I carry a pair of Meade binoculars/digital camara that works very well for the purposes that I have. The cost was $100 and the main drawback is it's lack of a memory card for the camara. If the batteries die, the photos die in the camara.

For it's cost, if it breaks or is lost, it's replaceable. It's fairly lightweight and comes with a pouch so it can be worn on my belt.