I use Steiner 8x30 military/marine. Well under 500$ and have been extremely durable. They will lose a low light contest to the relly expensive binos and are prone to fog up. But the fogging issue is minimal for me due to the areas and seasons I hunt. Both of those issues seem to stem from the small amount of glass. They are also a good weight for me as they aren't to heavy but not so light you can't hold them still.
If you're hard on gear I'd defiantly recommend them as I've used an abused mine for almost 10 years. And I used a very similar Steiner model on active duty and they were extremely durable as well.
I will get the same binoculars when mine finally give up the ghost. Might upgrade to the 10 x version though.