You can get a very good set of binocs for under $200 or so, if you can live with porro prism - the offset eyepieces. Pentax and Swift make good ones, but they aren't the only ones. Porros are much easier to make than roof prisms. They aren't quite as sturdy as roofs and can't be made waterproof, but the image is great.
If you need sturdiness or waterproofness, you need a roof prism, and they'll cost you more. Eagle Optics has some rebadged Minox which are nice, but they'll cost nearly $400. Name brands will run higher than that for equivalent quality. Pentax roofs are a great buy, usually, as long as you choose the ones that have "phase correction" coatings.
I hunt with $600 Nikon Superior E 8X32, which has a better image than any roof prism costing $1200+ that I've seen. With reasonable care and not dropping them into a creek, they should never have to go back to the factory for adjustment. Other poros might have to be adjusted from time to time, however.
Jaywalker