What is your favorite binocular

I agree with everyone's choices.  For me it would be the Swarovski EL 8x32, about 2004 vintage. 

Moi !? Leupold VX2 6-18X40 AO CDS

My Kowa Genesis 8x33.

In another forum I discovered enough obsession with "alphas" and brand fanaticism with which I disagreed to merit a rejoinder. In my own experience, surprisingly good products can be had for little expense and serve the average user well. I found a Barska Crossover 8x30 CF to be equal to a Steiner Safari 8x30 IF if not a little brighter, a Skyline 6x30 IF to be as good as a Porlerim 6x30 CF and Nikon/Nippon Kogaku binoculars, 7x35 and 8x30 to be as good as equivalent Zeiss and Leitz products.. The emphasis on coatings strikes me as exaggerated versus the importance of glass polishing, and I feel that the quality of the latter in Japanese optics plus their attention to quality control to be of great importance. For a very good product I would go with a porro-prism model (easier to handle) and a recognized performer such as the Swift Audubon, Bushnell Rangemaster, a Nikon porro or a Fujinon such as the Meibo variable 5-10 7x35 I got at a bargain price with a great view. Spending thousands of dollars on a pair of binoculars makes as much sense as buying a Rolls Royce or Bentley when a good, reliable vehicle can be acquired for less than $40,000, unless such a purchase is made for the purpose of bragging. Apart from the Japanese products I mentioned, there are many lesser brands, and, among recent and current ones, there are the Canon IS binoculars available for much less than $1000. Enough said.