Just for S&G, an old friend... my vintage Redfield 8X25 Compact folding binos - Japan MFG.
Bought these round 35 years ago, and paid way too much for them probably at somewhere around $350. Far more money the other similar binos I looked at, but these were the easy choice when you looked through the glass, hands down. And for portability. Easy carry just in a shirt pocket much like a point and shoot digital camera now days. Better yet in the old padded camera case I bought for them years ago that fits them perfect folded and protects them, is easy to just slip on a belt and forget until you need them.
Built like a tank and still as nice as new they have stayed in my current trucks ever since to always have something along for when I didn't want to toss in the more powerful bigger/heavier binos. And often picked over the bigger as well for hiking and long constant use. As a stricken predator and varmint hunter for over 50 years they were just handier to use constantly hours on end for varmints, and plenty good enough for predators. Same for spot and stalk hiking all day over high mountains for big game, and on the desert the last 22 years.
Probably paid too much for them at the time, but at what amounts to about $10 a year
so far a great bargain that will certainly out live me, and probably even my son who will probably eventually end up with them. More than I can say for the $1400 pair of 10X42's I bought. I have never taken out of their box except for a trial looksee so far years after buying them. Bought right when my health failed, so they will never get used until somebody else owns them.
Anyway, a picture of the Redfield 8X25's...
