NEW nikon monarch 7 (1 Viewer)

[huntabsarokee]

Well the Nikon's arrived this morning. Took them out at lunch along with the Viper HDs both in 8x. I have been using Monarch 10x40 since about 2000 which I thought were decent except for the diopter does not lock and is loose so it moves all the time when putting the binocs in and out of the case. I don't wear glasses and vision is very good.

The short version is I may be flipping a coin to determine which binoc goes back. The wider FOV in the Monarch is obvious but I think the center sharpness of the 2 is about the same. I looked at them both in bright light outside and details seem to be the same from 50 to 150 yards. I then brought them in my lab and hung a fine print post card on the wall at 28 feet. Again details looked the same to me. I also had a co worker look at both of them. He is not a big binoc user but is a photographer so is used to looking through expensive cameras. He agreed there was not much difference in clarity and brightness.

They are almost the same length and the Viper weighed less than 1/2 oz more than the Nikon.

Nikon Pros
Less $110
Wider FOV

Nikon Cons
Made in China (yes it bothers me a bit)
Cheap thin case (probably won't use it anyway)
Loose fitting eye piece caps
Non locking diopter but shouldn't move its stiff

Vortex Pros
Unconditional warranty (which may be why its more $)
locking diopter
better case and covers

Vortex Cons
More $$
Narrower FOV but really only bothers me as a stat not in use

In the next 2 nights I will try and see of there is a difference in low light. I hung a set of deer antlers in a tree 60 yards from my porch for this purpose.

 

[brocknroller]

Well the Nikon's arrived this morning. Took them out at lunch along with the Viper HDs both in 8x. I have been using Monarch 10x40 since about 2000 which I thought were decent except for the diopter does not lock and is loose so it moves all the time when putting the binocs in and out of the case. I don't wear glasses and vision is very good.

The short version is I may be flipping a coin to determine which binoc goes back. The wider FOV in the Monarch is obvious but I think the center sharpness of the 2 is about the same. I looked at them both in bright light outside and details seem to be the same from 50 to 150 yards. I then brought them in my lab and hung a fine print post card on the wall at 28 feet. Again details looked the same to me. I also had a co worker look at both of them. He is not a big binoc user but is a photographer so is used to looking through expensive cameras. He agreed there was not much difference in clarity and brightness.

They are almost the same length and the Viper weighed less than 1/2 oz more than the Nikon.

Nikon Pros
Less $110
Wider FOV

Nikon Cons
Made in China (yes it bothers me a bit)
Cheap thin case (probably won't use it anyway)
Loose fitting eye piece caps
Non locking diopter but shouldn't move its stiff

Vortex Pros
Unconditional warranty (which may be why its more $)
locking diopter
better case and covers

Vortex Cons
More $$
Narrower FOV but really only bothers me as a stat not in use

In the next 2 nights I will try and see of there is a difference in low light. I hung a set of deer antlers in a tree 60 yards from my porch for this purpose.

huntabkaraoke,

Nikon's warranty is also unconditional, if the M7 requires repairs not covered under the 25-year warranty, it will be covered under Nikon's No Fault Repair/Replacement Warranty even if it was your fault. You don't even have to be the original owner. Can't beat that!

http://www.nikonhunting.com/uploads/warranties/nikon_warranty_certificate.pdf

How does the edge performance of the two compare? IOW, how far from center does the sharpness fall off in each one (60%, 70%?), and is it a gradual fall off from sharpness to blurriness or a steep fall off? Can the edges be refocused?

You didn't mention the ergonomics. I guess they were both about the same and were acceptable since you didn't say anything.

The Vortex probably costs more because it's "Made in Japan". The dollar is weak against the yen and Japanese labor costs are higher than Chinese.

The antler test is a good one, but I don't think certain members here will be satisfied unless you do the 10 ft. DVD cover test, which I understand is the new industry standard.

Good that you got another pair of eyes on them too, particularly eyes not as experienced as yours, at least with binoculars. Newbies don't know what to look for sports optics, but that can also be an asset since they have no pre-conceived notions going in, and wouldn't assume, for example, that a Japanese bin should be better than a Chinese bin. Or that a wider FOV is better, etc. You just get a gut reaction.

But in the end, it's your eyes and hands that are going to determine which bin suits you best. Since optically, they are splitting hairs, it will probably come down to some other factor - handling, eyecup comfort, diopter setting, focuser smoothness, etc.

brockamacarenaa

 

[huntabsarokee]

Its tough for me to throw a number on edge sharpness. It actually confuses me when people put values on the edge size since I always want to center the object and not look through an edge. To me if the center is large enough to view my object then its big enough. With that said I would say the Viper has a wider sweet spot. The Nikon was good enough for me.
As far as ergonomics since they are the same length and same weight they are very similar. The rubber on the Nikon is a little softer than the Viper. The thumb indents on the Viper are nice but I didn't notice a big difference between the 2. The Viper for some reason feels heavier but its not but kind of feels more substantial in my hands. I would say the Viper has a smoother focus wheel.
I do like the locking diopter of the Viper and it seems easier to fine tune to my eye. The Nikon works just takes a little more to get focused I assume its because its diopter adjustment is stiffer......since there is no lock.
No DVD case test. I looked at them both last night when it was almost dark and thought the Nikon was brighter which kind of surprised me. I repeated the same test early this morning and again the Nikon looked brighter. This time I focues on a pine tree about 60 feet back in the woods from the edge of my yard.
I also tried determining again this morning center sharpness by reading print at 60 feet and again thought they were identical. I wanted to pick the Vipers but in the end they are getting returned tomorrow. I decided to stick with the less price and brighter to me binocs. Figured a lot of other stuff in my house is made in China why not 1 more thing. Thought for a while that there would be a pair of Monarch 7 in 8x at Hamburg Cabelas to try out but looks like I will be keeping them.

 

[brocknroller]

Its tough for me to throw a number on edge sharpness. It actually confuses me when people put values on the edge size since I always want to center the object and not look through an edge. To me if the center is large enough to view my object then its big enough. With that said I would say the Viper has a wider sweet spot. The Nikon was good enough for me.
As far as ergonomics since they are the same length and same weight they are very similar. The rubber on the Nikon is a little softer than the Viper. The thumb indents on the Viper are nice but I didn't notice a big difference between the 2. The Viper for some reason feels heavier but its not but kind of feels more substantial in my hands. I would say the Viper has a smoother focus wheel.
I do like the locking diopter of the Viper and it seems easier to fine tune to my eye. The Nikon works just takes a little more to get focused I assume its because its diopter adjustment is stiffer......since there is no lock.
No DVD case test. I looked at them both last night when it was almost dark and thought the Nikon was brighter which kind of surprised me. I repeated the same test early this morning and again the Nikon looked brighter. This time I focues on a pine tree about 60 feet back in the woods from the edge of my yard.
I also tried determining again this morning center sharpness by reading print at 60 feet and again thought they were identical. I wanted to pick the Vipers but in the end they are getting returned tomorrow. I decided to stick with the less price and brighter to me binocs. Figured a lot of other stuff in my house is made in China why not 1 more thing. Thought for a while that there would be a pair of Monarch 7 in 8x at Hamburg Cabelas to try out but looks like I will be keeping them.

Well, it looks that China wasn't just a big winner at the Olympics.

"Brighter and cheaper" sounds like a winning combination.

Thanks for posting those answers to my questions. It can be hard to nail down the sweet spot on some bins, particularly those with gradual fall off at the edges.

Experts like Holger and Henry use "star tests" (artificial in the case of Henry) to determine where the sharpness falls off, however, that's a much more critical test of edge sharpness than you'd need for daytime observation where most objects viewed are not point-like and your pupils are contracted to about 3mm, which improves acuity and lowers eye aberrations. But as light levels lower, the lack of sharpness at the edges becomes more obvious, particularly while panning.

Curious as to why the Nikon being made in China was a concern for you. Quality control? Longevity before repairs are needed?

Japanese optics, generally, tend to have better QC and are better built, but there are exceptions. Plus "Made in Japan" can mean that they are assembled in Japan with mostly Japanese-made parts, with other parts being manufactured in China or Malaysia.

With globalization, few products are made with all the parts entirely from one country these days. Outsourcing keeps costs down and profits up.

Certain parts are shared by a number of bins across manufacturers, hence why the specs on so many bins are identical. In addition, there are an increasing number of "clones," bins that are essentially the same, made in the same factory in China, but tweaked externally to look different and then badged with different nameplates.

Enjoy the Monarch 7s!

<B>

 

[huntabsarokee]

Well my company has plants in both countries and I have been to both of them a few times each. My opinion is if cost is the same (which its not) I would rather have something built in Japan.

 

[brocknroller]

Well my company has plants in both countries and I have been to both of them a few times each. My opinion is if cost is the same (which its not) I would rather have something built in Japan.

Me too, but with the weak dollar, the prices of Japanese goods are higher than usual. Perhaps now that Chinese workers salaries are rising, we'll see better QC (but also higher prices).

IMO, the prices of bins from Germany and Austria are way too high, and for years, Japanese optics manufacturers provided comparable quality optics for more affordable prices. But when I saw the 8x32 EDG priced at $2,299.99, I gasped! :eek!: (that's me, gasping)

Mike Freiberg's comment that the EDG's price hike was due not only to the weak dollar but also to higher production costs on the EDG II models was reassuring since that means we won't be seeing $300-$400 price hikes on Nikon Premiers, SEs, or EIIs, which still remain a good value.

<B>

 

[joe101]

The reason for most Japanese companies manufacturing overseas is due to the very strong Yen and the weak Dollar

 

[brocknroller]

The reason for most Japanese companies manufacturing overseas is due to the very strong Yen and the weak Dollar

By "overseas" do you mean China? Not very far over the Sea of Japan.

You would think with Japan's close proximity to China, it would be easier for Japanese optics company representatives to oversee quality control at Chinese factories.

If this is the case, we would expect better QC of bins manufactured in China designed by Japanese optics makers such as Nikon.

Brock

 

[joe101]

No not only china , alot of Japanese companies manufacture all over asia . One example is Thailand alot of companies are there

 

[FrankD]

...and the Phillipines.

 

[brocknroller]

No not only china , alot of Japanese companies manufacture all over asia . One example is Thailand alot of companies are there

Thanks for replying, I've read that Bausch & Lomb manufactures its contact lenses in Malaysia and that Canon makes some of their camera lenses there too. Apparently American an Japanese companies manufacture goods in Southeast Asia and Malaysia, or as the region is called here, the "Pacific Rim".

But I wonder how the are labeled? If they still read "Made in Japan" because they are assembled in Japan? Some countries play fast and loose with their "country of manufacture" rules.

If I'm going to pay extra for an item that's "Made in Japan" due to better QC and the yen/dollar thing, I want to make sure that its entirely made in Japan, not outsourced and then merely assembled there. Today, I suspect that few countries besides China can claim that their products are solely manufactured and assembled in one country.

But even that's changing. Some Chinese manufactured items are being assembled in the U.S. They call it "insourcing". Since the U.S. is the biggest market for Chinese goods, it saves transportation costs and energy costs since electricity is cheaper in the U.S.

<B>

 

[elf.kerben]

Hiho,

since today i have a monarch 7 8x42, but the modell 2011, the new one 2012 ED-glasses isnt easy to get and it cost the double. I tested all Nikon-Glasses at a local nikon-repair center in Germany. And the new one will cost 599,00 euro MSRP, the old one had 439,00 Euro and i paid 290,00 Euro. It is manufacerd in China, but the glass is very well balanced and a good compromise for people who do not hunting and so on, its a good family glass to a good price and weight. It includes 10 Years garantie, and a free inspection, very good.

Its a mileage better than my old 8x30 from my grandpa (40 years old) . I also liked the Prostaff 8x42, also very good price and performance, but it a lot heavier and bulky, so i liked the monarch more, for compact and weight.

I choose Nikon, because i have all the DSLR equiment and a SLR F6, and if i go to check and clean, i can put my stuff on the table.

Thanks to the forum i saved a lot money, because of the new monarch 7 8x42 2012 ED, the pricedrop was to good to wait for the ED-Version to the double price.

Hope this helps someone, this was my first post.

 

[eitanaltman]

just wanted to post a link to this online review I found of the Monarch 7's:
http://www.opticsreviewer.com/nikon-monarch-7.html

and also a comparison of Monarch 7, Vortex Viper, and Bushnell Elite ED:
http://www.opticsreviewer.com/monarch-7-vs-elite-ed.html

 

[kestrel1]

Hello,

Did you noticed that Optycze.pl made test of M7?
Maybe soon at allbinos.

http://translate.google.com/transla...pl/index.php?test=lornetki&test_l=261&act=url

Transmission in red part of spectrum is pretty nice for S-P roof,
but I hoped that M7 get higher score.


Best regards Kestrel

 

[CSG]

I impulsively picked up the 10x42's today for $390 + tax at my local Sportsman's Warehouse. I've looked at both the 8's and 10's before and liked them both very much. With the $100 off sale going on now I think they're fairly priced. At their previous retail I thought they were a little too expensive.

I like the FOV very much and the extended eyecups fit me well. I do see more veiling and ghosting reflections than I might prefer but they are only a minor distraction. I saw the same reflections in a pair of Minox HG 8x32'a that I just returned and those retail for well over twice the price. Hate the case, like the strap.

I find them plenty sharp with a reasonably big sweet spot and pretty good contrast but I can't provide the same sort of test report some of the experts here seem to be able to do. I suspect they're keepers.

Edited to add, I used this on the stars tonight and was very impressed. These may not be darlings of the BF crowd but I'd suggest trying them out yourself. They hold their own.

 

[[email protected]]

I impulsively picked up the 10x42's today for $390 + tax at my local Sportsman's Warehouse. I've looked at both the 8's and 10's before and liked them both very much. With the $100 off sale going on now I think they're fairly priced. At their previous retail I thought they were a little too expensive.

I like the FOV very much and the extended eyecups fit me well. I do see more veiling and ghosting reflections than I might prefer but they are only a minor distraction. I saw the same reflections in a pair of Minox HG 8x32'a that I just returned and those retail for well over twice the price. Hate the case, like the strap.

I find them plenty sharp with a reasonably big sweet spot and pretty good contrast but I can't provide the same sort of test report some of the experts here seem to be able to do. I suspect they're keepers.

Edited to add, I used this on the stars tonight and was very impressed. These may not be darlings of the BF crowd but I'd suggest trying them out yourself. They hold their own.

I bought the Nikon Monarch's 7 8x42 and I liked them for their wide FOV and size and weight. Then I compared them to some alphas like the Alpen Optics Rainier HD ED 8x42. On-axis the Alpen was sharper. The Nikon Monarch 7 is not that sharp on-axis compared to your top alpha binoculars. When I saw there was such a big difference I returned them. It's hard to say if the 8x30's will be any different.

 

[CSG]

Why would it be? They cost 15-25% the cost of an "alpha". Pointless comparison.

I wouldn't compare them seriously to my HT's or SE either.

 

[NDhunter]

Why would it be? They cost 15-25% the cost of an "alpha". Pointless comparison.

I wouldn't compare them seriously to my HT's or SE either.

Well said and I agree with you. Consider the source.

Jerry

 

[trealawboy]

Has Nikon improved the durability of their rubber eyecups?

I'm on a second set of eyecups for my Nikon 8x32 HGs. Great binoculars let down by this component. The image near the start of this thread suggests the Monarchs may have similar eyecups. They're a lot cheaper than the HG models of course, but there must be better compound available to them.