In a word: YES. In optics, you generally get what you pay for.

For out west where I do most of my hunting, I can glass animals at a mile or more. So if I am a real serious hunter, I may want to invest in the high-end optics, ie> the HD (High Definition) that are now becoming popular. These can cost big bucks. But not everybody needs them especially if you are hunting terrain with shorter sight distances.

I would say this: invest in a good set of binoculars that have a good "users review" (a review as you can get at several websites, including Cabellas.) Do not go cheap; if you can afford a little more, go for it. The end result is usually worth it in optics.

This is not a pitch for Cabellas, just giving you the word that if you shop that website, you can read what other users of the product have said about it, and you can try it out and if it doesn't work for you, you can return it. Minimum: got for fully multi-coated lenses, that are of course water proof and impact resistant, and have a good warranty.

Two names that come to my mind first: Bushnell (upper models) and Leupold. And of course, going up in quality: Zeiss, Swarovsky, Steiner, etc.

Compact vs. Full Size? Power vs. Diameter? This could go into another entire post!

All of you here: please chime in on my three cents; we all have different eyes, different circumstances/needs, and different preferences.