Grant,

I bought mine at Cabellas about 10 years ago in store. I looked at everything in my price range and it took me a while to narrow it down. The German and Austrian glass is superior to the rest of the field. My final came down to the Swarovski 8x30 and Leica 10x42. Loved the Leica, it was worth the $400 kicker. Decided on the slightly smaller Swarovski which fits perfectly in a side pocket on my pack. Never regretted spending premium. You buy them once.