I think Ill have to agree with Chicago X here, I have one old USSR made binocular and its great, you can buy used USSR made monocular/binocular for around 40$ and up.
So, while its not german optics, its still old school built to last unit ;)
Well... it's like with flashlights/knives... and pretty much everything else... know your intended purposes for the gear you are trying to purchase. For me the 8x36 is already too large,heavy and expensive. Actually I started looking for something even smaller in the beginning.... something like a docter. My father has several Leica/Leitz binos... so I have already seen what good/expensive optics can do. They will be a good comparison to the coming vortex.
Vectrex, why did you mention the Docter? You made me buy a cheap Chinese fake of it... (almost, it's 10x21) 
Let us know how you get on with it after it arrives. I never thought about a monocular before. I might need one for the times I don't want to tote around my binos. Vortex makes nice stuff. Good purchase.
I need a small, compact, inexpensive, waterproof, robust monocular with the least moving parts possible. I intend to use it for hiking and biking trips. Even compact,lightweight binos can be too large and heavy, when dangling around around your neck with a lanyard. At the moment I only own some El cheapo $10 binos and I have access to my fathers Leicas/Leitz ( $1000+ binos). I looked at the German market and there seems nothing comparable available in value/money that comes close to the Vortexes. I will report back as soon as the Vortex arrives... but it may take a while as it has to cross the pond.
Anything over 7-8x needs to be on a solid stand IMO. But then I have shaky hands...
And carrying a suitable tripod around is a pain.
I can't stand cheap optics and can't afford the good stuff.
Usual problem, champagne tastes, beer income :(
Vortex Solo 8x25mm is cheaper and smaller but does not let in as much light as the Vortex Solo 8x36mm. Vortex Solo 8x36mm has better eye relief for those who wear glasses.
A decent monopod is a very hike-friendly alternative. Quite a few trekking poles are also now available (or optioned) with a 1/4-20 threaded post.
Quite a bit more portable than a 3000-series Bogen. :p
Based on the information in this thread I've also ordered a Vortex 8x25mm monocular. It'll be my first decent monocular so thanks for the guidance on getting a good one.
Now here's something REALLY budget and good:
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/coated-z-monocular-10x21-2545
I have this bugger every day in my pocket and it came handy already quite often. You can't use it at night since it's too dark, but during daytime it's superb for it's price. Tiny in size, high magnification and considering the price I'm amazed by the clean optics. It's also pretty durable. Everybody should have one.
It looks really neat, but the image doesn't get a good review in this comparision of DX's offerings: http://club.dealextreme.com/forums/Forums.dx/threadid.658840
Do you have any of the others to compare it with?
I only have a 5$ monocular from buyincoins (the cheapest they have, whatever the price is) and it's SH**, practicly not usable.
The Z thingy just has unbeatable size.
Does any one have the Portable 15 x 32 Spotting Scope Monocular Telescope from DX?
$7.60
SKU 73486
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/portable-15-x-32-spotting-scope-monocular-telescope-73486
I know this thread is on monoculars, but I thought I'd share this information. I've been doing a bit of research lately for binoculars to take travelling and hiking. I've been sifting through some review websites and bird watch forums. From what I gather, you get what you pay for with image quality. Going smaller also tends to compromise the optics as well. What I've narrowed it down to is:
leupold rogue 8x25mm
leupold yosemite 6x32mm (a bit larger and heavier)
nikon prostaff atb 8x25mm (in countries outside of the states, also known as nikon travelite ex)
Some of the above mentioned binoculars come in options with greater magnifications, but I think I'd generally prefer less magnification and greater field of view. All of the above are also waterproof, but they are around the ~$100-150 mark. They also have a good amount of eye relief, which is important if you wear glasses.
Another recommend binoculars that I've come across is the olympus tracker, but it is not water proof ~$60 mark. Optics are meant to be similar in quality to the nikon travelite/prostaff.
stores that I've look at buying it from;
b&h photography
adorama
optics planet
The Vortex arrived 12 days after I ordered it. I hadn't the time to test it extensively, but so far it looks like it is everything I was looking for. It beats the cheapos I have laying around here by a huge margin and especially in the brightness. I will post details and pics later....
I got mine yesterday too, the sharpness of the picture, brightness and colour is way above any other optics I have ever tried. I'm very pleased with it for under £40.
I just tested it a bit and it beats a cheapo 10x50mm bino in brightness, that's more than I was hoping for. What I absolutely don't like is the pouch, that is delivered with the mono. It seems to be designed for its bigger brother so the fitting is horrible.
Reference point (might take some time until I can do a side-by-side comparison with this beauty):
Leica Trinovid 8x50 BA (last listed price was €1200/$1560 for the similar BN model)
How the Vortex arrived:
looks nice, where did you buy it from?
I got it from this Ebay seller, shipping was fast ... like 12 days to Germany. Seems like the price dropped a Dollar.
Does anyone have any good information on the best budget binoculars of a similar price range (under £100/$150 for binoculars)? I've been doing some research and reading up on the differences between roof/porro prisms, bak-4 glass etc but have yet to come up with a clear stand-out candidate.
The Vortex Vanquish 8x26 seem good value with a porro prism for the best optical quality and transmission at the lower cost, and the 8x being preferred to the 10x by most who've tried them. But while reviews of all the vortex models seem generally very good I can't see such a stand-out value model as with this monocular. Any ideas?