As a newbie I'm running 10x50 vortex diamondbacks. The 10 power worked well offhand although in low light I do notice the lack of image clarity with my budget pick.
10x42 Swaro SLC, I run those on a tripod to scan a hillside and they will work up to about a mile clearly. I went through the gammit of optics. I ran 12x50 razors with a Gen 1 Razor 85 spotter I liked it but hand holding was a bit of a pain. I find myself going back to the 10x42 for chest binos. I'm saving for 15x56 SLC's and a STS 20-60x 65mm
Monarch 7, 10x42. Half the price of others and just as good. I can tell the difference between $10 and $50 bourbon, but not sophisticated enough to tell the difference in $200 booze. Try these before you go big.
As a newbie I'm running 10x50 vortex diamondbacks. The 10 power worked well offhand although in low light I do notice the lack of image clarity with my budget pick.
Swarovski 8x30 CL Companion in a light weight kuiu harness. Extremely effective and light enough to not feel you are carrying them. I like to get into some tough terrain but also can glass Way further than I would have thought with them.
I carry my 8x42 in my bino harness. I might be going to one binocular, so I might want a 10x42 instead, but for a two bino system, 8x for chest binos makes the most sense to me.
12x50EL's, don't need anything else for my hunting. I can freehand them no problem and if I am going to sit for extended periods of time I set them on my shooting sticks of trekking pole.
I use my Leica Ultravid HD 10x42 on thenchest with Swaro BTX in the pack. Went back and forth on switching to the Swaro 15x56 and still might eventually.
10x50 Vipers, I think they're good for hand holding and carrying in chest rigs, but can also run on the tripod for when I don't want/need to carry the 15s