Okay, back me against the wall, and ask me to state which binocular was the best binocular I have ever owned. That, of course, will never happen and if I even I made the attempt, it would mean having an argument with myself as to how to define best. In truth, the quest for the best binocular is a myth; there are simply too many ways to define best and there is no such thing as a binocular that is best in every way. You might as well ask me as to how to define the best telescope, the best spotting scope, the best camera or best camera lens. Forget it.
Searching the old memory banks, though, and several excellent binoculars I've owned come to mind. They were not without their flaws, but they were excellent, in their own ways. One of the top candidates for best optics would be my old Nikon 10x42 Premier SE binocular - I can’t honestly say I’ve looked through a better binocular in terms of optics, though I would have to say there were others which belonged right in the same class. The Nikon Superior E proved its worth so often, even when compared side-by-side with other binoculars, that I never once regretted selling a much more expensive binocular to get it. Another favorite of mine, for years, was the Swarovski 8x30 SLC for just being so nice in the hands that I often took it birding in lieu of optically better binoculars, though no Swarovski binocular is ever a slouch in terms of optics. Another binocular that I miss, to this day, was perhaps the one that carried the most memories; a binocular that had been with me in some very difficult times; a binocular that was practically my last material possession when I was down to my last dime. That was my Leica Trinovid 8x20 compact binocular. That’s the one that hurt the most to sell, even if it wasn’t the best.
The list goes, on and on. There has been no best binocular, but there sure have been some great binocular I have owned.