery, and nice wee freebie of lens cloths and dust blower!