I am having a tough time deciding between these THREE choices. I realize that there are more options, and I'd love to hear about your choices, in the $200-300 price range for binosWhich of these would you prefer to hunt with under the circumstances such as, hiking, hunting from a stand, riding an ATV, and riding a truck ? Weight does matter, of courseNikon prostaff 7s 10x42Vortex Diamondback 10x42Vortex Diamondback 12x50

i've never looked thru either, but in rifle scopes i find the vortex to be brighter and sharper than the lower end nikons - top grade is more or less a tossup

If I was looking for a binocular in the $300 range the only brand I would look at would be Steiner. They have several models without reticles or other frills in their Military/Marine/Police line that are absolutely the best optics you can buy at that sort of price. I carried Steiners on the job for over two decades, wet, dry, day, night, and in every environment you can imagine. They take a beating like nothing else. They are very clear and very sharp. Their light transmission is excellent. To get any optics significantly better you have to make the big leap to the high priced brands.

thanks --

I am surprised at the low feedback on this poll.

i looked through the nikon prostaff 7s .. wasn't impressed at all

perhaps I am looking at the wrong models, but the steiners I am seeing in this price point are, well, ugly

Jeff,

I have a pair of the Vortex Diamondbacks in my shooting bag (not sure of the magnification level, they may be 7X). I am always pleasantly surprised when I use them at how good they are for their price point. They are not alpha glass by any stretch of the imagination, but good for the price. If I recall correctly, Rusty ended up using them at the range once and the next time I saw Rusty he had a pair. Mine are five or six years old probably so the coatings have likely been improved.