Scorn,
If you're interested in researching binoculars, try some of the "birding" ("birdwatching") sites, such as
www.betterviewdesired.com. Birders have demanded, and got, much better binocs than hunters have. BVD will take you into the tests of the optics and keep you from buying something you wouldn't have thought to question. They discuss the light gathering capability of large objective lenses, and find that it isn't as significant as we once thought - it does add a lot to the weight of the binocs, though.
The two basic types, "roof prism" and "porro prism" each have their own advantages and disadvantages. In general, "roof prism" (straight barrels) binocs are a little tougher, more easily waterproofed, and lots more expensive than porros. "Porros," (barrels offset from the eyepieces) in general, are less forgiving of knocks and harder to waterproof, but give you the best view for the money.
Within each type there's a wide variation in features and quality. You might want to know about "color abberation," "spherical abberation," "phase correction" and other technical issues before plopping down large bucks.
I settled on Nikon's 8X32 Superior E for a couple of reasons. First, since I was going to carry them a lot, I didn't want to carry anything heavier than its 22 ounces. Second, I wanted clarity all the way to the edge of the field of view (harder to get than you might think). Third, and most important to me was the way I was going to use them, the Nikon SE's have asymetrically ground lenses.
This is a little involved, but I thought it was worthwhile. Almost all lenses are ground spherically, which is the way they've been done for 400 years. (Rub two pieces of lens glass together and over time you'll have one convex and one concave lens, both "spherically ground.") Take any binocular with these lens and look at a straight line at the edge of the field of view - look at a telephone pole and move the binocs so the pole moves to either edge. See the pole curve, and the curve get bigger as you get closer to the edge? That's spherical abberation. Move a telephone wire to the top or bottom of the field and it'll curve, too. It's the nature of the beast. It doesn't bother most folks, because they automatically center whatever they look at, so it isn't a problem.
It is a problem for hunters who pan their binocs, looking for something to put in the middle of the field of view (FOV). I look for movement against a background. The farther to the edge of the FOV, the more "motion" I seem to see relative to the middle. For me, spherical abberation is a problem.
Nikon SE's (and a few others) use "asymetric lenses" rather than "spherical." The telephone pole in the center stays straight as it moves to the edge. There's less false movement as I pan for real movement. At $550 (+/-), they give me a clarity as good as the $1400 roof prism. They suit my needs, but YMMV.
The SWFA reference to the Pentax is likely the 8X42 WP (with phase coating), which is a real class leader in low price roof prisms. At 27 ounces, they were a little heavier than I wanted to carry, but their quality easily matches the German wonderglasses. They don't use asymetric lenses, though.
Oh, edited to add a suggestion as to purchasing. With this many bucks on the line, it's best to deal with high quality firms like SWFA.
Jaywalker