Monarchs - how many series, and how to identify them? (1 Viewer)

I've just bought a pair of 8x42 Monarchs. The box says the model is 7924, but I don't see it printed anywhere on the binoculars themselves. Is there a way to identify them?

And how many series of these binoculars have there been? I've read lots of postings about "old Monarchs" and "new Monarchs", but looking at the dates on them, I suspect mine are the third series, and there's now a fourth series, helpfully called "Monarch X". Am I correct?

Does anyone know when each model came out? I think the previous model to mine is the 7430, and I see postings about them as long ago as 2005. Mine are being referred to as "new" in late 2009. I can't find the model number of what I think is the first series, or when it came out.

The X's also came out this year, didn't they? Interesting that the second series was around for 5 years, then they brought out 2 more within months.

Why do I need to know? Um, just curious.

I also noticed that the 7924s are often referred to as Monarch III. Is that an official designation, or is that just what people are calling them to distinguish them from the previous model?

pshute,

Monarch has 3 series now. The old Monarch is called Monarch. Then new one came out last year called the Monarch X with open-bridged style and the latest is the Monarch with dielectric coating on it.

I have tested and the new Monarch few weeks ago and from the box itself, it stated that it has dielectric coating than the old ones

horukuru said:

pshute,

Monarch has 3 series now. The old Monarch is called Monarch. Then new one came out last year called the Monarch X with open-bridged style and the latest is the Monarch with dielectric coating on it.

I have tested and the new Monarch few weeks ago and from the box itself, it stated that it has dielectric coating than the old ones

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That explains some of my confusion, I thought the Monarch X was the most recent.

But if there was only one Monarch series before 2009, how do you explain postings like this one from 2005, where the poster refers to the "old Monarch"?
http://www.birdforum.net/archive/index.php/t-37463.html
See the posting by Jacamar, Sunday 10th July 2005, 10:28:

Eagle Optics speaks of a redesigned Monarch that "has all the same great features [as the old Monarch] but with added phase coatings, internal center focusing, and it's lighter weight". How recent is this "new PC" model?

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The next posting, by Otto McDiesel says that the previous model at the time was superceded in about 2001, by the first series to have phase coating:

About 3-4 years. The older ones, 8x40 and 10x40, were not phase coated. The new ones, 8x42 and 10x42, are.

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So I'm still thinking there are at least 4 series, and I still don't know any model numbers from what I assume is the first series, superceded in about 2001. I was hoping to find some mentions of them on the web, but even 2001 is pre-internet for many people and businesses. Perhaps I should contact Nikon directly.

Part of the reason for my interest is to be able to put into context comments I hear about Monarchs from birders I meet. Some of them could easily have owned their binoculars for 10 years, so they may be talking about any one of the series, i.e. perhaps not even with phase coatings.

But at least I've found a clue to identifying them. If they're x40mm instead of x42mm then they're not phase coated and at least as old as about 2001.

pshute said:

But at least I've found a clue to identifying them. If they're x40mm instead of x42mm then they're not phase coated and are at least as old as about 2001.

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From that I've been able to establish that there were some 8x40s with the model number 7344. But when were they first released, and were there really no new models between 2001 and 2009?

I wouldn't waste much time on this quest. I have spent some field time with the new Monarch III and the views are easily the best of ALL the Monarchs. Going to a polycarbonate body has made it super lightweight too.

RJM said:

I wouldn't waste much time on this quest. I have spent some field time with the new Monarch III and the views are easily the best of ALL the Monarchs. Going to a polycarbonate body has made it super lightweight too.

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This isn't about choosing a pair of binoculars - I've just bought Monarch 8x42s, which I assume are what you're calling Monarch IIIs as they aren't the Xs, and I'm happy with them. I'm just curious about the history of the series, as I've never owned Nikons before, although it's nice to have confirmation that they're better than ever (better than the X series?).

Why are you calling them Monarch IIIs? I don't see III on the binoculars, nor on the box they came in, nor the (US) website I bought them from. I see a few websites calling them that, enough for me to think there's more to it than a nickname someone thought up. Is there an official source for the "III"? Are they perhaps called Monarch III's in Europe/UK?

Monarch III is what Nikon Japan calls them since their introduction ~6mos ago.

RJM said:

Monarch III is what Nikon Japan calls them since their introduction ~6mos ago.

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That's interesting, the US and the UK Nikon websites don't. The US one is confusing, they have a DCF and an ATB. I thought they were the same thing. I don't look too hard, but couldn't see any model numbers.

I wonder if these naming systems are due to random decisions, or if they're deliberately intended to avoid old stock becoming difficult to sell.

pshute said:

That's interesting, the US and the UK Nikon websites don't. The US one is confusing, they have a DCF and an ATB. I thought they were the same thing. I don't look too hard, but couldn't see any model numbers.

I wonder if these naming systems are due to random decisions, or if they're deliberately intended to avoid old stock becoming difficult to sell.

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Yeah different continent with different code name for the same binocular

Is your box stated dielectric coating ? If yes, that's the Monarch III

I just created an account and logged into the Nikon site to ask them the question. Some interesting choices when one has to enter the model one is asking about. One has the choice of X, III (yes, even on the US site), ATB, or SHE, whatever that is.

The SHE series has further choices of Safari 10x36 or Adventure 8x36. The III series has further choices of 8x42 or TR APG 8x42. The ATB series has further choices of ATB or TRT. A lot of models I've never heard of there.

I also found a product history at:
http://www.nikon.com/about/info/history/products/index_03.htm

It lists:
2002 - Monarch series
2006 - Monarch series
2008 - Monarch X series
No mention of what I'll start referring to as the III series, I assume it just hasn't been updated.

This agrees roughly with what I've discovered already, but with the addition of the 2006 entry. If the posting I quoted above is correct, in 2005 they were already several years into the second series, so perhaps there's one missing from the Nikon history before 2002, making it 5 series. Or perhaps that posting was wrong.

I had the same trouble when buying them. The only way I could see to check if you have the latest version is the the dielectric logo on the top. The US/UK have different names and the UK doesn't use any of the US numbers. Mine are lost somewhere in transit at the moment. It'll be even more confusing soon when Nikon UK introduces the EDG range.

JPAC said:

I had the same trouble when buying them. The only way I could see to check if you have the latest version is the the dielectric logo on the top. The US/UK have different names and the UK doesn't use any of the US numbers. Mine are lost somewhere in transit at the moment. It'll be even more confusing soon when Nikon UK introduces the EDG range.

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I can half understand the different names, but to use different model numbers is very unhelpful. Perhaps this is why they don't put the model numbers on the binoculars themselves.

The box mine came in had nothing at all to indicate which size it was, apart from a barcoded sticker on the side. It was stuck over an almost identical preprinted label which has the model number of the 10x42s on it. I should probably double check to see that's not what I got, instead of the 8x42 as indicated on the sticker on top.

Which size did you buy, and what is the UK model number?

I got the 10x42 but bought them off eBay US. Even when adding VAT, import tax et al, it should come out cheaper - if they ever turn up.

JPAC said:

I got the 10x42 but bought them off eBay US. Even when adding VAT, import tax et al, it should come out cheaper - if they ever turn up.

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Mine took 5 days from the US to Australia, including the weekend. That was from B&H, using one of the UPS options, can't remember which. I think they'd reached Australia within 2 days, the rest was in customs and sitting somewhere over the weekend waiting to be delivered.

I've just realised I've called them 7924's above, but they're 7294's. Can I edit that?

I also notice on the B&H paperwork I got with them, that in one place it calls them Monarch IIIs.

narrow sweet spot?

I have spent a couple of hours with a pair of 10x42 Monarch with dielectric coating. I don't have the older Monarch so I cannot tell how much difference the dielectric coating makes. I did however compare it to Zen-Ray ZRS 10x42 (last year's model) that I have. The ZRS exhibits more warmish color than Monarch. I think the color from Monarch is almost as good as my 10x43 ED2. The 23oz Monarch is also significantly lighter than the 26oz ZRS. The center resolution of Monarch is about the same as ZRS 10x42. But its sweet spot is much smaller. At 5.5*, it becomes fuzzy starting from 60% out. I think the ZRS has 5.8* FOV, it stays sharp up to 75% of the field. I am really surprised to see such a small sweet spot from the binocular with narrow FOV already. It's probably the weakest spot on Monarch. It will be interesting to see how it compares to new Bushnell Ultra HD or new ZRS HD with dielectric and lighter body.

Here's the reply from Nikon:
"Monarch binoculars have been in our line since 1997. At that time two models were offered 8x40 and 10x40. These had multicoated optics.
In 2002 we upgraded the binocular to 8x42 and 10x42. These had fully multicoated optics and phase correction prism coatings.
In 2005 we added the 12x42.
In 2006 we added the 8x36, 10x36, 8.5x56, 10x56, and 12x56
In 2010 the 8x42, 10x42, and 12x42 have dielectric prism coatings rather than the phase correction coating.
In 2009 the Monarch X came out 8.5x45, and 10.5x45"

So as far as the ~8x~40 and ~10x~40 go, I basically had it right:
1997 8 & 10 x40 (8x are 7344)
2002 8 & 10 x 42 (8x are 7430)
2009 (X) 8.5 & 10.5 x 45 (8x are 7532)
2010 (III) 8 & 10 x 42 (8x are 7294)
(Those model numbers are for the plain armouring, camouflage patterns have different numbers.)

So it looks like the only possible confusion is between the 2002 and 2010 8 & 10 x 42s, the others can be easily distinguished by the objective sizes (and the X series has an open bridge). The 2002 and 2010 models look very different if you know what to look for - the 2002 models have a triangular section of grooves in the armouring on the bridge, and the 2010 is smooth there. It also looks like the tripod mount cap on the front of the hinge has a coat of arms thing and an N on it, while the 2010 model just says "Nikon". A few other differences, but that's enough to tell them apart. There's the dielectric sticker too, but it'll fall off soon enough.

The 2002 model is the one on the left below, the 2010 (III) in the middle, and I've included the 1997 one on the right, pictures courtesy of B&H, etc, hope they don't mind, and I suspect they originally came from Nikon anyway. They're the 8x42s, I assume the 10x look the same. I couldn't find any high res images of the 1997 model. It looks like the grooves run the full length of the bridge on that series.

Interesting that they say the dieletric coating replaces the phase coating. I thought a phase coating was a generic thing, and that the dielectric coating was just a different type. At least it explains why there's no mention of phase coating in the specs of the III series.

I guess they really consider the Monarch Xs to be a separate line, given that that they called the latest ones III even though they're the 4th. The Japanese tend to avoid version 4 of things, don't they?

So there you have it. If anyone wants to complete "The Field Guide to Nikon Monarch Binoculars" for the other sizes, or correct any errors, feel free. Hopefully it will help people work out what people mean when they say "old" or "new" Monarch. It's been interesting as I researched this topic, to watch the Google ranking of this thread rise and rise.

pshute said:

So it looks like the only possible confusion is between the 2002 and 2010 8 & 10 x 42s, the others can be easily distinguished by the objective sizes (and the X series has an open bridge). The 2002 and 2010 models look very different if you know what to look for - the 2002 models have a triangular section of grooves in the armouring on the bridge, and the 2010 is smooth there. It also looks like the tripod mount cap on the front of the hinge has a coat of arms thing and an N on it, while the 2010 model just says "Nikon". A few other differences, but that's enough to tell them apart. There's the dielectric sticker too, but it'll fall off soon enough.

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My mistake, the coat of arms on the 2002 series Monarchs has an M on it, not an N. I see the same coat of arms on the box my IIIs came in.

Very nice summary. Thanks for writing that up.

I have never seen a 1997 non-phase coated Monarch but there must be some out there.

The manufacturing locations changed at some point too. I suspect at the 2002 model change but I have no actual evidence for that. They may have changed later and moved an existing design from Japan to China perhaps even doing it in "bits" starting with Chinese assembly of Japanese parts then making more parts in China.

Interesting that they say the dieletric coating replaces the phase coating. I thought a phase coating was a generic thing, and that the dielectric coating was just a different type. At least it explains why there's no mention of phase coating in the specs of the III series.

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It's an error (as you know!). The marketers writing the blurb aren't very technical.

The dielectric mirror coating replaces a silver mirror coating. The phase coating is a different coating (though it is a "dielectric" coating ... it's metal oxide multi-layers) on a different surface.

These 2002 and later bins are certainly phases coated but the current trend (that started with the top three) is not to mention phase coating any more as it is assumed that they would have them. A reasonable assumption for even the Chinese $100 roofs but rather confusing for folks who don't keep up with fads and fashions in bin marketing but know that they (rightly) require phase coating on their bins because their mates told them so.

It's also been mentioned in other threads how some of the top manufactures (I have Zeiss in mind) are even cryptic about when they use (or changed from) silver or dielectric coatings. Witness the heroic efforts to find out when the Zeiss 8x20 changed from silver to dielectric (and we did eventually find out!).

I really appreciate this info. pshute!

I had actually logged on to ask a similar question but no need now after seeing this thread.

Cheers

&