Which Binoculars to get

hi
i'm after some feedback on which bins to get for my sis in law. I personally own pair of Swaro EL 8x32 and Bushnell Elite 8 x 43 and she really liked the Bushnell however i understand these are now discontinued. She wants a general purpose pair of Bins to give to her hubby..

her Budget is around US$800 which is inc postage (i'm in Australia) so probably got US$700 to spend on bins. What can i recommend?
I was going to push her towards the Swaro SLC's 8x30 - are the optics on these the same as the SL?

Are there any other open bridge design bins in this price point worth looking at?

Any feedback or recommendations would be greatly appreciated

cheers
Jeelan

Go with the 8x30 SLC if you can afford it - optics compare nicely to the EL. Main difference is the body style and handling. Otherwise, I would look at the Pentax DCF SP 8x32 or Minox 8x33 for something in a simialar size

There are some Chinese ED binos with open frames around. Most of these brands have not been around long, so you may not get 25 yrs warranty in practice.

Vortex has been around a while, you may want to look at their products.

Bushnell has one cheap open frame
Bushnell Excursion EX 8x42mm Waterproof / Fogproof
I had a pair of 8x36 in the series. The diopter adjustment came loose, I sent them back. Did not want a repair, got a refund.

The open frame is not a deal braker for many. I have one pair, I do not really need that option, regular roof prism models are fine.

Pentax 8x43 DCF ED Binoculars 62623
For $999 you get those.

Some more open bridge models
http://www.vixenoptics.com/binoculars/HRforesta.html

Yes, everyone is getting in on the act on the open bridge design. keep in mind, though, that if you are on a budegt, the open bridge design does cost more to produce than a conventional body design, so you may not be getting the best optical bang for the buck. Have also found a tendency on the lower priced open bridge desings for rough focusing.

Besides the excellent suggestions above, you might also look at the Zeiss Conquest 8x30. It's a great "all-purpose" set of binoculars - one of the best I've seen in your price range.

I can also vouch for the Pentax suggestion above. IMO Pentax provides more bang for the buck than does most other manufacturers....