I bet you never will get a consensus on scopes at this price range (PROBABLY not at any price range) I have a minox 62ED w/ 20-45 straight eyepiece, and like it very much for hunting. At 2lbs1oz and 13" long, it is very lite and packable. The focus dial is very easy to use, and the image is great. I don't have a great deal of experience with spotting scopes but I can tell you that looking at a two story house at 400yds (just under) at sunset, looking at a small window (probably a bathroom) on hi (45x) I can see the difference in depth between the window trim and wall. (you can see that the trim stands out from the wall, not flat or even with the wall) The color and 3 dimensional image are very comparable to my swaro 10x42 slc's. You can get great deals on this scope in the demo section on SWFA or Cameraland ($699. or less. grabbed mine from swfa for under $500. last year) Another one to consider. Good luck.