My favorite binoculars are 9 x 32 millimeters. That means the bigger 32 mm lens in front makes the binoculars small enough to carry around but still catch enough light for most situations. Otherwise, if the binoculars were bigger, like a standard 42 mm lens, I would think twice about packing them up. The 9 mm magnification gets a little more detail than the standard 8mm magnification. They are under $300. which was not too big a hit for me having left my last pair in a taxi. The optics are sharp but not quite as sharp as a $2000 high-end binocular. They are made by Pentax.
When I have my binoculars in hand looking at birds is when I get a lot of inspirations for my art, including this piece, Feather Binoculars.