This may be somewhat of an unpopular opinion here, but what the hell. I feel the Habicht 8x30 and its larger cousin are well made and fine optical instruments, but as birding tools they leave something to be desired as compared to more modern designs. If you wear glasses/spectacles they are a non-starter unless you can live with removing your glasses every time you put your binocular to your eyes, which may take only seconds, but which is long enough to lose you many a sighting. Even if you don't, the glass at the eyepiece end ends up much closer to your eyeball than with most modern binoculars - and this can result in misting/fogging when it's cold. If you plan to use your binoculars in winter, I would want to make absolutely sure this was not an issue before purchasing a Habicht (or any short eye relief binocular). Their other aspects, such as their focusers being relatively slow, are not really an issue when it comes to my own birding. But the first two points above are critical.
Even the highly regarded SEs have their faults (or at least the 10x42 which I
own and regularly use does). Fine though the image is, the narrow field of view can be confining, even though its sharpness to the edge partially makes up for that; and Nikon in their infinite wisdom decided to furnish an eyepiece that has longish eye relief with rubber eyecups that when folded down can often be just a little too short, requiring careful positioning in order to avoid blackouts. It wouldn't at all surprise me if the SE design was deliberately handicapped (narrower field of view and no twist-up eyecups) to prevent it from competing against Nikon's EDG roofs. I know that, as an owner of one, I ought to only say good things about them, but frankly, I'd consider most of the sub-alphas (SLC, Conquest HD, MeoStar, Monarch HG) superior for actual birding. I wouldn't worry too much about missing out on one unless you have a particular desire to own one.
Objective covers - much depends on how hard you will be using your binoculars. If you are frequently moving through tall undergrowth, or getting into a prone position, your objective lenses will most likely need more protection than if most of your birding was in more friendly environments. Speaking only for myself, I use them on most of the binoculars that come with them, but have never bothered to acquire objective covers for those that don't, even those I use frequently. But as a mainly city birder, my binoculars don't have to contend with the same hazards others do...
