If I could get Leupold at 55% off, that would be the beginning and end of the manufacturer debate.
I have some Leupold Mojave 3’s that I got maybe 6-8 years ago. Leupold’s best at the time. They are 10x50’s.
They are a little large for long range carrying, but the optical quality is excellent. I took them on prairie dog and antelope hunts. The other guys thought their 8x mid priced (other brands) were just as good until they used mine. After a while, any time they looked at something, they used my Leupolds.
If you are doing birding, you’ll see that all hard core birders use bigger binos. They are much steadier than lightweights. I would most strongly suggest getting a really good bino harness. Having them bounce around on a neck strap gets old quick. My harness came from Cabalas and is excellent
On my Leupolds there is a one piece cap that covers the eye pieces. I could see that getting lost in the field, so I used a zip tie to hook it to the main body. Leave slack in the tie.
And I ALWAYS keep the lenses covered unless I’m looking through them. Always. And, anybody that cleans lenses with a shirt tail should be beaten with a club. You can buy boxes of disposable Zeiss lens cleaner wipes at Walmart really cheap. I always carry some with the binos. Almost never use them, as the lenses stay covered.
Buy the most expensive and you’ll only buy one pair in your lifetime. There’s a reason professional guides usually buy the best, bigger binos