I used some Swarovski 8 x42 whilst stalking red hinds in Scotland last November and they were fantastic, better than anything I had seen through before. Unfortunately I cannot run to £1000 + for binoculars. I have just bought my dad a pair of vortex diamondbacks' for general bird watching and for the money, £130 from sportsman gun centre, they are brilliant and have a unlimited lifetime guarantee. Not Swarovski quality, obviously, but 10 times cheaper.