Your Opinion: REI Binoculars, REI, Nikon or Alpen?

[retfed]

With my divided and a 20% coupon I am looking at REI for binoculars.
I know I want 10x for a Caribou hunt in AK this fall.
For the money and light gathering, I am leaning towards the REI 10 x 50s.
REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof msrp $200   27.5 ounces
Nikon Trailblazer Waterproof 10 x 42 msrp $160  22.4 ounces
Alpen Shasta Ridge 10 x 42 Waterproof  msrp $160  26 ounces (never heard of this maker)

[JW307]

Don't shy away from Alpen just because you haven't heard of them.  Most people haven't.  I've got one of their rifle scopes and my brother has a pair of their binoculars (not the particular model you're looking at), both are very good optics for what we paid for them.  If I remember correctly the guy that started Alpen Optics was one of Bushnell's lead engineers.

[retfed]

Does your brother wear glasses? Couldn't tell on the REI site how the eye piece adjusted for glasses.

[Graybeard]

Personally I'd not trust any of those on such an expensive trip.

My recommendation is the Bushnell Legend they are truly superb binocular for the bucks. They are fully the equal of binoculars cost three times as much.