Don't know much about the Zeiss Diafun, so I can't really comment on them, but I did own a pair of Zeiss 10x40 ClassiC's, and there's a lot of days I wish I had them back. The Nikon Venturers I'm currently using are dang good glass, but they're also dang heavy; 34.5oz. heavy to be exact. Those Zeiss ClassiC's were just about the perfect blend as far as quality and portability go. They're ultra clear and weigh in at 26oz.
The general rule of thumb is that to get the most light transmission to your eye, you want to maintain a minimum of 4mm exit pupil for every increase in magnification, and a lot of guys will say 5mm is even better (7x35, 8x40, 10x50 etc..) Hope that makes sense. Anyway, you'll have to decide if going lighter and smaller is worth what little bit of light gathering ability you might sacrifice.
If you're considering an 8x30, I'd take a real hard look at the Zeiss 8x30 ClassiC's that Midsouth has on clearance. They're $449.99, which is $250.00 off the normal retail price. Cabelas had them for $699.99, but sold out. I know that's more than you were looking to spend, but you might want to consider it.
I'm 34 years old, and if there's one thing I could do over when it comes to hunting and hunting related equipment, it's that I would've bought premium binoculars long ago. If I could do things over, I'd have bought a couple less guns, and put the money towards the best binoculars money could buy. A lot of guys have no problem spending a small fortune for a top of the line rifle scope, but they'll pack around a $69.00 pair of binoculars. Think about, what gets used more, your rifle scope, or your binoculars? And unless you're one of those guys who uses his rifle scope to spot game and scan the countryside, the answer would probably be your binoculars.
Just my .02$
The general rule of thumb is that to get the most light transmission to your eye, you want to maintain a minimum of 4mm exit pupil for every increase in magnification, and a lot of guys will say 5mm is even better (7x35, 8x40, 10x50 etc..) Hope that makes sense. Anyway, you'll have to decide if going lighter and smaller is worth what little bit of light gathering ability you might sacrifice.
If you're considering an 8x30, I'd take a real hard look at the Zeiss 8x30 ClassiC's that Midsouth has on clearance. They're $449.99, which is $250.00 off the normal retail price. Cabelas had them for $699.99, but sold out. I know that's more than you were looking to spend, but you might want to consider it.
I'm 34 years old, and if there's one thing I could do over when it comes to hunting and hunting related equipment, it's that I would've bought premium binoculars long ago. If I could do things over, I'd have bought a couple less guns, and put the money towards the best binoculars money could buy. A lot of guys have no problem spending a small fortune for a top of the line rifle scope, but they'll pack around a $69.00 pair of binoculars. Think about, what gets used more, your rifle scope, or your binoculars? And unless you're one of those guys who uses his rifle scope to spot game and scan the countryside, the answer would probably be your binoculars.
Just my .02$
