It would be very helpful if you would list some budget guidelines as prices are all over the place (in my backpack I always have a $40 pair of Nikons, but for birding I use Leica 10x42 Ultravids which cost about as much as a Yugo.)

That said, I very much agree with RCyyz that image stabilization is worth the price premium especially when observing from a moving platform. One set I would recommend as a good price/performer for general wildlife/scenery is the Canon 8x25 IS -- $260 from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Image-St...2328139&sr=8-5

When you activate the IS it removes almost all of the handshake and really enhances the experience.