Best value semi-compact roof prism binos - Vortex Diamondback HD 8x32mm Roof Prism Binoculars

I've had a bunch of different binoculars, including Canon's fantastic 15 x 50 image stabilized (so, I've seen some fine bins), and some similarly sized and priced Bushnells that I got a dozen years ago. These Diamondbacks are the best <$200 roof prism binoculars I've seen.

I bought a pair of these because my Bushnell 8 x 32 are OK but not great, and are heavy for their size, while these are significantly lighter. I liked them so much that I immediately ordered two more pairs with 3-day shipping so every member of the family could have a pair on the vacation we were about to leave for!

Image sharpness is very good for a small binocular. One thing that stands out is that you can easily see that there is an exact position of the focus wheel that is best. On my Bushnells, there is a small range of focus adjustment that does not seem to get better or worse, a sign of a bit less precision in the optical design.

Sharpness toward the edge of the field of view is also pretty good. Not quite as good as in the center, but it doesn't get really soft except in the last 20-25% of the radius. You'd have to pay a lot more than this to do much better in that department.

Close focus is very good. I can focus on my toes!

The only flaw in these that I can see is that they are a bit less resistant to stray light causing glare than some other binoculars I have. When you are facing toward the sun (even a fairly large angle from the sun like 50 degrees) there will be some areas of glare around the edge of the field of view. This is not severe and won't greatly affect use of them, but I mention it because it's a minor annoyance that could have been engineered out, although maybe not at this price point. Overall, I'd rate these 4.6 out of 5.

If you want to spend only $100, get a decent porro prism like a Leupold Yosemite. Porros are bulkier, but roofs have an inherent optical flaw that makes the image less beautiful and contrasty unless they are constructed with phase-correction coatings. This has nothing to do with being "multi-coated." If it doesn't say "phase" in the description, it's not phase-corrected unless they cost over $500, in which case you can probably assume phase correction is included. Don't buy bargain-priced roof prisms unless they are phase corrected!