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 I have been looking for a good pair of compact binoculars for three years and
last year I found them--Leica, the camera people makes them, and they are fabulous.
 Leica compacts come in two sizes, 10x25 and 8x20. The folks at Eagle Optics
say the 10x25's are the best seller by 4 to 1. I took their advise and
went with the 10x25's. If you like specs and lots of info like I do when you research a product, you can get all that at the Leica web page. The things I
want to tell you about may not be there. I compared them against Nikons, Swarovski, and yes even the Zeiss compacts and there was no doubt that
the Leica's are the best. There are several things that stand out about them in my book.
The first is clarity. They are crystal clear all the way across the lenses. Remember, these people make
the finest camera and optical equipment in the world, so they know how to cut a piece of glass, and there
is no compromise in the lenses of their binoculars. You get a wider view because the outside edges are
not fuzzy. Your eyes tend to naturally focus through the center part of a lens, as though you are looking at
the crosshair of your rifle scope. The center is where you need the clarity in a rifle scope, but that is not
good enough for binoculars. You need a full field of view, because more times than not, you will first see a deer on the edge of your field of view- that is- you will if you have a great pair of binoculars.
Second, the focal length is pretty long, so you don't have to keep readjusting the focus all the time while
you're combing the area for game. This feature lets you pay more attention to looking for game than
fiddling around with the focus button, and at some time in your hunting year, you may see a deer that you
would have otherwise missed. Those whitetails are sneaky enough as it is, they don't need help from us.
Third, they're user friendly. They are small enough to fit in your shirt pocket, so you won't leave them back
at camp at lunch time because your neck is aching from carrying them all morning. They only weigh a few
ounces and you won't ever know they are hanging around your neck until you need them.
Of course they are not cheap, but quality never is. I paid a tad under $400 for mine and that is without a
case. I picked up a little camera case at Walmart and the three of us have lived happily ever after. Before
you buy any binocular, check out the Leica brand. They also make a complete line of full size glasses and
other great products, including the best laser range finder binocular in the world. I plan to make one of those range finders the first purchase after I win the lottery.
Good Hunt'n,
Chester
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